Letters to the Editors

Community's progress was at stake

Re: Chief's firing splits, confounds neighbors, Dec. 23.

On Dec. 19, the NAACP facilitated the gathering of community people and leaders of various organizations, including faith communities, to show our support for St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and the process of decisionmaking. It was an awesome expression of unity, not confusion, and a declaration that we must move forward as a citizenry determined to not regress in race relations.

Just a couple of months earlier a similar gathering stood inside City Hall and welcomed the historic appointment of former Chief Mack Vines who was known to this community as an innovator of community policing and community collaboration. Since the days of his previous administration, this city and the African-American community had gone through difficult times with an insensitive and antagonistic chief of police, resulting in civil disturbances. These disturbances were the result of distrust, disrespect and policies of overly aggressive police contact.

We saw police Chief Goliath Davis work from "can do" 'til "can't do any more" to restore a sense of respect, integrity, a sense of worth and belonging to an injured community. Who wants to go back?

There is no doubt that we were a community in healing and forgiveness but not in forgetfulness. Time may very well have proven that the outrageous metaphor used by Chief Vines was minimal. I do not believe he is a racist. But its use at this moment was terrible timing. This matter had grown legs and taken off on an uncontrollable journey. His ability to lead was absolutely compromised as far a community of people was concerned.

We had faith that the leader we elected, Mayor Baker, would recognize a divisive and explosive situation and act firmly. Mayor Baker was elected to serve not just the interests of downtown, north of town, east of town or west of town, but also Midtown and south of town. He made a courageous decision within his discretion.

The motor of progress was cranked up and we were moving down the highway of improvement. We could not afford a breakdown. Booker T. Washington once said on race relations that we may be as separate as fingers on matters purely social, but on matters essential to progress we must be as one hand.
-- Darryl Ervin Rouson, Esq., president, St. Petersburg Branch National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

There's no progress

Re: A city getting back to work, editorial, Dec. 23.

Why you find it necessary to personalize an issue that has had an affect on all St. Petersburg's working police officers, who are of both genders and representative of a diverse cross-section of races, is beyond us.

The seriousness of this whole incident is much bigger than any one person. There are many officers angry about the removal of police Chief Mack Vines but who are genuinely afraid to voice their opinions in the media for the very real fear of retaliation.

Many officers find it difficult to understand why Mayor Rick Baker would remove the chief of police after the investigation by City Hall did not reveal any behavior that was grossly inappropriate. Many officers do not understand why in making this decisive yet divisive decision, the mayor came down on the side of those most vocal against the chief: the Uhuru organization, which is known for its antigovernment, anti-law-enforcement rhetoric, but which uses the system it is against to get what it wants. Many officers have knowledge of the real issues that lie below the surface that led to the chief's removal, which is directly related to a lack of support from his staff. It is the responsibility of the PBA leadership to represent these concerns and opinions of the officers to the public through the media so their voices can be heard.

The PBA leadership (including me) have agreed to meet with the new chief, Chuck Harmon, and listen to what he has to say. But, cautiously speaking, we don't see where Harmon will do anything different as chief than what he did as the assistant chief. But what's important is we will listen.

The new politically correct cliche of moving forward will never be a reality in St. Petersburg as long as there are those who continually step backward, while claiming forward movement. The correct term for this is not moving forward but simply spinning your wheels.
-- J.W. "Jack" Soule, president, Pinellas County Police Benevolent Association, Inc., Clearwater

Al-Arian firing was overdue

In regard to the firing of Dr. Sami Al-Arian by the University of South Florida, I can only say this: It was about time.

Those of the "politically correct" persuasion will argue that there is no difference between what Dr. Al-Arian said and, let's say, anti-South Africa sentiments. But it is one thing to say "death to apartheid," as that is a statement against a system. To say "death to Israel," as Al-Arian has, calls for the extermination of a country and its inhabitants, regardless of their political persuasion. Add in Al-Arian's other statements such as calling Jews "monkeys and pigs" and you have a man who preaches hate while a representative of USF, whether he says these things in an official capacity or not.
-- Scott Levison, Pinellas Park

A stain on USF

As I listened to the University of South Florida board of trustees deliberate over the fate of Dr. Sami Al-Arian, I was reminded of other committees that during the so-called McCarthy era in the name of security ruined the careers and lives of thousands of Americans.

This happened not because these Americans had committed any crime but simply because they had espoused unpopular ideas. The decision to fire Dr. Al-Arian has tarnished the reputation of USF. Regretfully, when in a democracy one removes the basic premise of freedom of speech, the act belittles and betrays us all.
-- Fraser M. Ottanelli, professor of history, USF, Temple Terrace

Look for a compromise

Re: U.S. should reconsider aid to Israel, by Bill Maxwell, Dec. 16.

It is true that the nation of Israel was created pursuant to a U.N. mandate. It is also true that Arab nations expelled large numbers of Jews from their countries. It is also true that Israel absorbed the evicted Jews, while the Arab countries did not absorb the Palestinians who were evicted. But, it is also true that the U.N. mandate was the result of Western nations exercising their power; the Palestinians never agreed to give up their land. The Western nations could just as easily have given the European Jews a part of Germany, in payment for the suffering inflicted by the Germans. They chose to give land that was already occupied by Palestinians, many of whom lived on land that had been in their families for generations. If the Palestinians have ever been compensated, I have not heard anything about it.

While many Palestinians left voluntarily because they believed the Arab countries would defeat Israel and get their land back for them, other Palestinians were evicted. Further, there were Israeli terrorists like former Prime Minister Menachem Begin, who, as a leader of Irgun, murdered Palestinians who refused to leave their land.

We are left with a complex problem for which no one seems to have a solution. No one, including Maxwell, is suggesting that Israel should not exist. But, it is hard to see how there will ever be peace in that region when Jewish settlements are being built on land owned by Palestinians. Israel cannot be blamed for creating defensive positions. However, creating settlements where Jews from anywhere in the world have priority over Palestinians who can look at those settlements and recall growing up on that land seems to be a blueprint for failure.

Israel's response to the terrorists can be seen as similar to the U.S. response to the attacks of Sept. 11. But, one would hope that there could be some compromise, where the Palestinians could own their land without fear of having it expropriated, while the Israelis could live without fear of terrorist attacks. I'm sure that things are not nearly as simple as that, but there must be a beginning.
-- Robert A. Monroe, Tampa

The smell of payback

Give me a break. In an article titled Judge earns respect, enemies (Dec. 23), Tampa Circuit Judge Gregory Holder is discussed as being investigated by the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission for allegedly giving a false answer on an application for a federal judgeship. He answered "no" to a question as to whether anyone had ever filed a complaint against him, according to the story. Apparently, a JQC chairman had admonished Holder in the past about speaking to the press.

That's not a "complaint!" A complaint is when a formal charge is made, a response is requested, due process is provided, a hearing is held and a decision is rendered. He had no reason to disclose the chairman's "admonishment."

That this matter is even being investigated by the JQC stinks of political courthouse payback.
-- Denis M. de Vlaming, Clearwater

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