You’ve heard of Flash Mobs, which started out as events organized via social media where people showed up in a public space (or sometimes private, like a shopping mall) to sing, dance and celebrate… and then put their joyous spontaneity up on YouTube for the world to enjoy. Then, a bunch of punk kids took over the idea and decided to turn them into mindlessly destructive riots and looting.

But when local attorney and out-of-the-box thinker Andrew Samtoy and a few of his buddies at Cleveland Bridge Builders were sitting around after a meeting talking about the negative phenomenon, they came up with a very bright idea.

“We were thinking about how businesses could be ruined just by kids running in and stealing stuff,” said Samtoy. “But what if responsible, law-supporting citizens decided to go into these businesses — or, really, local businesses in general — and spend their money, en masse, to give the business owner a little bit of economic stimulus? Imagine if 100 people showed up at a farmers’ market and each spent $20. That would be $2,000 into the local economy for stuff that we need or want anyway. We’d help businesses grow, we’d make people happy, we’d get stuff for ourselves, and we could all go and have a drink to celebrate afterward.”

When Marty Mordarski, a member of the group, suggested the name Cash Mobs there was no turning back.

Stop the presses! This is huge, humongous… who knows, maybe even big… at least that’s how the PD is playing it up with a headline story, followed up by a cartoon and later by an editorial… all of which has people — even some veteran PD staffers — scratching their heads in wonderment.

It seems as if someone on the County Council raised the question of moving the meeting time of that body, and Council President Connally sent out an email to members asking for suggestions and input so it could be discussed at a future meeting. While no vote was taken, the PD alleges Sunshine Laws were broken. Or, as their front page headline screamed, it was “termed secretive” — whatever the hell that means. What kangaroo court came up with that decision?

“…and as the police and military are the instruments by which the rich rob and oppress the poor (on legal and moral principles made for the purpose) it is not possible to be on the side of the poor and the police at the same time.”
–George Bernard Shaw

The expected arrests have begun around the country and now we’ll soon see if the country is on the cusp of real change, or will the movement be crushed to the ground by agents of the establishment. Now the depth of devotion to the cause will be tested and the ideological underpinnings challenged.

And for all of those who are attempting to marginalize the Occupy movement by claiming it’s rudderless and shallow, I have two answers: Chris Hedges and Elizabeth Warren, nominally the godparents of the nascent evolution (no, it’s not a revolution and it won’t turn into one).

Unlike Gil-Scott Heron’s ’60s anthem, this revolution will be televised… it just won’t be homogenized — revolutions rarely are. By their very nature they are messy affairs, but that should not stop us from finally realigning the country financially. Things are so far out of kilter that a complete overhaul might be the only solution. And now that the “enemy” (every revolution must have one) has been named and made palpable, things might pick up steam rapidly for the occupying forces.

“Banksters” (sort of rhymes with “gangsters”) is the derisive term that’s been coined to identify the greedy bastards on Wall Street that have looted the American economy and so far gotten away with their crimes… crimes that we now know hurt the country so badly they border on treason. In many countries of the world they would be made to pay with their lives — or at least a decade of their liberty.

Last week I briefly touched on the recent incident of bands of Black youth supposedly running wild at the Coventry Street Fair in Cleveland Heights and then allegedly marauding through adjoining neighborhoods. The next week a similar problem occurred in Shaker Heights where a July 4th fireworks celebration was disturbed by a group of 500 to 1000 youth.

These “flash mobs,” created by a bunch of young people texting each other with details on where they plan to meet up and create havoc, are a national nuisance that we’re going to have to figure out how to deal with in a sane, even-handed and fair manner — indeed, if we’re capable of doing so.

However, given how law enforcement historically has responded to these types of macro threats, we’re more often heavy-handed than even-handed… especially if Black youth are involved, as they seem to be in the majority of cases.

One has to scratch their head in wonderment at Brent Larkin’s recent column, which seemingly urges a very valuable asset to the Black community, namely State Senator Nina Turner, to take on the political suicide mission of running against the very able Congresswoman Marcia Fudge. A columnist really shouldn’t be encouraging an up-and-coming leader to make a misstep that will kill off her political career.

Larkin is a seasoned and savvy professional, so one has to wonder why he didn’t call Congresswoman Fudge before writing the story… he certainly called virtually everyone else (except for Mayor Frank Jackson and George Forbes… or maybe Larkin did call them and just didn’t want to print what they had to say).

The very next day the PD reinforced and strengthened Turner’s creds with the electorate by praising her for the courageous stand she took in regards to a thinly disguised, Republican-inspired voting reform measure that will limit votes in urban communities. The praise (along with her photo on the front of the Metro Section) was well deserved; Turner is a true champion for her constituency… but so too is Congresswoman Fudge.

A lawsuit was filed last week by Daniel S. Chaplin, the lawyer for Edward Henderson – the man who alleges police officers severely beat him on New Year’s Day. Parties to the suit include The Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, its president Stephen S. Loomis [pictured], and 25 members of the organization.

The suit alleges:

“…present day illegality in the Cleveland Police Patrolman’s Association (CPPA) [by] … members of the CPPA, who routinely lie about their conduct with the backing and support, and at times direction, of the CPPA… corporate conduct that is negligent, if not willful, wanton and reckless… the police patrol force, who, as members of the CPPA, abide by a Code of Silence within their corporate framework designed to deflect and deter the Internal Affairs unit of the Cleveland Police Department from discovery of the truth …”

Last week I was incorrect in regards to the Anthony Sowell case. I wrote that part of the reason county prosecutor Bill Mason would not accept a guilty plea in the case was due to the fact that as long as he didn’t, the families could not sue for wrongful death; if found guilty at trial, the appeals would drag on for decades and the suits would have to await the final outcome. I was wrong.

What the lawyer friend of mine meant to say was that it would be difficult for such suits to prevail until the appeals were exhausted… not that they could not be filed. My bad.

While I’m on the subject of mistakes, please allow me to make one thing perfectly clear: I’m fully awake and in possession of my senses when I write the sentences that criticize Mason. Evidently some folks think such criticism is out of order.

Now, I don’t mind the folk who disagree with me… that’s what democracy is all about. Nor do I mind the slimy little cowards that send me threatening messages in an effort to dissuade me — they too go with the territory.

But the folk I increasingly detest are my so-called friends who breathlessly ask me: “Are you really going to write that?” or “Aren’t you afraid to say what you did last week in your column?” What are they afraid of… that someone in the Prosecutor’s Office will trump up some charges against me? Nah, that could never happen… could it?

Black folks are more compassionate, more forgiving than White folks. While I can’t prove this empirically, tons of anecdotal evidence abounds to support my contention. To wit: A recent story on National Public Radio (it aired as well on the CBS Evening News) told the tale of Mary Johnson and Oshea Israel.

In 1993, Israel (who was 16-years-old at the time) went to prison for shooting and killing Johnson’s only son at a party in Milwaukee. The mother had always simply wanted to ask her son’s killer one question: “Why… why did you kill my child?” Israel, however, would not meet with the woman.

Years passed, but toward the end of his sentence Israel finally relented and agreed to meet with Mary Johnson. They talked. She came back to the prison and they talked again, and again. And then, after thinking and praying over it, Mary Johnson forgave Oshea Israel for the hurt and pain he’d caused her.

Upon his release she helped him secure an apartment right next door to hers. In effect, this compassionate woman has adopted, as an adult, the man who killed her only son. Few of us could do what this wise and courageous woman did. But, she says she didn’t do it for him, she did it for herself and that her life was better for it. I believe her… even while doubting if I could ever be as strong as Mary Johnson.

Right, and still wrong

I never thought I’d see the day when I’d so readily agree with a position outgoing County Prosecutor Bill Mason took, but his stance on a Kasich funding formula is the right one. Unfortunately, it’s just being taken by the wrong person.

The situation is this: It costs $26,000 per year to house an adult in an Ohio prison, but the recently completed community-based correctional facility (CBCF) can house — and hopefully rehabilitate and divert a person from a life of crime — for a lot less; but how much less has become a bone of contention.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction wants to give the county under $2,000 of the amount it will save to house these individuals locally, when the actual cost is closer to $5,000. In other words, the state wants to give us just enough to fail. What the state should be fearful of is that Common Pleas Judges simply will refuse to send convicts to the CBCF and will continue to send them off to more expensive state prisons. And there’s really little even the governor can do about it.