Racial profiling prevention goes before Senate Judiciary Committee

April 28, 2008 |

Tennessee is One of Few States Lacking Racial Profiling Definition. A prayer vigil in support of families being torn apart by deportation is planned.

In the last days of our state’s legislative session, a bill has been passed to the Senate Judiciary Committee that would address law enforcement’s lack of a definition of racial profiling. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider SB 3459, a bill that, “Prohibits racial profiling by law enforcement; establishes a cause of action for aggrieved persons; makes violation a Class C misdemeanor.” The bill is characterized as human rights legislation.

There are several bills that bear direct impact on the immigrant communities in our state. Legal status is something that cannot be determined by merely looking at a person. Lack of a proficient command of English should not be grounds for scrutiny by law enforcement. Nor should having an accent! The tenor of several of these bills should make the average person’s blood run cold. One bill would actually have the effect of fostering the hiring of undocumented immigrants, only to see them denied payment of their wages. Under its provisions, the employer would not obligated to pay the employee for his or her labor. Even the indentured servant of colonial days received some compensation in the contract.

Meeting adjourned. Now for public comments!

April 28, 2008 |

A cruel joke is being perpetrated upon the public at city council meetings. Actually, it’s a travesty!

For some inexplicable reason, knowledge of parliamentary procedure seems to be in short supply at recent city council meetings. The dubious conduct of meetings and voting sessions has caused some citizens to raise a ‘Point of Order’ regarding the April 24th executive and special called voting sessions. Additional review of the printed and published agendas for those meetings brings a serious question to mind.

Questionable agenda ‘order of business’?

Since the city of Clarksville utilizes Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised as its parliamentary authority, citizens must question how the agenda for any of its public meetings can contain a public comment segment AFTER the adjournment of the meeting. By all generally understood interpretations of Robert’s Rules of Order and every other parliamentary authority manual, adjournment is the conclusion of the called gathering, the point at which all agenda business and discussion has been addressed and decided. How then is the public supposed to impart its input upon the deliberative body that is city council, when the meeting is no longer in session and the people’s representatives are released to leave the gathering? «Read the rest of this article»

Crowds flock to Dunbar Cave ‘Spring Fling’

By Debbie Boen | April 28, 2008 |

A vulture nearly flew into my face. That was just one of the adventures that happened at Dunbar Cave during the annual Spring Fling on Saturday, April 26. Hundreds of people came out to see live raptors, snakes, amphibians, and rescued wildlife.

Over the course of the day’s events, visitors took hikes, pausing to look at wildflowers or spot birds along with the general trekking. They learned about bluebirds, backpacking and many other things, topping off the day with the opportunity to canoe in the lake. Dozens of enthusiastic volunteers helped set up and take down equipment for this annual event, which was sponsored by the Friends of Dunbar Cave, the Warioto Audubon Chapter, Tennessee Trails Association and TN Wildlife Resources Agency.  Access to canoes was arranged by the Dunbar Park manager.

The event also attracted the interest of Tennessee’s Wild Side, a television show that came to film parts of this event. What was supposed to be a rainy morning was in fact a clear, sunny day with a nice breeze, a perfect spring day for this type of event. «Read the rest of this article»

Home vandalism stirs alarm in Jackson, TN; incident viewed as ‘hate crime’

April 28, 2008 |

Racial epithets amid high dollar vandalism alarms citizens, but not police

Vandalism of a Dorothy Cove home in Jackson has caused alarm and distress. The Jackson Police Department (JPD), is investigating the vandalism as a property crime. The damage has been estimated at between $8,00 and $10,000. However the Jackson-Madison County Branch of the NAACP has said it views the incident also as a hate crime. Police have not denied that racial epithets were found at the home last Tuesday, as part of their investigation.

Harrel Carter, president of the Jackson-Madison County NAACP Branch issued a press statement denouncing the hate crime. He based the characterization on the presence of racial epithets found in the home on Dorothy Cove. Carter held a press conference in the lobby of the Jackson Police Department, 234 Institute St.

«Read the rest of this article»

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