Joe, When I returned to the city Wed., city officials and the police were encouraging and glorifying this vigilante justice. I missed the video taped beating of the “person of interest.”
Now, we know at least one other completely innocent person was beaten in a separate incident and rewards have been distributed to the vigilante heroes even though the “person of interest” has not been charged, only beaten near death. I found this link to update everyone. http://cbs3.com/topstories/fraternal.order.of.2.1032862.html This glorification of vigilante beatings by top city officials shows how far our society has moved away from the most basic concepts of civilization. Over the last several years, I’ve hoped that I would awaken from some long coma finding that our modern upscale society was just a long nightmare created only in my head. I wish I could say that this entire episode in the glorification of vigilante justice shocked me. Sadly, it no longer does. The vandalism: On the vandalism, I find a lot is very very strange. I didn’t see the original mess, but what remains looks like the splatters I’ve seen from those paint guns. The gentrification process has been in the works for some 10 years and I have never seen anarchists from that area or these mythic trustafarians resort to any vandalism or “low-life” tactics, at all, while shouting out the problems with forced gentrification. And of course, choosing the business of Roger, Vincent, and Duane as targets would tend to bring out the biggest backlash against their cause in our community. This looks more like an attempt to frame an ideology with an anonymous strawman. Those strange aspects of this vandalism made me remember the m/o of committeeman7 and voteforandytoy! The identities of those perps remains anonymous to this day. Penn certainly has completely taken control of our neighborhood, as many have been warning for years. Forced Penntrification is alive and well. But the “rats on the sinking ship” in our midst have been the neighborhood pawns of Penntrification like committeeman7, voteforandytoy, and various anointed “community leaders” Penn has used up their pawns and these individuals have been thoroughly exposed in our community among our neighbors! These are the rats on the sinking ship called, the UCD vision and Penn community engagement. At first, it seems difficult to imagine the pawns of Penn engaging in low life vandalism as a way to invoke a reaction against neighborhood dissenters. But that is precisely what the anonymous list posters, committeeman7 and voteforandytoy, were doing! Furthermore, many experienced people know that in civic association battles there is a long history of low-life tactics designed to hurt at a very personal level, like going after a persons business or intimidating them at their place of employment. It’s hard to believe that “good neighbors” could sink so low but I’ve seen and felt this first hand. It was a long time ago, so let me refresh everyone about voteforandytoy. The anonymous poster made it look as if Toy and UCD were being unfairly attacked by an anonymous opponent to UCD and its supporters. Under closer scrutiny, the anonymous poster seemed to be attempting to cause an angry backlash against those voicing legitimate objections. We can’t know for sure, but I see the m/o of committeeman7 and voteforandytoy in this vandalism. It looks like an attempt to create an anonymous strawman among the anti-Penntrification dissenters. To me, that seems a lot more likely than anarchists or trustafarians, who have suddenly taken the low road after 10 years and attacked the dumbest possible target! My opinion before we lynch the anti-gentrificationists, Glenn -----Original Message----- >From: Joe Clarke <[email protected]> >Sent: Jun 6, 2009 8:37 AM >To: Ucity Listserve <[email protected]>, Ucneighbors List ><[email protected]> >Subject: [UC] Vigilante Vandalism > >It is interesting to see the appearance in one week of a kind of street >justice that was done in our city > this past week. The first was the filmed beating of the suspect in the >rape of the eleven year old girl. This >was feel good justice where the subject is caught by the angry >"righteous" mob and left in critical condition >before the police come to cart him away. It was reminiscent of so many >half hour westerns that ended with Lucas >McCain, Johnny Yuma, or some other lone hero of the frontier meting out >justice through the barrel of a gun. > I hope everyone saw the follow up story of the man who was mistaken >by the vigilantes as the perpetrator. >He was beaten up severely before the cops determined that he was not the >person of interest. A simple mistake of identity >by the justice thirsty mob. Ooops. I guess their defenders will say >that they meant well. I mean mobs have never been that accurate >when it comes to determining the guilty. Ask any black man from the >South who has ever witnessed a lynching. That's not a mob's >strong point, discernment; nor is due process for that matter. Instant >gratification of the communal thirst for blood, for certainty: that's >their strong point. > Our own brand of the mob here in West Philly attacked the Gold >Standard. "F**k Gentrification!" their battle cry painted across the front >window of the restaurant. The Righteous Riders/Writers under the cover >of night do their brand of justice for the voiceless "community", no >doubt. > >As Ray Murphy pointed out so well, Roger/Vince/Duane, were in this >neighborhood long before our vandals were riding their rocking horses. >There may >be some older vandals or their sympathizers who should know better. As >the Monty Python admonition goes "Let's not bicker over who killed who: >this is supposed >to be a happy occasion". This was a victory for misguided, but >well-meaning firebrands who "raged impotently", as Woody Allen might >say, against the >nasty beast of "Gentrification". That's the point: This should be a >celebration for this kind of justice and self expression even when it >damages property and business - one that has been especially generous to >the community? The impulse was right, huh? > >I went to the Gold Standard that night for dinner. It's a way a >neighbor can give back to Roger, Vince and the Spirit of Duane who have >given so much to this neighborhood. It's a way of supporting a vision >of community that knits us together in a civil way. Food, breaking >bread, laughter, gratitude, these are the things that >expand the heart's inclusion and make the stranger famil-iar. > >Joe Clarke > >- > >---- >You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the >list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see ><http://www.purple.com/list.html>. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
