I agree with CJ, dump Semler. I voted for Funkhouser because he offered sound solutions to our cities problems, and he would help out the local economy by getting our priorities straight. I didn't vote for him to "make a statement" on a national debate. If it were just La Raza that had a problem with the Semler appointment I'd understand the Mayor's stubborness, but there are a lot of local citizens that have a problem with it too. Add the NAACP, and countless other future conventions that are watching this situation too, and I'd say it's about time to just get Semler out and move on with our plan to re-vitalize downtown. We've been trying to get our downtown out of third world status for a LONG time, and now we are finally getting closer, making some actual progress towards that goal, and we're going to let something like a Parks Board appointment get in the way? Sounds foolish. DUMP SEMLER ALREADY!!
Sonia: eat a penis. This is not an Oxford style debate, there's no rules for posting an opinion on a free blog from a free periodical you seem to detest but can't help but read. (i doubt you've ever competed in an Oxford style debate anyhow) Blah: Who knows if she did a good job or not? Most of the questions she asked aren't available for us to read, if you want to know why don't you call her and ask her. Or better yet, why don't you write Edwin Hall and ask him yourself? It's not like he's too hard to find. Sonia: Why print the story? Well, to answer that question I have to ask you another question. How many other interviews with Edwin Hall are out there? Have you read a better one? Oh yeah, that's right, there are none. She could have asked him what his favorite color was, and how many toes he has, and it still would be a better interview than what anybody else has out there. Knucklehead.
For all the people criticizing Nadia, I wish you jack-asses would learn how to read. This is a small piece of a 12 minute interview, whatever questions you think she should have asked, she probably did, the rest was OFF THE RECORD. She can't print something she doesn't have permission to, I'm no lawyer but I'm sure if he says don't print this, and she does anyway, and it's a CAPITAL MURDER case, that there are some consequences for that. Why should she risk that? For you knuckleheads? Fuck no I wouldn't.
Bogie1, get a heart. A man (regardless of profession) kills his wife, son and himself is a horrible thing, news worthy for sure. Maybe you should go the the kansas city star, where you can learn of the police crackdown on women showing breasts at party cove, if that's more of your thing. I do agree that most of what the Pitch puts out is absolute garbage. You're not going to find journalistic excellence from a free newspaper, especially one who's most popular and longest running section is a glorified diary of an asian alcoholic. Sometimes however there are some gems, like most of what Nadia Pflaum puts out. (Jesuit education helps) This is not an example of one of those gems, however it's sad that you are so de-sensitized to senseless violence. You asked who cares? Everybody should.
D.A. I'm not saying these artists don't get the airplay on t.v. and radio, they are just not as influential as their numbers might lead you to beleive. Turn to your local R&B/Soul station, and almost all of them have a "hot 8 at 8" or some sort of countdown show, Monday through Friday. THOSE are the songs that kids are REALLY listening to, you can tell because they called in and voted for them, and a lot of those songs aren't songs that would be played on the normal playlist. Those are the songs that Jason Whitlock is talking about. Aside from Beyonce, you're not going to find the other 9 artists you listed that often on these countdown shows. You are going to hear a lot more 50 cent, young Dro, and a bunch of "Drop Pop and Lock it" or similiar song. The point is, even though you are absolutely correct when you say there are plenty of images around of young black women looking confident and proud in their videos, there are still too many songs to the contrary. These "minority" of songs that are overtly sexual, violent, and degrading, have more influence than these songs/artists do, and they shouldn't be acceptable. If Bruce Springsteen or Paul McCartney were to write and perform a song like one of these, there would be a public outcry, because these people are held to higher standards and their audiences wouldn't accept it. What if Michael Buble wrote a song like "Move bitch get out the way" or one like the new Akon song, where the chorus is about him wanting to fuck a stripper? His audience would shit a brick, and rightfully so. What J Whitlock and others are saying is it's time to say these kinds of songs are unacceptable, and hold rap artists to the same standard as other musicians, especially since their songs seem to find their way to an extremely impressionable market.
I'm not defending this guy or sticking up for him or anything like that. I know what the evidence is, but there's no CONCRETE EVIDENCE. Let's examine the difference. DNA, FINGERPRINTS, EYEWITNESS TO THE CRIME, is concrete evidence. He was in the area, his truck was left, he lives nearby, he has a violent past, not concrete evidence. If this case went to court with only the evidence we know of, it wouldn't make it to trial. There's probably more evidence out there, but untill we hear about it who the fuck knows? I've never met this guy, I probably wouldn't like him if I did. I'm just a patriot that beleives that rights have to be extended to people across the board, without exception. Everybody loves the freedoms of our country, unless they disagree, then they think those freedoms should be revoked. Everybody loves freedom of speech, untill someone makes a racist comment, then they want to jump all over that persons shit. Everybody loves that we give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they are innocent untill a judge or jury decides they are not, untill something like this happens and then it's "to hell with the american way". It's not right, we as country are supposed to be better than that. Small wonder why people in around the country think Missourians and Kansans are a bunch of uneducated redneck hillbillies. No wonder the rest of the world is leaving us behind, and America is no longer the biggest and baddest country in the world. Everybody is quick to put their hand over their heart when the national anthem is played, and blow off fireworks on the fourth of July, and have their little flags waving in their yards, whooptee whoo, then totally forget what America is all about when push comes to shove. That's all I'm saying. If he's guilty he will be punished. Untill then, we are SUPPOSED to just assume he is innocent, at least that's how it's SUPPOSED to work.
Re: “The Real Mrs. Semler”
Frances Semler is a violent vigilante that needs to be locked up! Last December I was in Tempe, Arizona, I was just walking down the street minding my own business. I go around a corner, somebody hits me in my chest, knocks me down to the floor. I look up, it's Frances Semler. I say, "Frances Semler?", she says, "I'm sorry, I thought you were somebody else." Such violence! Until the Minutemen disavow their motto "Por la Minutmen todo, fuera de la Minutemen nada", (for the minutemen everything, outisde the minutemen nothing) they should be considered armed and stupid. When they come to town I'll make sure I put out my "No dogs or minutmen allowed" sign on my front lawn. You should have seen the guy at the screen printers shop, when he finally quit laughing he said the sign was on the house. He made one for himself.