GET USED TO THE BODIES
Damian Guevara's story "What's Next? Cleveland Police dig their way out of another PR nightmare" [May 12, 2010] was right on, addressing many of the Cleveland police department's irresponsible oversights and abuses of power.
As a professor of women's studies, I can attest to the fact that many women (across race, class, and generation) living in the city felt hopeless and distraught over the discovery of Angel Bradley-Crockett's body on I-90 and the police debacle surrounding the initial "assessment" of her as a deer.
During a discussion of this horrific incident, one of my students asked, "Is this what we have to get used to now — women's bodies being dumped on the streets?" This question haunted me for days.
Another group of students organized a protest on the steps of City Hall, demanding that all of the recommendations of the Special Commission on Missing Persons and Sex Crime Investigations be met.
My students learned to be activists this semester. While this was a good lesson for them, the circumstances that compelled them to become politically active are horrifically unacceptable. We must continue to demand more from the officers whose salaries we pay. Thank you for the good work.
Lyz Bly, PhD, Adjunct Professor,
Cleveland State University and
Cuyahoga Community College
BLAME THE SAVAGES
The two officers involved drove too quickly past Angel Bradley-Crockett, but they're not the ones who killed her. All the attention is on them for missing her, which is terrible, but what about the savages who killed her? The family is not worried about who killed her, but about the officers who drove past her. Let's put blame where blame belongs. If these two officers are going to get disciplined, then so be it. But there's no way that the city will be able to fire them without a lawsuit and reinstatement, along with back pay and unfair dismissal.
Frank Giuliano
via the internet
Editor's note: The two officers involved in the Bradley-Crockett case were suspended for six months at a disciplinary hearing last week.
PREDATORS AT THE PULPIT
These predators could be living next door to you and your children, and you would never know it ["Cleveland 'One of the most secretive dioceses in the United States,'" at the clevescene.com blog Scene & Heard]. Remember, these are predators who were investigated by the diocese itself and found to have very credible sex crimes committed against children. Because of current statutes of limitations, we may never know who these predators are. C'mon Bishop, out with them.
Tom Ferguson
Fairview Park
A NEW REASON TO DINE OUT
Wow — I've been reading Douglas Trattner's restaurant reviews for quite some time, and even for the worst places he's always pretty fair and level-headed. This is not so much a review as a hate piece ["Far East Meets Near West," May 12, 2010]. There seems to be quite a vindictive undertone to the whole article. I haven't tried Bac yet, but now my interest is piqued. I guess the common man doesn't quite have the sophisticated palate of the great Doug Trattner.
Deidre Revery
West Park/p>