Bullshit. I understand all too well the rise of corporatism, the failings of society, the consequences of war, hate, racism, and distrust. I have experienced it and seen it first hand.
I also don't want you to speak for me. I can do it myself. I was born in this neighborhood and have lived here almost all of my life. I too am often offended by the bias and misinformation that is often propagated as marketing for "University City". As for happening "right here, right now" I can tell you it's been happening "right here" for as long as I can remember, and I'm pretty sure for longer than that. What I'm offended by is that you choose Clark Park as the focal representation of societal horrors. Sure, I disagree with UCD and FOCP on many issues, but I'm willing to bet after they blow all that money, the park will be used by the same people as it is now. Yes, I disagree with (what I perceive as) the push to disenfranchise certain people from the park (I'm not accusing anyone directly of doing so, I'm reflecting on the selective enforcement of what I consider stupid laws). And yes, what is happening is representative of our society in general. But to equate what is happening with Clark Park in any way with the death of millions is disrespectful. Additionally, it puts your argument into the irrational category for most people. Your yelling that the world is going to end, rather than providing detailed facts to your argument, inevitably causes fewer people to become involved. As you yourself have pointed out, how many others have publicly fought against the Clark Park changes? The fact is, by not engaging the argument in a logical, academic way, you've pushed the relevance of your argument to the wayside. And really, 5 years of planning? I remember seeing a plan for "revitalizing" Clark Park 10 years ago! If someone didn't know this was coming then they clearly have not been paying attention. Darco PS: I have one for you: "A shepherd-boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: "Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep"; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock." - Aesop From: Glenn [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 12:36 PM To: Lalevic, Darco Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [UC] Clark Park: Power and secrecy was the goal, UCR Darco, I would normally wish to ignore the ambiguous injury you suffered in your one line tweet. These tweets solely to intimidate speakers or chill speech of others should not ordinarily receive a serious response. But the code of silence which you invoke is so severely dangerous that I must respond publicly! Many of us, who have learned from the WW II holocaust and all the other holocausts, also stand firmly behind the knowledge that the lessons from the history must never be forgotten or silenced. Otherwise, they will always repeat. A million people died in the Iran Iraq war when we armed Saddam Hussein to kill Persians. How many died in Vietnam and Cambodia as they were called gooks? How many died in Iraq from US sanctions? An estimated million more Iraqis died in the recent war and there are millions of refugees destabilizing the entire region. Those dead people were called ragheads in military recruitment video games. This blood offends me and those dead millions can't tell their stories! Darco, this blood and much more has been spilled since 1945. I won't be silenced while the main cause this blood was spilled is because too much of middle class America has indeed forgotten the reasons why Neimoller's quote is carved in granite on holocaust memorials around the world. I think those words should be studied and discussed by every high school student in America. (I copied the famous quote by hand because I wanted it burned into my mind.) Those who wish to mystify the holocausts and deny the study of these frighten me! A main lesson of that quote has to do with the inevitable course history will take when good people stay silent when "the other" is first defined and dehumanized. For many years, the people from Clark Park and West Philly have been actively portrayed as criminals, prostitutes, gangs, etc. My inner city neighbors and poor people have similarly been categorized and caged afterward. Less than a year ago, a UCD executive was quoted in a city wide paper claiming that "people" did not go West of 43rd St before the UCD takeover. I was OFFENDED! To those of us who understand the messages in Neimoller's words, this intensive dehumanizing propaganda campaign against my neighbors has been alarming. This process that WE MUST NEVER FORGET is happening right here, RIGHT NOW! The code of silence required to avoid offending you is extremely dangerous. I also want people to see the body bags and feel uncomfortable with the global horror caused because they refuse to speak up against racism and all the forces to define "others" and strip them of their rights and lives. I don't give a damn who is offended or uncomfortable. Now Darco, I can tell you to take your silly ambiguous tweet and stuff it. Sincerely, Glenn For emphasis: "They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up." Pastor Martin Neimoller On 9/23/2010 2:14 PM, Lalevic, Darco wrote: Glenn, While I appreciate your futile intentions to wrest control of Clark Park from the UCD/Penn/FOCP/everyone-else conspiracy, I find it extremely offensive that you use a Holocaust reference for effect. Darco From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Glenn Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 9:18 AM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [UC] Clark Park: Power and secrecy was the goal, UCR Citizens, Here is the UC Review coverage of the Clark park closure. Like always, the local residents are supposed to feel stupid while they are wondering how they missed "nearly five years of planning and nearly countless public meetings geared toward receiving community feedback on revitalizing Park "A..." (UC Review) http://ucreview.com/tree-removal-in-clark-park-a-elicits-surprise-from-some-local-residents-p2341-1.htm?twindow=default&smenu=1&mad=no If you looked closely at the announcements of Friends of Clark Park meetings over the past few years, a few mentioned "updates" about "maintenance." Almost no one from the community, other than the anointed FOCP leaders themselves, bore the pain of these gatherings as I did. Fact: There was no portion at FOCP board meetings that was ever geared toward receiving PUBLIC feedback about Penn's plan to redesign the park! Eyewitness account: A few minutes (4 or 5) were left at the end of each show, in case anyone wanted to thank and applaud the FOCP leaders. For three consecutive years, I attempted to make a one minute statement to voice opposition to the closed, secretive and exclusive process which was driving Penn's redesign. Each time I was silenced (Snyder, Snyder, Melmen)! That is what FOCP claims were countless public meetings for feedback. As indicated in the UCR article, the other "public process" was to find out about Siano and West frightening people PRIVATELY at the farmer's market. Everyone is to believe that while Siano and West demanded 20 dollars from people with false promises of inclusion, that citizens had a legitimate process for providing "feedback" to the closed and secret Clark Park Partnership. It's as silly and dishonest as melani's private "in-box" survey for BID supporters. (I wish more people understood the very basic principles involved!) It looks like the big lie has now become part of the history of West Philadelphia as advanced by UCD. Reality: The years between the rejection of Penn's plan to redesign Clark Park as well as these FOCP "updates" were always designed to keep the public confused and excluded from the UNPOPULAR plan. They kept saying the community wants this destruction and kept telling the public that there were public meetings. They never allowed park user groups to participate or observe the planning meetings since Penn first hand picked the "master plan steering committee." Only FOCP leaders were allowed and all others were banned. When Aaron told the reporter that 100 people, he knew, were surprised by the slaughter of trees, we are all supposed to believe that they just didn't pay enough attention while the FOCP patiently begged for community feedback in public meetings! Are the people going to stay silent against this lie????? Wake up: The three stooges, West, Siano, and Chance, helped Penn privatize Clark Park and give absolute control of Clark Park to UCD, masked as the closed "Clark Park Partnership." It wasn't public feedback meetings that everyone missed. It was the loss of our rights, as local residents and as citizens, that we failed to see and stand up against with these deceptions! Today, it is the park users whose culture and rights are being destroyed. I copied this from the Holocaust memorial in downtown Boston for the silent ones to consider: "They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up." Pastor Martin Neimoller No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com<http://www.avg.com> Version: 9.0.856 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3154 - Release Date: 09/23/10 02:34:00
