posted July 22, 2007
Chattanooga's Crime Suppression reminds me of the story I often heard as a child of Hitler's round-up of the Jews. Of the round-up of blacks in America prior to, during or after many race riots that broke out all throughout America during the earlier to mid 20th century, or any excuse that could be drummed up during troubling times in our society.
Although the poem has varied over the years, and the order of who Hitler went after first is a topic of continuous dispute, and there's also dispute as to whether the poem was actually written and spoken before(1946 to a group of students) or afterward in his twilight years, I'm reminded of the words, regardless (allegedly) of Pastor Pastor Martin Niemoeller (01/14/1892-03/06/1984: Quote: "In Germany they first came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and socialists, and I didn't speak up because I was neither a trade unionist nor socialist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me - and by that time there was no one left to speak up."
Anyone who is in charge of such twisted and wicked evil taking place in Chattanooga or anywhere in America or the world, for that matter, would stand tall and refuse to take part and/or relinquish their post(s) if they had any scruples left. But, I've learn, many these days have no scruples left, and numbers are far too impressive, I guess. Humanity takes a backseat when compared to numbers. After all, numbers are everything.
Brenda Manghane~Washington
manghane_washington@yahoo.com
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I read your intellectually inconsistent letters with the same mixed curiosity that I do when observing the habits of massively interbred puppies and the occasional boat with a rudder stuck to either port or starboard - and I ignore them accordingly - but this one caught my interest especially.
In this event, you compared “Hitler's round-up of the Jews, the Communists, the Trade Unionists, Socialists, and the Catholics and the Protestants” with the Chattanooga Police Department’s round-up of “Misdemeanants, Felons, Prostitutes, “Johns”, violators of Liquor and Gambling Laws & Ordinances, Fire Code violators, Stolen Vehicles, illegal firearms, and both Narcotics and Narcotics dealers”.
I’m not exactly certain how to phrase this other than (envision italics) … “What?!”
I’m actually terrified that you may answer, but I felt compelled to ask this question in the face of what I can only hope was a "trick letter" to test the intellectual capacity of the common reader herein.
In the meantime, allow me to applaud the Department of Police’s work in apprehending "criminals" and such, and cast my vote that history does not one day refer to "felons" and "prostitutes" and "stolen firearms" and "narcotics" as "martyrs" of any sort. Because "today", I’m actually fairly happy local government is doing something about them, despite the angst of the Reality-Impaired with Internet access and an apparent wealth of time on their hands.
C.W. Joel
Harrison
* * *
In reading the history lesson in a letter I had thought concerned crime suppression effort in Chattanooga, I never read anything on how the local effort was "twisted and wicked."
Maybe I missed something.
Nathan Hickey
* * *
Before I discuss how absurd and ludicrous your comparisons are, I want to outline some facts of which there have been none to this moment.
Officers executed the following in the recent crime suppression exercises:
26 felony arrests
88 misdemeanor arrests
Executed 26 arrest warrants and two narcotics search warrants.
Issued 403 moving citations
Two stolen vehicles were recovered
Police found about $600 worth of stolen property
Removed $545 worth of drugs from the streets.
Seized more than $14,000 worth of illegal cash.
Confiscated three firearms
Fire Marshals issued 52 fire code violations.
Let's start with the first fact...26 felony arrests. In Tennessee, felonies can include murder, felony drug cases, felony cocaine cases, felony marijuana cases, conspiracy, arson, aggravated assault, white collar crime, embezzlement, forgery, vehicular assault, harassment, homicide, murder/manslaughter, racketeering, sex crimes, rape, reckless endangerment, sexual battery, solicitation, stalking, theft of property, felony possession of weapon, criminally negligent homicide, kidnapping and aggravated kidnapping.
If you were comparing the felons to Hitler, you may have and a better case, albeit extreme, it would have at least made a loose connection to both being harmful to society.
We can keep analyzing each of the above crimes but it's much of the same...officers doing their duty and upholding the laws by which we live by. The laws that make us a great society.
As for Hitler, again, I prefer facts to poems. Between 1939 and 1945, the SS (Schutzstaffel or German for "Protective Squadron"), systematically killed somewhere between 11 and 14 million people, including about six million Jews. Besides being gassed to death, many also died as a result of starvation and disease while working as slave laborers.
Now if we take the facts from above, please elaborate on how rounding up wanted criminals and systematically killing innocent people are the same thing?
In my opinion, you owe the officers that continually put their lives on the line for our safety, and everyone else involved in the crime suppression, a sincere apology for comparing them to one of the most disgusting and inhumane people this world has ever know.
I am truly appalled at your comments.
Jason W. Kyzer
Chattanooga
* * *
As an African American concerned about ridding our community of crime and making my neighborhood safe for my children, I am appalled at Ms. Washington's comments where she compared the recent crime suppression to the Nazi round-ups of Jews during the Holocaust. I don't know how anyone can say that these two are related.
I don't care who commits the crime, be they white or black, poor or rich, they need to be held accountable. I am not going to sit here and say that our local police are without fault. There are some hot-heads in the mix, but I think that's probably the case if every department. I am glad that they are working to get these criminals off the street. I want this city to be a safe place for all of us to live.
While I'm not a native Chattanoogan, I grew up in the South and I've lived in Chattanooga long enough to see that there is a real crime problem. As a mother, I worry myself sick that my children are going to run into the wrong people. I keep a watchful eye over them and try to instill in them to know the difference between wrong and right. I think that's what is wrong with a lot of these young people today. They have parents who don't care enough to watch over them or simply don't have the time.
I have never taken the time to write back in response to an opinion piece before but felt compelled to do it this time. I want others to know that Ms. Washington does not speak for the entire community. I thank our police officers and officials who are working to make this a better place to live.
S. Jackson
Chattanooga
* * *
I have read your opinions in the past and found them amusing at how racist and obviously biased they are. This latest nonsense has nothing funny about it.
The thought of comparing the millions of Jews killed by Hitler to criminals captured in a round up is your lowest point to date. Since when did the Jewish race become criminals?
I have stood in one of the actual trains cars used to send them to their death and it is sobering to say the least. I'm not Jewish but I am human and it was a humbling experience.
I don't see how you could possibly make any connection to an innocent Jewish family losing their life to a burglar, dope dealer or career criminal going to jail.
You are wrong and you should admit it.
Blake Daniel
Chattanooga
* * *
I actually had to laugh at your latest remarks comparing Hitler's roundup to that of the Chattanooga Police Department rounding up of criminals. As I read through the opinion I was so curious as to who would write such an absurd thing. Once I reached the end and saw that it was non other than you, Mrs. Washington I was not the least bit surprised anymore.
I have been reading your tirades for sometime now and I have to say each time I read them they remind me of a maniacal person spouting off about conspiracy theories, paranoia of government action, and other nonsense that makes people shake their head in disbelief. Of all the jaded nonsense that I have read from you this has to top it all.
It amazes me beyond belief how someone could even begin to compare these two things. I fear at this point that your thought process is turning into a debilitating phobia. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion I ask that you think through things in order to come to a rational response. If this proves to be impossible there are several great places to seek mental strengthening within the Chattanooga area. Best of luck.
C. Penney
East Brainerd
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