Since writing about anything but potential plaza riots would be pointless. I want to encourage readers to think of all of Kansas City media as nothing more than a contrary indicator.
Examples:
So many media folks loved this idea of Mark Funkhouser as Mayor that their coverage was biased and unquestioning. Only after one painful embarrassment following another was his incompetence revealed and now he’s pretty much a non-factor as far as the local news scene.
At the outset of 2008, so many newsies wanted to believe propaganda from big companies about a quick economic turnaround. Obviously, the entire nation is still in the grips of The Great Recession and the Star’s business section predicting “economic resiliency” now seems silly.
And the Downtown Renaissance? That’s been nothing more than a taxpayer nightmare that has shut down small time businesses and stirred even more local racial division.
So, as I think about so many local newsies anticipating a huge riot this weekend, I’m not gonna be surprised if they’re wrong and kind of lame for believing their own hype rather than (gasp!) maybe talking to a local African-American teen . . . Which is reporting that we STILL haven’t seen.
Tony Botello
Pony
Aren’t you supposed to be a reporter? Drive on over to Troost and start asking teenagers questions.
MandDShagger
Four dead in OHIO
Forty dead in KCMO
jojo
My idea to stop violence/drugs/murder/rape etc
in KCMO.
1. SURGE: Call in the national guards. Call in
federal/state and local law enforcement/and
surge thru the 6 square mile area of kc.
We had a surge of troops in fallujah…why not
the same thing in kcmo. Arrest the murderers…
take down the drug houses…arrest those with
outstanding warrants….break up the gangs…
arrest the head of those groups…bring in federal offials/sherrifs/position guardsmen
on select corners…set up military style
convoys….this is a war zone…treat it like
one. Go door to door…go business to business..
show these people that a real war is being
declared against this type of crime….
see how quickly the crime stops….I would say
within about 48 hours…monitor the traffic…
set up raodblocks in key intersections and
stop the flow of drugs….we’ve had
a shitty war on crime ….our war on drugs
is nothing but some fancy tv commercials…
get serious and stop this.
I believe that those who committ those crimes…
white..black…brown…are terrorists. Start
enforcing RICO laws…start shutting down the
criminals…throw them in jail …give them
attorneys but why let them back on the streets.
Legislators get serious about crime. Enact the
harshest penalties for violent crimes…stop worrying about the crimjinals rights…what about
victims rights.
if you’re going to stop all tyhis crap you can;’t
do it by playing games.
Civil law abiding citizens have suffered
ENOUGH. Then you enforce strict guidelines.thisIS A WAR WITHIN OUR CITY. IF WE DON’T FIGHT
BACK WE CONTINUE TO LOSE INNOCENT LIVES.
What are we waiting for. We’ll have another 100
murders this year if we don’t do soemthing.
Where are the law abiding/civil/hard working
people of this town and why are they not demanding this be done NOW!
Collective Noses
The media is biased and hyping a news story to play on the irrational emotions of the viewer? You sir have crossed the line.
jojo
REPORT FROM THE PLAZA FRIDAY NIGHT….
We attended tivols open house on the plaza
friday night. More security and police surrounding the store than you’d see at a
kcmo crime scene. The hottest gold digging
chicks were there. Noone bought anything which
meant the recession is still on but the appetizers and booze was good.
The plaza was a ghosttown. Restaurants…bars…
streets were bare for such a nice night.
Valets said it was worst than when storms
hit in winter.
Police helicopters circled the plaza constantly.
Police parked outside the cinemark theatre…
probably 15 as the crowd left the theatre.
The streets were bare. I did see some blacks
walking the street but there was an eery
feeling as they walked by us. They knew they
were being watched closely.
At the noodle place (the joint that serves
noodles for $10 and thinks their food is
super)…there were 3 tv stations reporting live.
Channel 4 had a live 10pm opening and we
watched the reporter do his feed to the
station. His comments were dreadful. Where
does a major tv station get reporters like
this.
Walked past capital grille…dead.
The only people on the plaza we saw were
people who took advantage of tivols earlier
in the night.
The lone piano man across from brio had an
empty tip cup and said it was horrible.
He sang “peaceful easy feeling” by the
eagles and it was very appropriate.
More cops everywhere. Had there been a crime
on the plaza the poor crook would have been
literally surrounded by half the kcpd.
It killed the plaza and everyone mentioned
what happened last weekend.
We saw two professional black guys walking and
saw they too felt uncomfortable there.
If the job of the city and the police and
highwoods was to show force this was the way
to do it.
But i wonder if it was overdone? I wonder if the
families will come back to plaza. It could take
months or longer to probably get the crowds
back.
Normally, this time of year the sidewalks are
packed…people are with kids…none of that
last night.
What have we become? Is this what it takes for
citiens to act civil and politely?
This could go 2 ways. Either it moves the young
blacks to other areas where they can do their
deeds or it will hurt the plaza merchants
dramatically.
The plaza is our shining glory. Its part of our
heritage and we brag about it to outsiders.
People who come to kc say they love the plaza..
but we’ll see what happens when the hot weather
comes back.
One police officer said they can’t do anything.
They can show they are there but they can’t
touch or harass these kids.
I can tell you its only going to get worse.
As the minority populations explode we’revseeing
more and more problems.
Will the plaza survive…yes…but Ithing they
have to make the security/police presence less
obvious. It was huge friday night.
And the tv stations didnt help it either.
I will look forward to seeing how the next
few weeks work out for the plaza and if people
come b ack.
If they don’t we will have lost a true
tresure of our community.
bschloz
jojo hope you spent a few bucks too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeryJdsbjII&feature=related