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Share Thoughts On Councilman's Letter
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T O P I C
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Discussion Started: 07-19-2007, 4:38 PM
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Cleveland councilman Mike Polenek wrote a letter to a suspected two-time teen drug dealer, calling him "dumber than mud" and a "thug."
Polensek said he is trying to get the teen to think about his actions, but others are calling the letter inappropriate.
We want to know what you think.
Do you think the letter was too harsh, or do you think Polensek was defending the city against drugs and crime?
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View Messages: [newest first] | [oldest first]
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elwalker
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10-29-2007, 12:41 PM
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It take a village to rise a kid. The money the son made from his drug sales must be part of the mother,s income; or else why would she be so upset with a member of the village trying to help her rise her son. Keep helping that village Mike
oneup
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mytyty1
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09-24-2007, 11:54 AM
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Cudos to the councilman....I wish more people had the courage to stand up and tell it like it is. SO many people are so afraid of offending others. I am sick and tired of being afraid to be outside or drive down the street because of these "thugs" and drug dealers. I am a hard working middle class mother who goes to church and goes to cub scouts and I chose to raise my son differently. There are programs that kids can join to keep them off the street. ANd while others are running the streets selling drugs, mine is camping and fishing with cub scouts. To the mother? Get control. I am a single mother too and i raise my son to be respectful and do good in the neighborhood. I am not going to live my life afraid of my neighborhood and I hope more people get the courage to stand up and take back control.
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Streak
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07-25-2007, 10:54 AM
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I agree with the councilman also--this is not about race, it is about being part of the problem or part of the solution. My grandparents settled in Collinwood, didn't speak the language, didn't have an education, but went to work, and raised a family and strived to do better for themselves and their children. If this kid understands right from wrong--if this kid wants to roll with thugs and be part of the problem in Cleveland, then it is the government's duty to fix the problem--put him in jail. It is too bad and I do blame his parents. As a parent myself, it is my job to guide my son not to be a menace to society--she failed.
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WolfeD
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07-25-2007, 8:39 AM
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I am so sick and tired of every issue being based on race. You need to take responsibility and accept it instead of always blaming someone else for you problems and the actions of the thug drug brats. I will not tolerate it anymore....I will not let any thug; white, black, hispanic, asian or any race run my streets or life. To the thugs MOM. get a life, grow up and take responsibility for your son. It is your fault he is the way he is. Way to go Councilman. Wish you would run in my ward. I think everyone is at the end in this city and country to this type of behavior so watch out thugs....
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Shawnda
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07-25-2007, 3:16 AM
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IT?S ABOUT TIME!!!!! This is one of the reasons I left Cleveland and moved to Arizona (culturally diverse too) 5 years ago. Cleveland has become a nasty, unsafe place to live. The only racism that I see in this is that the city has allowed it to go this far; this has nothing to do with Mike Polensek, just society in general. This is not a Frank Jackson issue either, there were other mayors before him that carried out their OWN agendas bringing corporate dollars to the city and letting the neighborhoods go the dumps. When you stop caring about people because they belong to a certain group (race or economic), you?re turning a blind eye on their plight until it affects you. This is what happens when you take tax dollars out of the community, award huge tax abatements to corporations that build in the community, spend tax payers dollars to fund special interest projects that benefit the city?s coffers and suburbanites that don?t live in your city, and ignore the needs of your residents. IT MAKES NO SENSE that children can?t go to the city recreation centers and pools without the fear of being harmed by UNCONSCIOUNABLE THUGS who have no respect for themselves, their community, women, children, and the elderly. They proudly stand on the corner peddling their junk like reputable street vendors, but they are NOT. They are criminals, thugs, and MENACES TO SOCIETY. I couldn?t even walk on the sidewalk with my children, the dealers stood on it they like they owned it. I had to walk in the street because they would not move. It?s damaging for children to look out the window everyday and wonder when they will become the next victim of the streets at the hands of TRASH like this. When children see this type of environment everyday they believe (some, not all) that this is all life has to offer. When you can afford to show your children the finer things in life, vacations to Disneyland, country clubs, etc., their view of the world is totally different, BUT WE STILL HAVE A CHOICE. You don?t see this rate of crap in the suburbs because the city, police, and residents do not tolerate this type of garbage being displayed on their street corners as if it is a work of art. Crime, drugs, murder, etc., goes on in the suburbs but it?s not out there for everyone to see because some people obviously know what the words SHAME and DISCRETION mean (pass out the dictionaries). I lost someone dear to me because people don?t respect other people or life, and of course NOBODY SAW ANYTHING.
It?s time to give parents back the right to discipline their children; it didn?t kill me, and PLEASE bring corporal punishment back to the schools. The mother in this case should hang her head, shut up, and at least pretend to be embarrassed. BTW, I?m Black and some of you posters sound ignorant and racist.
Shawnda Greater Phoenix, AZ
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timbers
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07-25-2007, 3:00 AM
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The mother is writing to the NAACP. Hopefully the NAACP will write back and tell her she did a lousy job raising her son.
She is going to write to Al Sharpton. Since Al is a reverend, maybe he could introduce Arsenio to Jesus, and then maybe he could use the church to turn his life around instead of the penal system.
Maybe the mother should contact Lou Farrakhan. Most of the slimeballs that go to prison (i.e., Mike Tyson) end up finding Islam instead of Jesus, and Lou Farrakhan would give her more bang for her buck when writing her letter.
Now, in all seriousness, Arsenio should be made an example of, and given the stiffest sentence allowed by law. His mother should get a smack upside the head for raising a mole on the butt of society.
If you think professionals are expensive, wait until you see what amatuers will cost you!
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doom-on-u
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07-24-2007, 7:34 PM
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Teen? are you kidding me? eight-TEEN! if mom would have spent just another minute on a hug or praise...he might just come home
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angiebabe
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07-24-2007, 7:29 PM
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Councilman Mike Polensek should get a medal! Phillip Morris and Arsenio's mother and anyone else who criticizes the Councilman for his words and tries to make a racist situation of this all need to get a life!
The fact is that Arsenio Winston was indicted today! Maybe he's out of control because his mother is so busy pointing a finger at others and trying to make a racist situation out of one that never was!
Councilman Polensek, in his letter, said the kind of thing that Bill Cosby has been saying to black teens and their parents for the past several years - and most black people throw bouquets at Cosby for trying to save another generation of young blacks from extinction. Guys like Phillip Morris just add to the turmoil!
Cleveland has run out of time! There are no neighborhoods in Cleveland anymore. They've been taken over by young thugs - and Yes, folks, they are BLACK! We didn't make them black and we didn't make them thugs! And all the black people who cry the blues about lack of opportunity being the cause are just a bunch of jerks looking for an excuse instead of stepping up to the plate and at least helping to fix the problem!
If anyone watched it, there was a young black kid on the Jeopardy teen tournament last night - who came out a semi-finalist at the end. It was really refreshing (and different) to see a young black boy who was well-dressed, very articulate and really, really smart! I looked at him as a great example of what American youth can do - not what black youth can do, that wasn't my thought, not then. But as I write this, I got to thinking of the difference between the two, between this shining example of what we want our kids to be and the "dumber than mud" Arsenio Winston whose vocabulary could only find the words "kiss my black ____".
The Councilman didn't have to say it in his letter - Arsenio is on the way out. Today's indictment will probably send him to jail and that will start him on the road to the cemetary.
Frankly, I could care less if that's where he and anyone like him (black and white!) end up!
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Kathymano1
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07-24-2007, 6:41 PM
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I would like to congratulate Councilman Polenek for writing the letter. If more councilmen stood up to these "thugs" and "drug dealers" and stopped worring about being politically correct, Cleveland would be a safer place to live. It's also time the minorities stopped playing the old racial discrimination card and acting like respectable citizens. People are responsible for thier own actions regardless of race. I saw that the young man was arrested today on drug charges so obviously he is "dumber than mud" Also, his mother should stop making excuses for him and give him some tough love. Perception is reality. Kathy - Concord, Ohio
Kathy of Concord
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mbabymbaby
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07-24-2007, 6:36 PM
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Ma baby, Ma baby,,,,,that will be momma's cry when her punk, thug,loser,drug dealing son is sent to prison. just like other momma's in the past. Where's daddy? Who's your daddy? Gettin the picture? the problem starts in the home. Look in the mirror momma, cause your more a part of the problem then you think. Oh geez, what was i thinking- all this sh#t just happened overnight. The Honerable Councilman "Mike" should get a key to the city for speaking the truth. Take our streets back now. Yeah right. The mayor of this city is a joke. So are all the other politicians in this city. Bring back the Family with a mamma and a dadddy with a belt in his hand ready for discipline. Oh, I forgot- the liberal "licentious" weenies took that right away from us too. My advice is to get a gun permit and carry, so you can protect your family and yourself from all of these punk thugs. But as soon as one of them are sentenced to prison their is always a momma in the background crying, MA BABY, MA BABY!! Keep it up Mike, Dint back down.
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