Letters -- Nov. 6, 2002

By Journal Times readers

Wednesday, November 6, 2002 11:01 AM CST

"It's not illegal to go to a rave, and there's no excuse to give someone a ticket for being at an event where, unbeknownst to them, individuals are doing illegal things." -- Jessica Grey

A rave review

This is in response to your Nov 4 article (Police corral hundreds at rave party). What you fail to mention was that everyone who was issued tickets were completely innocent of any crimes except for being at what they thought was a completely legal concert (and as far as I know, it was!)

How do you justify giving tickets to hundreds of innocent people simply because of the arrest of a few individuals?

If someone got arrested at a bar for possession of drugs, would everyone else at that bar get arrested? No, they wouldn't. The fact is that this was a completely legal concert, and the people there were treated unfairly.

I heard from numerous people that when they asked why they were being held prisoner they were threatened with mace, and one person who said "No" when he was told to lay down was subdued by police officers.

I'm sorry, but if I didn't do anything wrong and someone told me to lay on the ground while we were being "processed", I'd probably say "No" too.

Judd Lauger

DeKalb, Ill.

Worthy of honor

As Executive Director of Racine Neighborhood Watch I am both pleased and proud that our Mary McIlvaine has been chosen for the Sustainable Racine individual award this year. There are many people that act and work in a selfless fashion day to day in Racine, and with this e-mail Neighborhood

Watch and I would like to thank them as well. Please help us celebrate this wonderful honor to Mary by coming to Sustainable Racine's Recognition Program.

If you cannot attend on Thursday, November 7th. at Racine Theater Guild, then please call her, tell someone else or have a good thought for Mary the next time you have to roll up your sleeves and "go beyond the call". It is with this spirit that we can all make an impact and we all know this is a part of why we all do what we do.

James Campeaux

Racine

Natural gas is cleaner

Wisconsin Energy says the coal plants it wants to build just a few miles north of Racine would be more efficient than its existing coal plants, ("Caledonia's idea of incorporation is still alive," Oct. 28) but what it doesn't say is that natural gas-burning plants would be even more efficient, much cleaner and better for our community overall.

Coal-fired power plants -- those that use the very same technology Wisconsin Energy is proposing for Oak Creek -- are the No. 1 source of industrial pollution in the United States. Coal-burning power plants emit more mercury, more sulfur dioxide, more particulate matter, more nitrogen oxides and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other industry in Wisconsin. These are toxic chemicals that contribute to respiratory illness, cancer and other health problems and create smog and acid rain. Those aren't things we want for Southeastern Wisconsin. Other communities don't want them either, which is why other utilities across the U.S. aren't building coal plants anymore -- no one except Wisconsin Energy, that is.

Let's not let Wisconsin Energy insult our intelligence. The fact is that turning Oak Creek into "Coal Creek" will mean higher profits for Wisconsin Energy, and reduced quality of life and property values for all of us. Wisconsin Energy needs to do the right thing for Wisconsin and our future -- switch to natural gas in Oak Creek.

Renee Michna-Moltey

Caledonia

Reparations debate

This letter is in response to David Kristopeit's 10/24/02 letter asking everyone to contact their Congress people and vote no on slavery reparations. He states that we don't need another federal handout. He also states that even if there is truth to the concept of White privilege that most whites live the same way that most blacks live....day to day. I will have to argue that this is not true. First, I would like to challenge Mr. Kristopeit to read "White and Male Privilege" by Peggy McIntosh.

What needs to be recognized by those opposing reparations is that although the formal institution of slavery has ended, institutional oppression of blacks has not. Had the playing field ever been leveled, there would be no need for "tuition assistance, affirmative action, home buying assistance, etc. ..." I would also like to add that these programs are not exclusively for blacks.

There is no super secret conspiracy to keep blacks in institutional bondage; there actually is no secret at all. Under-representation of blacks is clearly evident in many areas ranging from politics to higher education. Descendants of enslaved African people had historically and are presently still fighting the circle of oppression. I speak firsthand as I am a descendant of enslaved Africans.

Whether some want to admit it or not, white and male privilege still exists. Although Mr. Kristopeit feels that federal handouts haven't solved anything over all these years, he probably won't be at my graduation next spring to witness a product of "tuition assistance." Although reparations can only put a band-aid on a large wound of oppression a band-aid always made you feel a little better didn't it? How many truly got their 40 acres?

Tiffany McWhorter

Racine

Ticketing wasn't right

I'm writing to express my outrage at the actions of the Racine Police Department the morning of Nov 3. Several friends (over the age of 21) went to dance and listen to music.

None of these friends bought drugs, sold drugs, did drugs, had drugs, or knew anyone who had. Each of these innocents received a $968 ticket. This event had paid entry, like a concert. It's comparable to police raiding a concert, and issuing everyone a ticket for possession because a few have marijuana.

It's similar to getting an underage drinking ticket in a bar because someone there is underage. It's not right. It's not illegal to go to a rave, and there's no excuse to give someone a ticket for being at an event where, unbeknownst to them, individuals are doing illegal things. It wasn't obvious that illegal things were going on, yet people are being punished for something they were not even party to.

The Racine Police Department is making an example. It would be understandable if they had searched people and ticketed those in possession or under the influence of drugs, but they didn't. They lined all the people against the walls, arrested a man for advising partygoers of their rights and issued tickets to everyone, without bothering to search most. I suggest action against the police for issuing false citations.

Jessica Grey

Whitewater

Rotary works for peace

Peace is newsworthy! At a time when the news of the world is filled with war, fear, terror and tragedy, a balance of good news is desperately needed. For example, Jimmy Carter, who was recognized by Rotary for his World Understanding and Peace efforts in 1994, was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rotary is doing everything in its power to give peace a chance.

Rotary works towards world understanding via its Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution, Youth Exchange and Group Study Exchange. Finally, Rotary International has established 70 Peace Scholarships in seven universities across the world. The first courses began this term, leading to an MA in Peace Studies or MPhil. By 2007 there will be 350 very intelligent, highly skilled resolvers of conflict, from all sorts of backgrounds, races and cultures working for peace who weren't there before. We believe that this has the potential to make a real difference to this war torn world.'

Michael Quill

1803 Secretariat Lane, Racine

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