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Tuesday, 20 February 2007 16:16 |
Billboard occupation story
termed wrong on 2 counts
I enjoy the Daily Planet and read it every week. Iím concerned about a couple of recent errors in the Feb. 14th issue and wish to help correct them.
First, (staff writer) Jim Genaroís piece covering the Rising Tide N.A. activistsí bilboard occupation said they ìvandalizedî the billboard and a paragraph later described it as ìdefaced.î
This is incorrect. There was no vandalization, thus no defacing. The advertisement for The Cliffs development was simply covered temporarily by a removable banner. If there had, indeed, been vandalism, the pair would have been charged with it, along with misdemeanor trespass.
Why is
this important? Because describing them as vandals and defacers implies
that they were destructive and disrespectful of other peopleís property
when, in fact, they went to great trouble to NOT inflict damage.
The Daily Planet Opinion on Page 14 notes they ì... took the law into
their own hands...î Another mistake. They knowingly BROKE the law,
sacrificing themselves in a misdemeanor because they sought to bring
greater public attention to the issue.
The people taking the law into their own hands are the ones making the
closed-door deals and ignoring the cumulative impacts to our health and
environment that this plant would exacerbate!
Buncombe County commissioners ó elected officials ó approved the scheme
despite public outcry. Thereís the real crime: usurpation of our
democratic process and ethical bankruptcy of our elected
representatives.
ED STEIN
Weaverville
EDITORíS NOTE: Stein has been active with Katuah Earth First! here for
nearly a decade. He is a former volunteer board member of the Southern
Appalachian Biodiversity Project.
Mumpower taken to task
for interference with police
Suppose we assume for a moment that Councilman (Carl) Mumpower knows
what he is doing. He appears to be trying to tackle the drug problem,
even though this is the assigned duty of the police department. This
leaves the rest of us wondering what heís actually up to.
Is he trying to embarrass the police, City Council, or is he merely a
troublemaker who wants us to believe heís a crime fighter not yet
deputized or sworn in? If heís injured or harmed in his crime fighting,
do we taxpayers get to pay his bills? We have dogs who are trained to
seek out drugs.
With his training, we suppose he understands that drug addiction is
pernicious and tenacious. Asheville has a considerable pool of
homeless, sometimes said to be 65 percent addicts, people who served in
the military who havenít gotten their lives back together, people who
should be in care facilities for their addiction, people not altogether
in their right minds. Couldnít he possibly team up with the police and
attack the matter by helping train, inform and possibly attack the
problem at its roots? If the news outlets are an indication, he has
been pursuing this for some time. By now, have there been any charges
brought, any culprits apprehended, traffic interrupted, supplies
captured? The answer to all of these is ìno.î because he is tinkering
with the system and itís time his motives were questioned.
If he is dissatisfied with the accomplishments of Asheville Police
Department, he would be much more help if he became a supporter,
calling for more slots in the police department or even crusading for
pay increases. For now, he appears to be after headlines, attention and
an award from the John Locke Society.
ALLEN THOMAS
Asheville
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