Thanks Teun for this posting. You make good points around the abilty of crime to get us hot under the collar. I endorse your call for cool heads to prevail in the future. Let's count to 10 before we go off pop at each-other. There are many people devoting a lot of time, much of it voluntary, to a focused effort to clear Observatory up over the next few months. Good strong people are stepping forward to take our suburb back from the slumlords and drug peddlers. I am confident those efforts are on the verge of bearing fruit. Brian On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 7:52 AM, Michael Kempen <[email protected]>wrote:
> Thank you Teun. > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "teun" <[email protected]> > To: "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 1:34 PM > Subject: [obsnw] Re: Police harassment > > > Open letter to Mr Marais (and other Observatory residents) > > Dear Mr Marais > > I have noted your e-mail and those of the other people in Observatory. > You accuse me of being disingenuous, so let's be candid. > > I originally reacted rather angrily to an e-mail from Trevor Hughes. > Where did that anger come from? After some soul-searching I must admit > that it was not directed at Trevor, but at you. In a few e-mails, > which you wrote to me and which were also published to other members > of the Observatory community, you attacked me viciously and in a very > personal manner while making the point that the Woodstock police was > not doing enough in Observatory. When I read Trevor's e-mail, I > somehow made the connection with your personal attack on me, probably > because the subject of the e-mails (police (non)-action) was similar > and made a remark generalising the Obs community. > > I must concede that this was wrong of me and I sincerely apologise to > the residents of Observatory. > > Having said that, I would also like to make the point it is clear to > me that once again crime did get the better of us. Not only can we > fall victim to crime, but crime is also such a dividing, polarising > and segregating force. In other words: crime divides and rules. And > that is so wrong and disheartening. > I am pretty sure that we all want the same thing and most of us are > working hard to try and achieve this: to be able to live and work in a > safe environment. We should not let squabbles among ourselves and > pointing of fingers deter us from seeing the big picture. > > I fell into that trap and I am very sorry about that. I hope that we > can turn this into a hard lesson learned and move on from here in the > right direction. > > Best regards > Teun Baartman > > > > > On Mar 21, 12:07 pm, Kris Marais <[email protected]> wrote: > >> In my capacity as a resident and property owner in Observatory i >> absolutely endorse Justin's message below. >> Teun this is yet another example of the disingenuous tone of your recent >> email wherein you make snide reference to 'Observatory' and it appears >> to me you are "playing to the gallery." (the gallery? "anybody or group >> of people copied in your email who would like to see Observatory insulted) >> Kris Marais >> >> >> >> Justin Ashley wrote: >> >> > Teun, Trevor related a personal experience he had and objected to, >> > which is his democratic right. He did not make any attempt to >> > indicate that the views he expressed were representative of any >> > organisation or community. >> >> > The first two paragraphs or your initial reply to his post are >> > reasonable and clear. The gratuitous insult to the Observatory >> > community that you decided to throw into your last paragraph is >> > offensive and untrue, and I think deserves an apology from you. >> >> > Regards >> >> > Justin >> >> > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On >> > Behalf Of *Teun Baartman >> > *Sent:* 19 March 2010 08:55 AM >> > *To:* Trevor Hughes >> > *Cc:* [email protected]; Brian & Sue Amery; Woodstock SAPS; David >> > Raphael; Cedric Thomas >> > *Subject:* [obsnw] Re: Police harassment >> >> > As I said: I'm not an expert. Let's wait for the police reply. >> >> > Still does not take away the fact that apparently the Obs community is >> > in two minds about what it wants. >> >> > Regards >> >> > Teun >> >> > On 19 March 2010 08:42, Trevor Hughes <[email protected] >> > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> > On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 8:09 AM, Trevor Hughes <[email protected] >> > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> > > Quoted from the constitution:- >> >> > > 14. Privacy >> >> > > Everyone has the right to privacy, which includes the right not to >> > have >> >> > > 1. their person or home searched; >> > > 2. their property searched; >> > > 3. their possessions seized; or >> > > 4. the privacy of their communications infringed. >> >> > > Its pretty clear! >> >> > > Trev >> >> > 2. Supremacy of Constitution >> >> > This Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic; law or conduct >> > inconsistent with it is invalid, and the obligations imposed by it >> > must be fulfilled. >> >> > Makes you think ......... >> >> > -- >> > Teun Baartman >> > 083 298 1009 >> > 021 448 3584 >> >> > Please consider the environment before you print this e-mail!! >> >> > -- >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> > Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. >> >> > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > [email protected] >> > For more options, visit this group at >> >http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en >> >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > obsnw+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the >> > words "REMOVE ME" as the subject. >> >> > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus >> > signature database 4957 (20100319) __________ >> >> > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >> >> >http://www.eset.com >> > -- >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> > Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. >> >> > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > [email protected] >> > For more options, visit this group at >> >http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en >> >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > obsnw+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the >> > words "REMOVE ME" as the subject. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to obsnw+ > unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE > ME" as the subject. > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to obsnw+ > unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE > ME" as the subject. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. 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