Comments on Crawford's Take: It Happens Every Year...

Not only do I live in Shorewood, but I grew up her...

2006-07-01T11:39:00.000-05:00

Not only do I live in Shorewood, but I grew up here when I was one of about 3 black families who lived in the village. We were so poor that when the gas was turned off for a whole summer, we boiled water to take baths, but my parents were adamant that their children get a good education and so, they stayed.

I am still here, because even then, Shorewood was for the most part a place of tolerance and acceptance. Today, it's even more so. I stay in Shorewood for three reasons: it has always been my home town, my children deserve the same education my parents struggled and sacrificed to give us, and I'm renting one of the few places in the village I can still afford on a non-profit salary.

I've never denied or hidden the fact that I live in Shorewood and I'm proud to say that my family is still integrating the suburbs.

Finally, as I've said before anonymous posters are cowards. Put your name to your attacks, and I may actually take them seriously...

This is the stupidest shit I have ever read. Secon...

2006-06-27T23:02:00.000-05:00

This is the stupidest shit I have ever read. Secondly you live in Shorewood.

Car Salesman:
You may not be a racist in your m...

2006-06-22T18:37:00.000-05:00

Car Salesman:
You may not be a racist in your mind, but everything you just said above disproves your claim. I could recommend some really good stuff for you to review, in particular there's a great movie called The Color of Fear. Google it.

I could actually tear each statement you made to shreds on the "I'm not a racist" comment, but I'll spare you the embarrassment.

I only pointed out the obvious. Clearly, I've touched a bit of truth or the dander wouldn't have gotten up on so many backs...

1. According to the Milwaukee County Health Depart...

2006-06-21T13:37:00.000-05:00

1. According to the Milwaukee County Health Department as of yesterday, the Bradford beach and water surrounding was in "good" status. So, it is Walker's fault somehow for "goo" status.

2. Although I am sure there is a small percentage of racial profiling occuring around the city and on the lakefront, I am just as sure that it isn't 100% like you claim.

Try driving down the lakefron to go home at 9:30pm and having the traffic at a dead stop on lakefront drive. As you get out of your car and look down the road to see what's going on, you realize there is no accidents and that no one is pulled over by a police officer and blocking traffic. Instead, a large group of Black people have decided it convenient to stop their vehciles in the middle of the road, crank their music and start a dance party in the street. Yeah, that happened, and it is just the scratch of the surface.

Try walking out to your car on Downer Ave. only to see a group of Blacks driving about 10 - 12 cars down your block at a high clip blaring music and swearing at you for no apparent reason. This route, your street, you discover is overflow from the cruisers on the lakefront.

I am not racist. I realize that all races commit crimes, injustices, etc. etc. etc. I am not ignorant. YOU, Crawford, are nothing but a racial motivator. You, Gwen Moore and the McGee men are Milwaukee's answer to the Rev. Jesse Jackson. It can never be a black persons fault for commiting a crime in your eyes, just their skin color. YOU and the other racial motivators out there are the people driving race relatios further apart.

All will be 'fair' when police start arresting the...

2006-06-19T13:54:00.000-05:00

All will be 'fair' when police start arresting the RICH drunks leaving the Milwaukee Yacht Club late on any given summer night. Let them arrest a plastered city councilperson or a blotto judge leaving 'their' lakefront slips after those lazy days at the MYC bar.

Better yet - let someone make a citizens arrest. Wouldn't that be interesting??

Milwuakee has such a deep-rooted racial bias about lakefront properties- - - we must keep those property values high. So, we'll just continue our racial bias by closing all PUBLIC PARKS and just allow the entitled to partake at "their" private clubs.

Why would we want to change that time tested racial bias? It's done fine by all of us thus far...

I do believe that the MAJORITY of Milwaukee politicians prove the theory that scum raises to the top. It's sad!

1. All day long there are crimes committed on the ...

2006-06-19T08:45:00.000-05:00

1. All day long there are crimes committed on the lakefront. Before 5pm the crimes are underage drinking, smoking dope (and a myriad of other things), prostitution, fighting, you name it, it's mainly a white crowd during the day, doing this stuff, so nobody sees it or cares. Just like no one cared about the increase in the availability of herion in Milwaukee until kids started dropping like flies in the hallways of Nicolet. Those things are NOT race based crimes. White people commit at least as much crime as blakc people, it's just that no one ever watches white people.

2. Answered above.

3. Sure crime has dropped, NO ONE is down there now though so who cares? Got a problem with crime there?? Then deal with the criminals, but if you kick out everyone, then who are you keeping the lakefront safe for?

4. Not only do I think it. I'm absolutely positive of it. David Clarke has been no friend of the black community in Milwaukee County. In fact, his words and actions show very clearly over the last few years, that he has a certain spite for the black population and this is well known throughout the black community in Milwaukee. His larest funders are the Charlie Sykes crowd and they love having a black face to do their dirty work. It makes people like you feel all cozy about the whole thing. You know. The whole idea that black people are united unanimously in one direction or another on issues, methods and practices is racist in itself! The black community is as diverse as any other community and until you can get over that barrier, you are yourself racial profiling...

My answer is NOT to have the police turn their backs on legitimate criminals. Clearly though there is a targeted effort to intimidate minorities on the lakefront. I rarely see people actually in custody! They are harrassing people who are doing nothing to break the law except being black in the wrong neighborhood. I'd like to challenge to you ride in a car with a black friend on a nice sunny day with the windows down on the lakefront, in Shorewood, WFB, Fox Point, or Bayside. I would put money on it (and I don't gamble) that you will be pulled over. Make the car either an old make or something really new and expensive and it's nearly guaranteed you will be pulled over.

Driving while black is NOT a crime. In fact racial profiling IS a crime in itself.

My best story on racial profiling is this:
My mom worked at Kohl's Food Store in Shorewood for 12 years. For the first 7 or so, the theft was out of control and the method for controlling it was sending a stock boy to follow EVERY black person (especially the young ones) who came in the store. Every once in a while they'd catch someone stealing, but not very often and not a lot of black people shopped at the store. This outraged my mom, but no one would listen to her when she would tell them she saw an old white women steal something. This literally went on for years until the store's theft was up to $80,000 per MONTH. The management decided it was time to act. They hired a full time security force, put in cameras and changed procedures throughout the store. They also made sure no press releases were sent out, so the local neighborhood was unaware of the changes. Lo and behold the security guards started catching the theives...100 or more per week for the first few weeks and here is how their racial makeup broke down.

African American 10%
Other minority 15%
White 75%

Age over 50 75%

Women 65%

So if you were trying to racially profile the theft problem and you randomly decide to target young black males, you have harrassed them, but you have not solved your problem because the theives were actually the little old white women you thought were so cute that you helped do the shielding inadvertantly for them while they were stealing you blind.

I'm saying the lakefront is the same thing. If there is illegal activity going on, deal with that specifically when you see it. Just to randomly stop people because of their race, clothing and/or car means that you have often times wasted your time and theirs and often you've missed the fact that the real drug dealer is the guy in WFB with the huge house on Lake Drive...

Hmm...let me ask you these questions:

1. H...

2006-06-18T19:41:00.000-05:00

Hmm...let me ask you these questions:

1. Have there been crimes committed in the park after 10P? Violence? Prostitution? Drug dealing?

2. If so, what do you think the majority race is that commits these crime at this park at this time?

3. Has crime dropped since the park has been closed down at night?

4. Do you seriously believe that the black sheriff is actively trying to keep minorities out of this park?

What I am getting at is I think you are probably confusing cause and effect. It is a common thing for liberals. Officers stop people committing criminal acts. Majority of people committing crimes in this area are minority. Lo and behold, that means the police are stopping a lot of minorities.

Should the police just turn their backs and ignore citizen complaints and crime because the criminals in the majority of these cases just happen to be black?

I think I know what your answer will be.

I understand your outrage to a certain point, Rene...

2006-06-18T16:50:00.000-05:00

I understand your outrage to a certain point, Renee. During the time I lived on the east side...2002-2004, the things you speak of were already common practice. I just accepted them for what they were. I loved the lakefront. I always saw a lot of younger people from the east side and the minorities. Quite honestly, I was a minority down there. However, I do not ever recall seing a fight, a weapon drawn, no bad blood...everyone was always peaceful and having a good time. I actually liked checking out the stereos of some of the people down there and sneaking a couple beers down on the rocks.

I never really knew why they kicked people out so early. I would just sneak back after dark, park my car on top of the hill and walk down there. Since it is poorly lit, I never got caught. Unfortunately, in our society, money talks. Those rich folks up on the hill get what they want. I'm sure the police do what they do for that reason. I'm pretty sure the noise ordinance doesn't go into effect until 10 pm and after that, they should just deal with the people that are the problem. Give out tickets for loud stereos or whatever.

Personally, I think you should organize a "Take Back the Lakefront" rally. Go down there during the day and collect signatures from people with some specific demands. Then if nothing becomes of it, people could chain themselves to the trees and refuse to leave on a specific date. Get some negative national attention for the city. Unite the black, the white, and the hispanic for a good cause. I'll come down and chain myself to a tree for it. Everyone should not have to suffer because of a few bad apples.