Today at the Forum: Wash your mouth!

Monday, October 16, 2006

Wash your mouth!

I waited more than 48 hours to write this very short entry for two reasons:
1. I didn't want to offer a kneejerk reaction to Nikki Giovanni's obvious attempt to shock Greater Cincinnati (which she did).
2. Along the same lines, I wanted to make sure I didn't trample on her right to free speech on the public square.
So here's my conclusion. Aside from being wrong about Ken Blackwell, Giovanni's comments were out of place. My intent Saturday was to take my daughters to the square.
Now I'm glad I didn't.
I can only imagine how the parents of small children felt when she let loose.
I heard worse from Giovanni seven years ago at a Seattle nightspot. Her words stabbed U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and scores of others. It was funny back then, and just as shocking. I joined the throng in handclaps of praise.
But it was also after 10 p.m., in a controlled environment, and there was not a minor in sight.

23 Comments:

at 6:00 PM, October 16, 2006

Anonymous said...

While there are plenty of wordfs that can describe Blackwell more succintly without using profanity would Byron have a problem with Ms. Giovanni expressing her opinion?

Just curious. Do you know John Kenneth Blackwell? I am a life long Cincinnatian and I found myself going to the library to see what the microfiche said about him after reading City Beat's cover story. Of the long time associates quoted in the City Beat article, one was Marian Spencer who fought to integrate Cincinnati's public places.

"Marian Spencer doesn't mince words. She is an African American, 86 years old and a civil rights warhorse of the 1950s and '60s in Cincinnati, fighting to integrate Cincinnati public places such as Coney Island amusement park and then its swimming pool. The battle lasted, incredibly enough, until 1961. In the mid-1980s, she served on city council, including a year as vice mayor.

"I'm 86 and I have thought about a lot of things over the years, and I don't need a lot of time to think about Ken," Spencer says at the get-go. "I've been around long enough to see all the changes in his life, and they have been so varied. I see him -- and this is very harsh -- but I see him as the ultimate opportunist. It's that word I'll give you again in capital letters -- it's OPPORTUNISM.

"This is the hand he has played. He has waffled, he has moved in ways that best served him at the time. I think he would be as opportunistic a governor as he was a councilman and secretary of state."

Curious about Marian's words I headed to the newspaper department at the library. I found out that Blackwell squeaked onto council in his first run by only 500 votes. But in his second run he was the 2nd highest vote getter outpolling other incumbents including the mayor and vice-mayor. According to a November 11, 1979 (B-7) article in the Enquirer, Blackwell had made public comments about the appropriateness of low-income public housing in Westwood and Northside two months before the election even though the issue had no bearing on the council election. And as you can probably imagine Blackwell polled very well in white communities on the east side and did especially well in Westwood. In fact he trounced four other candidates, including the mayor and vice-mayor.

"What bothered Blackwell's fellow Chaterites was that council was not asked to support or condemn the proposals (public housing) only to determine whether they fit the plan. That they did was not contested.

snip

In his victory speech Blackwell claimed that these comments were not due to "political expediency".

He also said that, "While race was a factor in some of the resistance, it was not the only factor."

Looks like Ken took a page from Nixon's play book.

I think Marian is right.

Ken Blackwell is no Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. He is no Judge Nathaniel Jones. And he most definitely is no Reverend Martin Luther King. Jr.

The GOP's Shameful Vote Strategy
Time was when Republicans were at least embarrassed by their efforts to keep African Americans from the polls. Today's Republicans have elevated vote suppression from a dirty secret to a public norm.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A707-2004Oct26.html

Now They're Registered, Now They're Not
Election Officials Express Dismay at Extent of Misinformation, Variety of Tricks Targeting Voters
Students find their party changed, while residents of several cities report bogus phone calls telling voters their polling location has been changed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12514-2004Oct30.html

Voters report fake calls
Instructions to change polling place don’t come from board of elections
Franklin County, Ohio residents report suspicious phone calls detailing false precinct changes and absentee ballot requests.
http://www.dispatch.com/election/election-local.php?story=dispatch/2004/10/22/20041022-A1-00.html

NAACP, election officials caution voters of bogus letter
South Carolina officials warn of bogus letter on NAACP letterhead says voters must have a credit check, provide two forms of photo identification, a Social Security card, a voter registration card as well as a handwriting sample.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/10050609.htm?1c

Pushing to Be Counted in Fla. Groups Say That Blacks May Not Be Heard at Polls
Black leaders said the scene at the supervisor's office last week was reminiscent of a blocked schoolhouse door at the height of desegregation. They charge that GOP officials are deliberately using the law to keep black people off the rolls and hinder them from voting.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28107-2004Oct12.html

Something rotten in the state of Florida
Pregnant chads, vanishing voters... the election fiasco of 2000 made the Sunshine State a laughing stock. More importantly, it put George Bush in the White House. You'd think they'd want to get it right this time. But no, as Andrew Gumbel discovers, the democratic process is more flawed than ever.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=566688

Grand jury to reconvene in phone-jamming case
A federal prosecutor said he will reconvene a grand jury in a case involving the jamming of Democratic phone lines in 2002, raising the question of whether more Republicans could be accused.
http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D8C6VEF80-236.shtml

Florida scraps flawed felon voting list
The purge of felons from voter rolls has been a thorny issue since the 2000 presidential election. A private company hired to identify ineligible voters before the election produced a list with scores of errors, and elections supervisors used it to remove voters without verifying its accuracy.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-07-10-felons-vote-fla_x.htm?POE=click-refer

at 7:10 PM, October 16, 2006

Anonymous said...

Nikki apparently abuses the right to free speech. She wasn't funny on Saturday and I don't understand how she could have been funny in Seattle. Classy people need to behave with class. She didn't and apparently isn't. Hopefully classy people and classy organizations won't invite her back.

at 7:36 AM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

So Ken Blackwell is not a political whore?

at 7:38 AM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

There asre plenty of white enablers looking the other way as the GOP shamelessly seeks to suppress voters.

at 8:37 AM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

When his own President calls Blackwell a "nut," it really isn't too big of a stretch to imagine a political critic of him use "SOB" to descibe him.

at 9:34 AM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

I thought it was HILARIOUS! First off, if anyone is familiar with Nikki's work knows that she is an ACTIVIST and she has sparked plenty of controversy elsewhere. Apparently 3CDC folk didn't know it or take the time out to do some research on her. That's their fault, not hers.

Second, the square is an open space for public forums, therefore anything goes that is within her freedom of speech and her opinion of Ken Blackwell is for sure within her rights. So was it appropriate? Absolutely it was! It is full election season and there were plenty politicians there. Whether or not they were campaininging and passing out literature I don't know, bujt they had the opportunity to enteract with public so politics were definitely in order.

So what that people may not like what she said or disagreed with it, that's a risk you have to take at an open forum. She was right, Ken Blackwell has jumped from being a Democrat to Charterite, to Republican, just like a whore that jumps from lover to lover to lover for personal gains. Wasn't she tellinng the truth? Personally, I get sick of all of the "let's just look at Cincinnati through rose-colored glasses". I like the idea that she sprinkling some of the good, bad, and ugly of Cincinnati throughout her poem.

at 9:46 AM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

Ms. Giovanni accurately portrays the sentiments of thr ruling government in the City of Cincinnati. This is why she was asked to speak, to represent Cincinnati. So why is anyone shocked?

at 10:13 AM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

I am always amazed at parents who are appalled at words used that are profane in a public place, as Ms. Giovanni used Saturday. They want to protect them and pretend such things don't exist and are anxious that they have been exposed to such an "adult" thing. Well hey guys, grow up. Use the opportunity as a lesson to teach your kids how they shouldn't act as an adult, rather than sweeping it under the carpet or lamenting over how it can be contained for the future.

Reality is, people can be stupid, period. Better to teach your children how to navigate and cope in this world and develop their own responsible style with thought and consideration, than to constantly force others to sanitize through your overreaction.

at 10:55 AM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

Free speech has its time & place. One must exercise good judgment in all cases.

Saturday at the Square wasn't the time nor the place. I can imagine the children picking up few new words to add to their vocabulary.

This so-called poet was boorish & acted just like trash. This wasn't a political rally nor a protest. This was an attempt to bring all peoples together to celebrate the City.

This Giovanni individual succeeded in furthering the divide among the residents in the area. She should never, ever be invited back to Cincinnati for any reason. She should be banished & boycotted.

This wasn't poetic license. This was racial, political bulls*(t on the highest level & she got away with it.

In the other vein, Marian Spencer is absolutely spot on. That lady never sat on her backside, bitching, boycotting, protesting & complaining about what was wrong. She got up & did something constructive about it. Some of these so-called activists could still learn at her knee.

at 12:36 PM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

Race baiters make a living by fostering racial divides. Both Whites and Blacks can be racists.

The main impediment to racial healing in America is that Liberal minded individuals think they are being sensitive by holding Black and Liberal racists to lower standards of conduct than White racists.

This double standard is a disservice to all. Overtime we aspire to goals and standards we and society hold for ourselves. Poor standards of behavior encourage and enable poor behavior. This should be self evident.

at 12:54 PM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

Here's an idea. Why don't we start hearing specific suggestions for solving the racial divide in our city? Rather than hearing gripe after gripe after gripe ad nauseum, why don't residents, black and white, brown and yellow, give realistic valid suggestions of how to solve the problem.

I don't mean hearing "they need to do ..." I mean hearing "WE need to do..."

Regarding Mr. Blackwell, voters have the right to vote for him or not, and have a right to their personal opinions of him. He alone cannot fix Cincinnati. Neither can anyone else on City Council, the police force, Indian Hill, Avondale or Westwood individually. The only way we fix this is en masse - together, as a group. And the first step to that is dialogue, meaningful dialogue dripping with real suggestions for solutions, not radical hate-filled insults.

Here's one. Let's start merging the professional organizations in town that are currently divided by race. Let's merge the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce with the African-American Chamber of Commerce, and then have a small business convention that gives networking opportunities to all. Why don't we merge the Black FOP with the white one, and look at ways all policeman can work together and bring one unified voice of safety to the people?

Until we start to make this ONE nation, and not a bunch of little blocks of separatist thought and idea, we will never fix this problem. It's not Ms. Giovanni we need to criticize, nor is it Mr. Blackwell (we have the polls to express our opinions there). It's ourselves, for letting this mess happen in the first place.

at 1:26 PM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

In many ways, I don't want to leave a comment on the poet's words. Her point was to shock and also create discussion about what she mentioned. By leaving a comment, I'm doing exactly what she wanted and that makes me sick.

I'm not going to comment about race, Blackwell, or swearing in front of children. Rather, let's talk about how selfish some individuals can be. What disturbs me most about the poet is that she decided that this was not about a celebration, this was not about Cincinnati. She decided it was HER time to make a point. Yes, she was asked to speak, but she falsely presented her initial poem knowing full well it would be rejected.

She used the opportunity to further her own agenda. Instead of brining us together, she picked at the scab that many Cincinnatians have worked hard to heal.

Yes, she has a right to her opinion. I also have the same right to express mine.

at 2:43 PM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

Peole are singling out the vulgar language as the only issue.

It's not - this woman also accused Cincinnati police of shooting people in the back. That statement was wrong and even more out of place.

at 8:54 PM, October 17, 2006

Anonymous said...

You want specific suggestions to heal the divide within the City of Cincinnati?
-Hold everyone to the same standards of behavior.
-Enforce equal justice for all criminals.
-Call out Liberal offenders of behavior in both words and actions as you do for Conservative offenders.
-Everyone should support the Police. How can you expect civil order when you don't report crime and witness against criminals?
-Practice assimilation within society for the common good and stop this divisive “celebration of diversity”.
-Stop claiming discrimination as an excuse for your personal failings.
-Practice personal responsibility as a good citizen.
-Stop expecting the public to financially take care of you as an entitlement right.
-Conduct your personal behavior by these principles and teach your children the same.
-Expect equal opportunity and stop demanding equality of results. This only dumbs us down to the lowest common denominator.
You want more specifics?
Obey the laws. Stop littering. Clean up your yards or where you rent. Speak respectfully to one another. Help your neighbor. Make sure your children go to school and study at night. Stop complaining and focus on self-improvement for a better career. Etc.
In short, raise your expectations and behavior for yourself; and stop expecting others to solve your problems..

at 4:57 AM, October 18, 2006

Anonymous said...

I just read the portion of the poem printed in today's paper.

I've never "understood" how modern poetry IS poetry. No rhyming. No meter. No logical progression.

So, since I don't begin to understand how this is "poetry" - I'll not comment on the content.

at 7:06 PM, October 18, 2006

Anonymous said...

Nikki Giovanni:
Mediocre, washed-up poet
Lots of brass
But no class
And doesn’t even know it.

at 7:52 PM, October 18, 2006

Anonymous said...

There are worse things than kids hearing two mildly vulgar words. If they're really young they probably won't understand them, and if they're old enough to understand them then it's probably a good teachable moment. Why does everything in this forum come down to "the children"? (P.S. I'm a parent myself, but I like to think I'm a lot more than that.)

at 7:07 AM, October 19, 2006

Anonymous said...

After Blackwell's behavior over the last few days concerning Ted Strickland and the lies of people like Willie Cunningham accusing Strickland of 1) hiring a sex offender and 2) being a supporter of NAMBLA, I think Ms Giovanni has been knocked from the headlines. Inappropriate to say the least on the part of Mr. Blackwell, desperate and slimy to be accurate about Mr. Blackwell. Ken Blackwell's campaign should fold today and Blackwell should withdraw in shame and disgrace. As far as Willie Cunningham is concerned, he's simply a bad joke and a fine example of mediocrity.

Bill Adkins.

at 8:42 AM, October 19, 2006

Anonymous said...

Shame on 3CDC! What were you thinking? Had any of you heard Nikki Giovanni in a public forum before? Well, I have. And to this day I remember the look on many faces as she gave the keynote address at the Women's Leadership Development Conference at the University of Cincinnati a few years back. I also remember the rumble of feet as a good number of the audience got up in the middle of her tirade and left.
If I had the time, or I really cared that much, I'd do some research into how a literate woman with a powerful voice for the oppressed managed to mangle her message over time. What was once thought provoking, is now garden variety pot stirring.
The rededication of Fountain Square and all that it symbolizes is a positive for Cincinnati. Free speech is alive and well, but did you have to shove it in my face by promoting Nikki-"shock jock" of social discourse- Giovanni?

at 12:49 PM, October 19, 2006

Anonymous said...

Now that I know the city is looking for "uplifting" poetry, I submit the following:
Oh Cincy, you loser - why do you eat goetta?
Are you too dumb to know Greek salads use feta?

at 1:43 PM, October 19, 2006

Anonymous said...

This whole situation is pretty simple...just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD. Giovanni knew better. She knew that it was a day that Cincinnati families were coming to celebrate and yet she still felt compelled to infuse her hate into her poem. I fully protect her right to free speech but she chose a highly inappropriate time and yet again, it's the children that are left asking why that woman used bad words and said those things. Good job, Ms. Giovanni. Way to hold back and practice some class.

at 9:03 AM, October 20, 2006

Anonymous said...

Hey, with your logic for the value in rehashing untruths (white police shooting innocent black criminals in the back) we should erect another monument or statue to commemorate this lie. Possibly, as justification for the Cincinnati Riots we should continue the financial fleecing of the public by adding another wing on the Freedom Center, to tell how the "Man" mistreats the guiltless.

at 9:56 AM, October 21, 2006

Anonymous said...

Ms. Giovanni confuses the "right to do a thing" with it being "the right thing to do". Most adults realize that this sort of speech plays only to her "amen corner", just as Blackwell's comments about Strickland's sexuality or "support" of NAMBLA play his God squad.

They should both be ashamed of themselves.

My biggest concern is that the tone of Ms. Giovanni's comments forced any points she hoped to make to be lost in the noise. I fully support Cincinnati police, but doesn't anyone else think its a little odd that over many years, the CPD shot and killed NO WHITE PEOPLE? Many of the African-Americans shot acted agressively towards police and (in all honesty) had it coming. But did police never have any similar run-ins with a white criminal that required deadly force? How did they always seem to avoid it if the suspect was white? It just doesn't pass the smell test. But neither did Giovanni's little poem.

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Monday, October 16, 2006

Wash your mouth!

23 Comments: