Many days I wonder what the message is that we are sending to young people and children in our community. In a City wracked with senseless violence, it seems pretty clear that the message we are sending is not being heard.
This becomes even more evident depending on how the Hartford City Council votes on item number 31 on Monday nights agenda. The item introduced by Councilperson Cynthia Jennings proposes "Abraham Giles Way" as the designation of the corner of Windsor and Main Streets as Abraham Giles Way. Am I missing something here? Since when do we memorialize people convicted of corruption and stealing from the people they are supposed to represent?
No disrespect to the dead, but I think you forfeit your naming rights when you plead guilty to corruption charges against the very same community naming a corner for you. This sends a terrible message to our young people when essentially we are telling them that they don't have to worry about how they live their life, the law means nothing, even when you get caught and plead guilty.
Giles may have done good things for his community, at what cost his constituents paid probably will never be known, but no one can dispute he was convicted of corruption charges.
What is next? Maybe a granite statue of Eddie Perez in front of City Hall
Try not to be such a hater. The stuff that Giles was convicted of has been going on forever (and probably still is) - he just got caught. It has nothing to do with "senseless violence" like your blog trys to infer. He did a lot for the community,and was overall a great success. African American children can look to him as someone that got taken down by the system, but also as someone who made it. I support the name change.
ReplyDeletecould you please provide a list of the laws that children should be taught to follow and which they can ignore? Abe was successfull, can't argue with that, while a large majority of the people he "supposedly" served, still suffer under poverty, poor education, crime and the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteYup, definitely sounds like a role model for children to emulate
How about we erect a statue of Eddie Perez made of horse manure?
ReplyDeleteWe can use Eddies granite counter tops to make the statue
ReplyDeletethe City is now renting space in the DiBella owned Main Street Property,shall we say political payoff?
ReplyDeleteThe practice of renaming streets -- for anyone -- is inane. While I recognize that City Council can multitask, I really have to wonder if time needs to be spent on this kind of item when we have a whole slew of complex matters that need attention.
ReplyDeleteAnd his is why the City cant get out of it's own way, ever. The city council and the mayor are a bunch of hacks, plain and simple. Raul Dejesus? He was "let go" from the police department several years ago, which should have been the end of his public service career. Hartford will never change because the people that are capable of running this city are busy locking their doors, setting their alarms and putting up for sale signs on their lawns.
ReplyDeleteThat the city of Hartford would even consider honoring a man convicted of corruption is a sad commentary on what was once a great city. Where is your moral compass, Hartford ?
ReplyDeleteAccording to Ms. Carlesso at the Courant, the City Council has a Public Building Dedication Committee. Then again, we also have the council's limited time and resources being spent on skateboard parks and gas pipelines in puerto rico. Can the Council really believe it is doing its job when the City is barely above water and this is what they spend time on? Shawn Wooden must be rolling his eyes, and I support his efforts to steer the council to do the job they were elected to do.
ReplyDeletePS - I have absolutely no disrespect for Abe - a colorful, funny and wise gentleman who assisted many downtrodden Hartford residents for years.
Thomas page has been a member of the Democratic Town Committee for how long and is just now learning what committees exist at city hall via a Courant reporter? Yup, sounds like him.
ReplyDeleteYou know what kevin I hate to bring race into this but how dare you say something negative about Abe Giles do we not have a university and holiday named after Christopher Columbus who murdered and pillaged a whole nation??? Do we not have a FBI headquarters named after J edgar Hoover who was a stoned cold racist pedophile an crossdresser does America not applaud her heroes who enslaved and brutalized people ?? Andrew Jackson George ashington Thomas Jefferson who had an affair with a thirteen year old girl and Benjamin Franklin ??? I would love to see your response to this just because someone hasnt been arrested and pleaded guilty to a crime(ZIMMERMAN) doesnt mean there not a piece of shit!!!!!!
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