In a video which surfaced on Saturday, Hassan Batts is seen berating a Parking Authority officer for issuing tickets or a warning at a public event. Although I believe that a ticket can be inappropriate, Batt's behavior is of much more concern to me. In the video, Batt's is accusing the officer of harassing people and disrespecting them. When officers do their job, be they police or parking, they are not harassing people. If their action or ticket was inappropriate, there is proper recourse. If you don't get satisfaction at the Parking Authority office, you can always make your case in parking court. When the officer, presuming calling in for backup, describes Batts as a black male with a gray beard, Batts really gets agitated. Although I would expect to be described as a older white male with gray hair, Batts cannot believe that this officer doesn't know who he is. Not only does he want to be referred to as Hassan Batts, but Dr. Hassan Batts.
What's beyond disappointing about Batt's attitude is that he is executive director of Promise Neighborhoods. Promise Neighborhoods receives taxfunded grants to improve neighborhoods, including relations with police. After the shooting at Deja Vu, his organization was headlined as how to deal with the gang/gun problem. How can he teach respect for the police with a chip on his own shoulder?
Mr. Batts, and Phyllis Alexander, defended his behavior because of micro aggression, or a cumulation of slights. After the shootings at Deja Vu, state representative Pete Schweyer called Batts and asked "What do you need?", referring to how much of my tax dollars. I need Schweyer to watch the tape first, before handing out that money.
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Great post and commentary Mike. Why would anyone support and excuse this behavior? Answer? Politics pure and simple, and those being used by the self servers are their perpetual victims.
ReplyDeleteThere is no need for intermediaries between the community and the police.
ReplyDeleteIt only undermines the authority of the police, and allows groups to insert their own agendas into the law enforcement process.
Allowing these groups into the process only widens the divisions between the police and the community.
Competent leaders would realize this. Our "leaders" want to subsidize it.
Race Card Hustler.
ReplyDeleteAlso, was disappointed but not surprised that our elected officials attended yesterday's CeaseFirePA rally and are choosing to once again blame the gun instead of addressing the problem.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is the gangs, not the guns. I guess O'Connell, Schweyer and their ilk would feel better if people had been gunned down with pump-action shotguns instead of rifles.
The guns aren't the issue, they are the symptom of the problem. The problem is the gangs who are willing to use the guns unlawfully against others.
But I guess it's easier to use the situation to further their agenda of banning guns than it is to admit that they don't have any clue (or the courage) as to how to deal with the gang issue.
If gang members don't care about laws that ban shooting people, they sure as heck won't care about laws banning certain guns.
By the way, listening to NPR's Saturday morning news show(just for insights) I heard an interview with an "expert" on race relations in America. She conducts group discussions on race for corporations and instructs those required to attend on who is a racist and what the racist must do to atone. Basically every white person who denies being a racist is one. Why? Because they are in denial(apparently, how could they not be?). These are the worst people, keep an eye on them. This misguided and pernicious thinking perhaps explains why so many of our "white" acquaintances through around the word racist at anyone how disagrees with them politically. They are atoning and by doing such are seeking redemption. Additionally and more crassly, how better to prove they are no longer racist than by accusing others of it? In all my years on this earth I have yet(in this country) to meet a racist, I have met plenty of people with prejudices but the two words are as far apart as the common cold and cancer. What the race "experts , liberals, and the Democratic Party, are trying to do is conflate prejudice with racism, don't ever let them get away with it.
ReplyDeleteThese so called community groups are nothing more than organizing organisations for local, state and national Democratic Party recruitment, message, and turnout. Those who think differently are being used. No surprised to see Ray and the other D's there. These groups work for them.
ReplyDeleteThe Morning Call took their usual lazy approach to the shooting problem, blaming the weapons. It's akin to most drunk drivers who kill people, driving Fords, so let's ban Fords. The behavior is the issue, dummies! But it's racist to address the behavior.
ReplyDeleteI think Bob and Scott are right on.
ReplyDeleteThese community organizations are there to work for democrat party candidates for elected office. And they will use the racism card against anyone who attacks them or their failed ideas and "solutions".
The sad part is that it wasn't too long ago (pre-Pawlowski?) that local Democrats would have been among the first to suggest and implement plans to go after and eliminate gang activity in the city. Blindly following their party's national agenda would never have come before the well-being of the city.
While I'd certainly like to pin that change on Pawlowski (and he deserves a large part of the blame for the change in Allentown), he's obviously inspired other democrat politicians to follow in his footsteps. Sadly, democrat voters have been all too willing to accept it.
I see it both ways. The "This is our city" rant. Let me tell you Batts - it was my city too - before it was destroyed by the likes of you. Likes to play the race card. Probably went to public school - can't read the parking signs.
ReplyDeleteOTOH - Looks like a sunny, quite Sunday afternoon - no traffic. That parking enforcement clown has no common sense. I don't know what he did to set those people off.
I understand Dr. Batts. He's a good man.
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