

Read

Charlotte Uptown Arrests

Article By Writer Michael Kraft Author: Michael Kraft
Published: July 8, 2007
Check out the free newsletter!
Related: Local News Charlotte News Crime Offbeat American Culture Charlotte Observer Culture

I listened to John Hancock this week having a heated exchange regarding the inner city violence and arrests on the 4rth of July this year in Charlotte.

This “same old” story made me come back and decide to complete this article about the unrest, the denials, and the infamous speech by Bill Cosby which asked black America to step up and be responsible for this type of thing in the news.

Once again we had a good amount of unrest and arrests and the uptown crowd was primarily African American, as were most of those arrested: Of 143 adults arrested, 122 were black.

“You tended to look at the ones with long, white T-shirts, because they were in the uniform of a gang, and you can’t help but have some tenseness,” said McCrory, a Republican. “I stated not only what I saw Wednesday night but what I see when I ride with police.”

Dwayne Collins, chair of the local Black Political Caucus, criticized McCrory for singling out black youths.

Dwayne did not, in the interview, have any comment about black kids as young as 11 years old being on the streets at 11pm and arrested.

Mr. Collins didnt have any comment about the absent and criminal job the parents of these “gangsters” are doing.

Democratic Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess said she thought his comments could be interpreted as shutting uptown’s door to people who dress and act a certain way.

“Being tolerant of different cultures,” Burgess said, “is not being tolerant of crime.”

I would wonder if Susan Burgess would think her neighborhood has improved “culture” when these same thugs move in next door to her?

My neighborhood here in charlotte is about 60-40% mixed culture and my black neighbors enjoy their black culture and contibute to our community with it.

This culture doesn’t mean getting arrested, doesn’t mean drugs and doesn’t mean violence.

On a second reading of this article I have decide that Susan Burgess’s comment was about the stupidest thing I have heard all week. It is Susan and not the mayor that equated these crimes to being part of a groups culture, and that’s just ignorant.

It is too bad that Susan Burgess seems to think criminal and gangster rap is now an official culture.

Although she may be correct, but perhaps it is a “culture OF CRIME”, which is not something to be tolerated just because.

Nazis, Radical muslims and KKK members are also “cultures” that are based in what we consider crimes, that doesn’t mean it should be respected or tolerated.

This is not a blame game, but time to just shutup and fix the issue to get to an end we will all benefit from.

I salute the Mayor for saying what we all know is true.

A few, all wanting to be “bad ass gangsters” have ruined it for the masses that want to raise a family.

Black communities have suffered more than any other from this, BUT THE FACT IS, they have suffered at the hands of the ignorant 5% that is in their own community and refuses to wise up.

John Hancock the long time “Charlotte’s most beloved” is a respected radio host in Charlotte, NC and long time resident.

John hit a boiling point asking a caller when the black community would take the lead on addressing this obvious problem.

The caller asserted that white America was in charge of radio, music and TV and was to blame for making these kids violent and disrespectful of the law. I think John Hancock had heard this cop-out one time to many and was looking for anyone to step up and take responsibility to this obvious problem that is primarily in the Black community in Charlotte.

John seemed to think it was parents or lack there of, and many of the female black callers agreed with John Hancock on this issue.

You can see a detailed account of the arrests here at crimeincharlotte.com.

27- Disorderly Conduct
10- City/Town Violation
7- Pyrotechnics Violations
5- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
9- Possession of Marijuana
2- Possession of Cocaine
2- Urinating in Public
22- Impeding Traffic
6- Carrying a Concealed Weapon (one was an AK-47)
12- Intoxicated & Disruptive
1- NOL
4- Littering
12- Resisting Arrest
10- Trespassing
1- Warrant
5- Open Container
3- DWI
1- Assault on an Officer
1- Contribute to delinquency of Minor
3- Fail to Obey Traffic Officer
1- Simple Assault
1- Window Tint Violation

Once again not many have stepped up to say, “you know the stats dont lie, we need to start taking care of the problems in our community”.

Instead, a ton of energy trying to condemn the mayor’s candidness is being wasted.

All this brought me back to the famous speech by Dr. Bill Cosby when he asked the black community to take the first step and fix the problem within their own neighborhoods.

Bill Cosby, one of the most successful Black americans of the last 50 years said what we all were thinking and still “activists” couldn’t swallow the truth.

This transcript of the Bill Cosby speech he delivered at the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the Brown vs Topeka Board of Education Supreme Court Decision is a bit hard of a pill to swallow, but it may be one of the greatest exhales that I have ever enjoyed.

He gave a message to black America that needs to be applied to all colors of the poor and inner city. White and latino folks listen up too, this message wasn’t delivered to you but is something you need to be actively working towards as well.

Many activists and apologists went after Dr. Cosby for his frank and blunt approach to what he sees as the facts.

Most statistics support much of the volitile words he spoke, so most that were against him were for the most part grandstanding on pride and not truth.

“Now look, I’m telling you. It’s not what they’re doing to us. It’s what we’re not doing. 50 percent drop out. Look, we’re raising our own ingrown immigrants. These people are fighting hard to be ignorant.

There’s no English being spoken, and they’re walking and they’re angry. Oh God, they’re angry and they have pistols and they shoot and they do stupid things. And after they kill somebody, they don’t have a plan.

Just murder somebody. Boom. Over what? A pizza? And then run to the poor cousin’s house. They sit there and the cousin says “what are you doing here?” “I just killed somebody, man.” “What?” “I just killed somebody, I’ve got to stay here.” “No, you don’t.” “Well, give me some money, I’ll go…” “Where are you going?” “North Carolina.” Everybody wanted to go to North Carolina. But the police know where you’re going because your cousin has a record.”

Read this entire speech once when you get the chance and have an open mind.

You need to know that Mr Cosby has the best interests of black America at heart, Mr Cosby is a well educated and accomplished man and that his words are meant to inspire and not bring people down.

If you still feel anger at the words of Bill Cosby, perhaps he hit too close to the truth and its time to change the truth to get him to change his speeches.

And this means everyone, everyone.

I encourage all those wasting energy attacking those who say what we all know, to go read the speech by great American Dr. Bill Cosby and try to listen with open ears.

Complete Bill Cosby Speech Transcript

I think we all agree he wanted to be honest, he has seen alot in his lifetime, and he is only hoping for a better community for us all with his words.

Black communities in Charlotte asked to step up and address the crime