Blog entries for mitchgat

Oops, He Does it Again!

mitchgat — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:49:46 GMT

Remember the game show $25000 Pyramid? I do. What if they brought it back today and the topic was “Things that just won’t go away” Ready.... GO!

My cold

The snow

MIKE MCGEEE!!!!
The fact that Michael McGee easily won the 6th District election, from jail, shouldn't surprise anyone. I live in McGee's district and it doesn't surprise me one bit. Nothing surprises me about him. What surprises me though, is that a large contingency of people from the 6th district would rather prove a point (whatever that point may be) and vote for him than have someone, whose not in jail, provide representation and get some work done. Much work has been accomplished in McGee's district but to paraphrase Mr. Robert Frost, "there are miles to go before we can sleep!"
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Earlier this year Gary Krager, a gentleman who lives in Wind Lake but has worked in Milwaukee's African American community, wrote an opinion piece which appeared on JSOnline. I’ve attached a link to it below. It’s titled "Some Brotherly Advice for Milwaukee's Inner City Residents" If you have time, please take a moment to read it.

After I read this open letter to the black folks who live in the 6th District, I was bit pissed. The first line starts it off "Let me lay it out there. Here's what black people should do". OK, before I go any further, some of what he said was definitely true. That’s not what bothered me. What bothered me were his sweeping generalities about what "all black people should do." It bothers me when anyone, black or white, puts everyone into the same bag, based on race or sex or whatever! It bothered me so much I emailed him, as did Willie Hines, President of Milwaukee's Common Council. Willie’s response was more geared at defending what's right in Milwaukee's black community; mine was more of a "do you realize how ridiculous you sound?" Gary responded and we actually learned a little more about each other, namely that we're both huge LOST fans. I understood his motives and I personally don’t have a problem with a white person saying what’s wrong with the black community. I just hate generalizations. But this blog isn't about Gary Krager's letter to the black community. It's about knowing all the facts about a person or situation, the good the bad and the ugly, weighing them and deciding if this person or situation is worthy of your support. That's what this blog is about: Accountability. Surprise, surprise, I'm talking about accountability again.

Since I live in McGee's district, very close to where the new Bronzeville Developments will be, I know that he is capable of doing some good things. But at the same time, there are still problems in the area and as my elected representative I expect him (with my help and input) to solve (or lessen) the issues. He can't do that from jail. Furthermore, some of the things that Mr. Kager mentioned in his commentary are true! Things like:

Set the bar higher for behavior in the 6th district by having a representative that's tuned in to ALL of his constituents. McGee is not

Some white people are afraid to go into certain parts of the district - fear IS the ultimate motivator. Hell, I’m black and there are some neighborhoods I won’t travel to

Be informed and realize that McGee's bail was withdrawn NOT because he's black but because of several violations of court orders. My mother had a line for people who can't follow the rules: A hard head makes for a soft ass.

So, with that said, the brotherly advice I would have for Milwaukee's inner city residents is simple:

1 - Know thyself and those around you - I mean REALLY know them: what they stand for, what they represent. Just because someone's skin color matches yours doesn't mean the person is all good and doing what’s best for you

2 - Accept truth, even when you don't want to - I can understand why black people may have been upset with what Mr. Kager wrote, I was one of them. But when I wrote him I was clear that there was definitely truth in his statements, it was his delivery that was suspect. The fact is, the truth hurts sometimes, but it should cause a person to think and revaluate. When people start viewing the truth as the enemy and rather believe a prettied up lie, we're in trouble!

3. - It's not always about race - Even in Milwaukee this is true. Yes, there are instances when race is a factor in the unfair treatment of people. But so is gender, sexual orientation, age, etc. It's not acceptable but it is what it is. All we can do is challenge this. Challenge it by following the rules setup to address these things. Practicing unprofessional, just plain amoral politics isn't one of the rules.

I recently read a commentary regarding why some black people are having a hard time understanding Obama's message of hope and change. It said: "It makes it difficult for us to have the kind of optimism that it takes to move forward. That’s because for many of us, pessimism is a shield against disappointment." I think this is true for some residents living in the 6th district or any person who lacks hope. I think that after years of disappointments, whether self inflicted by poor choices or brought on by racism or just plain bad luck, some people support a specific person or idea for the wrong reasons. This causes these folks to stay stagnant. And when someone says that, the defense mechanisms kick in. Sad but true.

Back in June 2007 I wrote an OMC blog. The title: Dear Mike McGee: RESIGN!

Obviously he doesn’t read my blogs. The nerve!

79 Percent of Americans Missing the Point Entirely

mitchgat — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:22:43 GMT

I’m usually an optimistic guy. I try to look on the bright side of life and have faith in people. But the more I read and watch the news, or simply watch people, the more I’m starting to believe a headline I once read in The Onion:
79 Percent of Americans Missing the Point Entirely
The Onion, in case you don’t know, is a satirical newspaper that parodies national and international headlines. It’s also a clever, witty, sometimes naughty, many times laugh-out-loud “reporting” of the news. The thing I found most intriguing about the 79% of Americans missing the point story wasn’t only that it was an excellent satirical piece but the fact that, it’s probably true!

The article sites many missed points:

Overweight housewife who eats bag after bag of reduced-fat Ruffles
Manhattan stockbroker who uses recycled-paper checks to pay for gas for his behemoth SUV
People who undergo cosmetic surgery saying that those who opt for such procedures have greater self-worth than those who don't

You could arguably add these:

Blaming credit card companies for allowing you to charge more than you can afford

Those who smoke two packs a day but jog 3 miles to offset the affects of the smoke

Parents who give their kids everything they want, just to keep them happy, and then wonder why they’re not

The article comes to a sobering conclusion: when you try to help someone obviously missing the point, the response you can expect is something like….

“If I want to miss the point, that's my own business!” said Ernie Schayr, a Wheeling, WV, auto mechanic. “If I want to complain about having to pay taxes while at the same time demanding extra police protection for my neighborhood, that's my right as an American. Most people in other countries don't ever get the chance to miss the point, and that's tragic.”
America has become the of land entitlement, where everyone has the “right” to something. Maybe missing the point is on its way to being emblazoned in our psyche. Perhaps it’ll become as American as baseball and apple pie. Only time will tell.

In the mean time, since that headline appeared back in 1999, I think the percentage has risen significantly. I haven’t compiled any evidence but I’d say that at least 85% of American’s are now missing the point and unfortunately, I don’t see that number going down anytime soon!

Stupid Human Tricks II: The Dumbness Continues

mitchgat — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:08:37 GMT

“The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”

Yesterday afternoon, I was getting on the freeway, headed west on the Madison on-ramp downtown in the M-change. Too my surprise, as I glanced on the wall, on the freeway, I was greeted with a huge, unwelcome display of graffiti: HUGE black letters on a pretty long stretch of the wall.
My first thought was: How the heck could someone spray that much crap on a wall, on a major on-ramp, without being noticed? OK, wait, I don’t even want to speculate how they did it but I would love to know why! I can formulate all sorts of theories: it was a double dog dare or it was a fraternity initiation or someone was just bored. But it really boils down to one thing though: sheer stupidity!

As I continued my drive, I noted several other walls and businesses were “tagged” with graffiti, obviously by the same idiot. The word tagged is PC for “I spray painted on property that doesn’t belong to me in the name of art”.

Folks, when you live in a big city you kind of get used to the graffiti. I can even admit that some of these people are truly talented and their “artwork” looks pretty cool. BUT that still doesn’t make it OK! Has the need to express creativity reached the point where you use the walls on a busy freeway as your canvas? Obviously!
Well, who knows.
I do know that if the person (or persons) responsible for the graffiti were hit by a car you can bet that their family members would decide that it’s the cities fault for allowing it to happen. I mean, my son or daughter shouldn’t be held responsible for doing something they like to do, right? They’re needs to be more outlets for them to release they’re creativity. Oh please!

I hope they catch the perps, require them to do hours of community service, including cleaning up the mess they made. But even if that happens, the unfortunate truth is there’s always another dumb-dumb waiting in the wings, to take over where the last one left off.

Sigh.

Hey, Edward Flynn: Welcome to Milwaukee!

mitchgat — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:34:45 GMT

Milwaukee officially has a new Police Chief! Our prayers have been answered! Violent crime in Milwaukee will drop! Criminals, in record numbers, will suddenly cooperate with police officers! Burglaries, petty theft and homicides will become a thing of the past as the new chief waves his new magic badge and crime simply disappears!

OK, I’ll snap out of it.

As soon as Nan Haggerty announced that she was leaving the force, some were pleased, as they felt her policies were weak and she didn’t do enough to solve Milwaukee’s crime problem. It also meant they’d have a new person to blame for all of Milwaukee’s crime problems. I’ve read a few local columnists on JSOnline make comments stating that the new chief had better “get it right this time”. The implication being that the success or failure of our new police chief should be based solely on whether he reduces the crime rate. Huh? Man, talk about pressure!

Wake up call!

You don’t have to be a police officer or sociologist to understand that the police department, its chief, its officers, etc., are not responsible for the crime rate. Mr. Flynn has nothing to do with the crime rate in Milwaukee and expecting him to be the panacea to our problem is unfair to him. Citizens are most responsible for ensuring a sense of lawfulness and safety in our city. For the most part, most of us are keeping up that end of the bargain. But there are those who still continually drop the ball.

If you’ve ever read any of my blogs, you might see where I’m headed with this. Parents, not the police force, are responsible for lowering crime in our city. We need parents teaching children right from wrong and how to make good choices. We’ve got to have parents teaching their children that the best way out of poverty isn’t to complain about it but to pick yourself up and work, get an education.

Ethics, civics, and morality have been reduced to buzzwords. They usually creep out during an election year or when a new public official comes on the scene. It’s almost as if people are crying out for ethical, civil, moral treatment of all but they fear teaching these things, not wanting to offend anyone. Why is that?

I think that our new chief will do fine. Based on the many articles I’ve read about him he sounds like he has the experience, demeanor and vision to be chief of police for a major urban city. His biggest challenge will be developing a relationship with the community in the more violent areas of Milwaukee. That will mean removing all traces of doubt that many in poor neighborhoods have about MPD. He’ll need to deal swiftly and justly with abusive cops; that alone would be an accomplishment and would settle a lot of fears.

Milwaukee’s crime problem, which thankfully is not as bad as many other cities our size, won’t be solved overnight. We also can’t expect a new police chief to “get ‘er done” for us. But working together, we can make a difference. Let’s give Edward Flynn a chance to make a difference in Milwaukee, by allowing him to show us he understands how to use the power and tools now at his disposal.

Bring a Flat Top Grill to Milwaukee!!!

mitchgat — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:58:26 GMT

I just read that a Stir Crazy Asian Restaurant is opening up near Brookfield Square. According to JSOnline: Stir Crazy, a Chicago-based Asian restaurant chain, plans to open in an 8,300-square-foot building that will be built between Fleming's and Fresh Market.

This is not good news. Why? Because I would much rather have a Flat Top Grill. There's a Flat Top in Madison but I normally eat at the one in Chicago, in Lakeview. Their food is similar to bd's Mongolian or Stir Crazy but it's better quality meats, the service is always consistent and the food delcious.

With that said, I am embarking on a quest to bring a Flat Top Grill to Milwaukee. I think it would be perfect fit in the old Vucciaria location or even the spot where Holiday House was. For all you chain haters out there, TRUST ME, this is truly a good place and it would be a great addition to the restaurant scene in town.

If you like the Flat Top Grill and would love to see one in Milwaukee, let me know! Im passing the feedback on to the manager at the Lakeview location.

There is a Point to this Story... HONEST!

mitchgat — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:34:18 GMT

NOTE: Names have been changed to protect the innocent

Last night, I had a disturbing IM conversation with a very good friend. I’ve known Jason, who is black, for well over 7 years and although we don’t talk to each other often, when we do, it’s as if no time has passed. Our conversations started out with the routine “how are you”, “fine”, “how’s work” updates that people have when they haven’t spoken for a while.

We then started talking about our relationships and that’s when he asked a question that really surprised and disturbed me:

“OK, is it bad or does it make me a racist that I suddenly have a problem that my ex is dating a white man? I swear I never had a problem with this before, live and live. To be honest man, I’m seriously and suddenly offended.”

After a few seconds, I responded, “OK, let me think about that one.” A few minutes passed and I typed: “Well, It depends on why you suddenly have a problem with it. Why does it suddenly offend you? Why was it that you really didn't care about this before? Your answer to those questions may help you identify if it's racist feeling, which would be bad, or just something that is a natural reaction to someone you cared about (along time ago) finally getting their life together. Maybe your feeling: "how come with him?" or "how come she couldn't do that with me?" I'm not trying to get all Dr. Phil on you but, you really need to do some soul searching and figure out what's really happening.”

A few minutes later his response: “LOL! I feel ya DOC! I'm pretty positive that it has little to do with her getting herself together, she was gonna do that eventually. She relies heavily on a man to take care of things that she's not comfortable doing. She plays a more passive role when it comes to taking care of responsibilities and I believe she chose him because he’s a doormat and she can tell him what to do. She says they argue over her cooking, how she cleans and stupid stuff in general. Little James sees that (my friend’s son) and I don’t like that.”

He then went on about how they have nothing in common, how her parents don’t like the guy and the fact that the guy doesn’t like her cooking (“he won’t touch her black eyed peas and they’re the bomb!”). He said he thought it was a “relationship of convenience” and he also mentioned that his ex thinks most of Milwaukee’s eligible black men are either gay, thugs or already taken. So the main reason she’s chosen to date outside her own race is because there are slim pickings’ in the African American men in Milltown! That seems logical to me. Besides, my daddy always used to say: “if you ain’t hurting any one, it’s legal and you won’t get arrested, by all means, have fun!” Anyway…

He then added, “Man, I am so sick of seeing all these beautiful black women, I mean FINE, with these lanky, HORRIBLE PINK MEN! I don’t want to fight them or nothing but damn, it really pisses me off!!”

Now I’m not sure if he expected me to respond with “I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN!” but I didn’t. I just stared at those words.

Did he really just type that?!?!?! “HORRIBLE PINK MEN.”

Man, racism definitely alive & well, and it definitely crosses color lines. I ended the IM session; I told him that I had to go but I’d definitely respond when I had a chance. A few hours later, I emailed him this:

Based on your definite racist comments (HORRIBLE PINK MEN?!?!? was that necessary?!!?), three things you can do:

1) Don't be down with O.P.P (other people's problems). YES, your son is involved but see #3 to rectify that.

2) Being miserable is the American way. If they want to be miserable together, let them. You get what you pay for and it doesn't sound like they spend much on their emotional well being.

3) If what you say is true about the constant arguing, then I would agree that this sends a very bad message to James. He’s what 10 now? That’s definitely old enough to "get it" and you need to determine if his mom is exposing him to unnecessary foolishness. If she is, you might want to re-evaluate\challenge the custody arrangement.

He responded the following day:

“Thanks for the advice… I can always count on you to tell me what I need to hear, even when I don’t want to hear it. Mama said basically the same thing. Anyway, I’m not sure how I’m going to work this out but I’ll keep in touch.”

So why did I share an entire IM conversation with you? Mainly to call attention to an obvious, yet frequently ignored fact that’s conveniently swept under the rug in the black community: sometimes, black folks can be just as racist as white folks. Mike McGee Jr. has occasionally shown his true colors when talking about gay people, white people, etc., yet there are plenty of black people who honestly think it’s impossible for a black person to be racist. I guess the ultimate issue isn’t whether it’s right or wrong to call a person a derogatory name, nor is it failing to see one's own shortcomings. I think the real issue is why haven’t we learned that doing either doesn’t advance racial harmony for anyone? I hate most clichés but "denial ain't just a river."

If\when my friend decides to write me back, I’m going to ask him to meet for coffee so I can let him know exactly how I feel about his “HORRIBLE PINK MEN” comment. Blaming Caucasian males for his own issues with his ex moving on is simply a skewed sense of reality\priorities and an inability to face the facts: whether she's happy or not, she’s with someone else and if you don't want your son involved, do something!

A small part of me is hoping that he at least acknowledges his comment was wrong but even if he does, I’ll never look at our friendship the same again and that’s what really bothers me.

2-4-6-8 Who Don't we Appreciate?

mitchgat — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:25:45 GMT

I recently Googled the following: unappreciated professions. It returned these hits: tour guide, fine arts dealer, nurse, librarian, elementary teacher, high school teacher, funeral director, translators and even animal control officer. Some of these I expected to see, teacher and nurse. Others were surprising, tour guide and fine arts dealer.

What didn’t surprise me however was the fact that members of law enforcement weren’t mentioned on any of the lists that I viewed. Arguably, the most unappreciated entity in city government is usually the police department. Like the mayor, they are expected to work miracles: “make the streets safer", “lower crime”, when in actuality, citizens do that by following the simple laws setup to maintain some semblance of order. When people are respectful, accountable and use a little common sense, it makes for a much safer, pleasant city.

I've actually wanted to write about the MPD for some time, mainly because it seems that you rarely ever hear anyone that has something positive to say about them. There is, of course, the unsettling fact that there is a very small percentage of the MPD who are racist, sexist, individuals who abuse the power they’re entrusted. But I truly believe that the average policeman or woman is someone who entered the profession to “protect and serve”. They’re brave individuals who made the choice, in spite of all the bad press the MPD has received, to help even those who don’t want their help.

There is definitely a higher level of trust that is given in professions like this. Like a doctor who is expected to help, not harm us, we expect a police officer to assist in times of need. We expect teachers to teach our children, not abuse them. But when trust is broken, we have to keep perspective that the acts of the few don’t represent the whole.

That’s why I’m writing this, as a reminder that we ALL need to keep perspective when we think about the police force, and the tough job of trying to keep our city safe. So how are we supposed to do that?

Try these for starters:

Be nice to officers – Say hi to them. Ask them how they’re doing. Say thank you. When I speak to a cop, they always smile and take a moment to talk to me. Half the time they look surprised that someone actually acknowledged them.
Avoid generalizations – Nobody likes to be stereotyped. I always remember an excellent quote from a Madison, WI police woman: “A single officer shouldn’t be held accountable for every instance of police misconduct any more than a single snowflake should be blamed for a blizzard.” There are bad apples in every bunch, but there are even more good ones that deserve attention.
Behave yourself and when you don’t, don’t expect to get away with it – If you’re speeding, expect a ticket. If you get caught stealing, you get convicted of theft and go to jail. You disturb the peace, expect some sort of reprimand. It amazes me at the number of people who get angry when they’re confronted by the police, when THEY were the ones in the wrong.

Perhaps most important, we need to remember that each person on the police force is an individual. They are someone’s wife, husband, brother, sister. They are not “the police”, “po-po” or “5-0”. When you look at people as individuals, instead of “them”, you might be surprised by what you see.

In conclusion, if you’re a member of the MPD reading this, I just want to say THANKS for keeping Milwaukee safe. It’s a difficult, unappreciated job and I for one want you to know I appreciate what you’re doing!

Stupid Human Tricks

mitchgat — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:10:31 GMT

Yesterday, I was driving through the 3rd Ward, heading home, going North on Water St. Traffic was moderate.

As I approached St. Paul and Water, I noticed down the road 4 people walking out of the Chase parking structure; 3 ladies and a guy. They appeared to be waiting for the cars to pass so they could cross. As I got closer, the guy began walking, no wait, meandering across the street slowly. Traffic slowed down to let him pass and I thought: he's not really going to do this. But he continued to walk slowly across the street. How stupid. Yes, pedestrians have the right of way but why take advantage of this right? Answer: he felt like doing it, he's selfish and he knew he could get away with it. He wasn't drunk. He wasn't on crutches; he was smiling as he casually walked. No sense of urgency. In fact, he acted as if there wasn't a car on the road. This isn't Brady St. or some side street, this is Water St., one of the main streets in downtown MKE. Sigh.

Alas, stupid human tricks like this boggle the mind with just how dumb some people can really be. If this was the first time I'd ever seen this happen, I could have easily written it off as some random guy being stupid but this has been happening more and more lately. For some young people, the latest thing to do while waiting for the bus is to stand in the middle of the street and check periodically whether the bus is coming. I've seen on several occasions, especially in Walker's Point, kids blocking traffic because they felt the need to step into oncoming traffic to see if the bus was coming. Absolutely certifiably stupid behavior! I used to take the bus occasionally and NEVER did checking for the bus by standing in the middle of the street cause the bus to arrive any sooner. Besides, busses are loud... they can't hear it before it arrives?

Before this turns into a ranting session about how some people are losing their grip with reality or how some have nothing better to do than try people's patience, I'll stop and not bore you with things you already know. What's sad about these stupid human tricks is that as a society, we just grin and bear it. We've gotten so used to this sort of foolishness that, in some cases, it's considered normal. Some people even think it's funny. WAKUP CALL! Playing chicken with a car on a busy street is stupid. Wait, playing chicken with ANY CAR, ANY WHERE is stupid, period! The thing that these tricksters need to stop and think about is this: what if some guy (or girl) behind the wheel is really pissed, or distraught or they're not paying attention to the road? Or what if the person behind the wheel is as stupid as the person standing or walking slowly in the middle of the road and they feel they have nothing to lose by mowing down a fellow human?

I thought I'd share this with you because the next time you're driving down a busy street in the city and see someone standing or walking in the middle of it, you'll think to yourself:

"Oh yeah, this is the SHT mitchgat was talking about!" Man, stupid people suck!

The Darwin Award goes to.... oh forget it, there aren't enough awards.

Sesame Street and Race Relations in America Today

mitchgat — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:31:09 GMT

Three of these things belong together
Three of these things are kind of the same
Can you guess which one of these doesn't belong here?
Now it's time to play our game (time to play our game).

If you ever watched Sesame Street, you may remember that game and song. I sure do and in light of the attention being paid to several racially charged topics in the news lately, I thought there was no better time than the present to play the game again, just for old times sake. So which one of these things doesn't belong?

OJ Simpson
The Jena 6
Michael McGee Jr.
Frank Jude Jr.

If you said Jena 6, your absolutely correct! Many local people are trying to compare the plight faced by the Jena 6 to that of Mike McGee, OJ and now, Frank Jude Jr. They state that the justice system is treating these 3 men unfairly and justice isn't being served because they're black. Actually, OJ, McGee and Jude are examples of confused, selfish, angry men who obviously lack the self control, emotional restraint and just plain common sense to behave like adults. The Jena 6 teens are no innocents either as they did beat up a white student but the 2nd degree murder charge was excessive and considering the overwhelming amount of support received, perhaps justice will prevail. They deserve punishment but it has to match the crime.
Wouldn't it be nice if we all could live in harmony?

Harmony (n): compatibility in opinion and action; agreement of opinions

I understand that people will have differences of opinions but as a rule, most of us whether we're liberal or conservative, dem or reep, black, white or purple want the same thing: a healthy life, safety for ourselves, family and friends, and the ability to just be ourselves. Racial harmony, political harmony, shoot, I'll even take being able to drive in harmony. My point: it sure would be nice if people would learn how to compromise and even (SHOCK) admit that they might be wrong about something instead of always needing to have the last word and be "right". I found the following and thought I'd share it. Here's to harmony!

Harmony

Harmony does not mean that everyone is in agreement. It means that no one is attempting to force his or her opinions on others.
Harmony does not mean that everyone is the same. It means that everyone respects and tolerates and even celebrates the differences that give so much richness to life.
Harmony is not ever achieved by brute force. Harmony is reached when every individual understands, on his or her own terms, that it is by far the most effective way to live.
Harmony does not come about through intimidation or scolding or threats of punishment. Harmony is reached through understanding.
Harmony cannot exist where people are interested only in what they can take. Harmony is built through giving.
Harmony comes not by giving in or by being weak or by surrendering one's most treasured principles, or by the cowardly attempt to control others.
Harmony is the domain of those who are confident enough in their own lives to allow others to peacefully flourish.

Oh Wait... I have to Take this Call

mitchgat — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 21:56:15 GMT

Never in the history of the world are so many people so connected and readily available. On that same note, never in the history of the world are so many people so connected and readily available, NEEDLESSLY. Maybe it’s brilliant marketing on the part of the cell phone and PDA companies to have convinced so many people into believing that they must be at the beck and call of anyone trying to reach them. OR, perhaps it’s simply that people just want to look important and talking on a phone, constantly, fits that bill. Who knows, but trust me when I tell you that NO ONE is that important and NO ONE needs to be so readily available.

OK, yes, I have a cell phone. In fact, I don't have a land line phone and haven't for 6-7 years. Yet, I still don't see the fascination of talking on the phone, sending email, text messages or IM’ing people, constantly. My phone, which I recently upgraded (because my sleek 2004 model finally broke) is simply a handy object used to communicate and occasionally, play a game. I understand that there are those whose livelihood depends on their phone and\or PDA; my rants aren’t against those folks. My rants are for drive-talkers: those who seem to be unable to hang up and drive. They suffer from AT&T syndrome: Always Talking and Talking … usually about nothing.

I know there isn’t a scientific study or even insurance industry evidence that states “people who drive and talk on the phone are more likely to cause and accidents”. But there is sufficient evidence, for me anyway, that supports this argument: drive talkers are annoying! Why? Because they aren’t paying attention to the task at hand: driving. This in turn means I have to wait behind people who aren’t paying attention to traffic signals, compensate for people who are constantly tapping they’re breaks (an effort to compensate for the fact that they’re not paying attention) and dodge those who didn’t notice the stop sign because they were engrossed in conversation. Folks, if this is you, PLEASE hang up and drive. Don’t be held prisoner by your phone. Note: I didn’t say get rid of your phone I’m just saying there’s a time and place for everything and when you’re driving, you should just drive.

It may sound like I hate cell phones or those who abuse the usage of one. I don’t. I just think that cell phones, PDA's and the like continue to erase the importance of common sense niceties that we used to take for granted. It speeds things up in a world where we need to be slowing down. It makes everything seem so much more urgent than it really is, especially when one’s mantra becomes: “I have to take this call.” Do you really? Is every call an emergency? Do these ultra sophisticated phones that take pictures and give directions not have voice mail? Is it too difficult to say, “hey, I’ll call you back a little later”? My dislike of how people overuse their cell phones is my little quirk but I know there are others who agree with me and if you don’t, that’s fine too. But if you suffer from AT&T, do all of us "other" drivers a favor and pull over and talk or (even easier) hang up and drive. Now that’s the way I see it… how about you?

OK, this story isn't about Milwaukee retail but....

mitchgat — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:07:10 GMT

I know this Web site is called OnMilwaukee.com and it’s about all things Milwaukee but something’s happening on Michigan Ave. in Chicago that I want to share.

If you’re a music lover, like me, and if you’ve ever been to the Virgin Megastore on the Magnificent Mile, you’ll be just as disappointed as I was to hear that the store is closing. That’s right, the HUGE store that has tons and tons of rare finds and a massive import collection is closing its doors forever.

I know there are plenty of chain haters out there who think “What’s the big deal? One less chain to worry about.” But to me, this store was different. The selection was incredible, the staff helpful and although iTunes has a good selection of music there are SEVERAL import tunes that aren’t available on iTunes; yet I could always find them (or have them ordered) from the Virgin Store.

Fine: it’s not the end of the world and yes, the independent record stores over there will have less competition to deal with. I'll still miss my monthly treks to that gigantic store. which by the way closes in July. It's being replaced by a flagship, Forever 21 store. Just what the Mile needs: another store peddling trendy, fall-apart-in-the-wash-clothing for men and women. How special.

Two bright spots, though. One, going out of business usually means SALE, which means I can frugally stock up on tunes and movies. Two, as the retail scene in Milwaukee continues to improve dramatically, my reasons for shopping in Chicago are quickly dwindling -- thus keeping the money in town... always a good thing. But I’m still a bit disappointed.

Dear Mike McGee: RESIGN!

mitchgat — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:59:13 GMT

Since first learning that Mike McGee Jr. was arrested, I’ve been carefully trying to avoid getting too wrapped up in his latest controversy. When the story was first reported I decided I would wait a few days, let it die down a bit before I’d read anything about it. He’s been in the news, for something, far too often over the past few years. I can only take so much of his style of foolishness. Besides, I’ve invested too much time thinking about other foolish happenings in Mil town: the Mayfair curfew "scandal" and the Plastic handcuff debate, a.k.a. CUFFGATE, just to name a few. This morning, however, I gave in. I read the JSOnline stories and all I can say is: Mike McGee must have a Stupid tree in his backyard and he just can’t resist picking and eating the fruit! I read Mike’s ramblings about “entrapment” and how “the government {is}trying to use our language against us” and sadly shook my head in disbelief that someone so clueless could be elected into a position of power. Yes, I know, this sort of clueless behavior happens everyday and yes, those in power aren’t always who we might want but I still try to respect them. However, when you witness the epic stupidity of McGee’s reckless actions, coupled with the sheer ignorance of his words, he loses all credibility with and I recall what my father would say to me when I did something that was classically dumb. Dad would say: Son, PLEASE keep your stupidity to yourself; I don’t want people thinking I raised you that way… I’ve got a reputation to keep up.”

That statement goes double, hell triple, for McGee. Yet, when you look at his father, we see that the “a” stupid, oops, I mean an apple, doesn’t fall far from the tree. And here’s the kicker; here’s what’s really sad about all this: Michael McGee, in his own strange way, REALLY DOES WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HIS DISTRICT. He’s spearheaded gun buy back programs, he’s trying (with success) to establish the Bronzeville District. It’s a shame that his "HOW to get there "methodology is so messed up. Even more shameful is the fact that once again the real victims are his constituents (I’m one ‘em) and the rest of the citizens of Milwaukee, who have to endure yet another high profile, waste of taxpayer’s money, court case that gives an “I’m in way over my head” public official far more publicity than he deserves.

Remember the song Inner City Blues - “Make me Wanna Holler” by Marvin Gaye? Via his powerful lyrics, Marvin captured the true nature of what it was like to be a black person, living in the hood, back in 1971. That plight, for some, hasn’t changed much since then. McGee is obviously aware of that fact, yet his messages are rarely those that inspire people to want to overcome their current conditions; especially when he inter-mingles his own private problems into his very public messages to people who are already disgruntled and often times, misled. By the way Mike: People counted on you; it’s a shame you let so many down.

I’m hoping and praying that this will be the end of Michael McGee-Johnson Jr. tenure as 6th District Alderman. I’m hoping that a real leader will step up to the plate and do what Mike couldn’t do: lead with ethics, a sense of purpose, dignity and a sense of right and wrong. Elected in 2004, he’s is the ultimate, local cautionary tale of politics gone wild. Perhaps it was too much, too soon. Perhaps it was his personal need to prove that he would run his district “his way.” Whatever the case, pride always goes before a fall.

How the East was Lost

mitchgat — Fri, 04 May 2007 20:32:50 GMT

Jeopardy, the long running game show where contestants receive the answer and must then give the question, has always been one of my favorite shows. Let’s play!

ANSWER: Land that’s been vacant 3 years, this Milwaukee Corridor is named for the freeway it replaced and is an area causing great impatience amongst developers eager to start building.

QUESTION: What is the Park East corridor?

Nice work!

Your prize: absolutely nothing. Actually that's the same prize we’re all getting when it comes to the development of 64 prime acres of land. When it was first suggested that the freeway be torn down, I was all for it: it was under utilized, in need of costly repairs and demolishing would remove the implied barrier between downtown and the central city. The biggest selling point for me was it would make way for “at least $250 million dollars in new commercial and residential projects in downtown Milwaukee.”

After reading through a lot of information about who’s supposedly holding back the developments, I’ve concluded that there's enough blame to go around. Yet, most of the lack of development can be chalked up to poor planning. I recently read that the MKE Department of City Development is just now putting together a feasibility study to “help better determine what proposals should receive help.” OK, if that’s not the cart before the horse theory of development, I don’t know what is. You’ve got to be kidding me that after 3 years they’re just now getting around to a feasibility study to determine how to divvy up funds? A large scale project like removing a freeway and then planning what it's replaced with is obviously a huge undertaking but once the new city street grids were planned, one would think that the natural next step would be planning what would replace it. And not the nebulous, “exciting retail and residential neighborhood coming soon” claims that we’ve been hearing but some concrete, “we’ve got a plan and money set aside to implement it” kind of lip service. Now that would have been a refreshing change!

This brings me to the developers, many of whom seem to think financial assistance should help fund the majority of their project. That’s like designing a house, picking out the lot and then expecting your parents or rich relative to pick up the tab. The entitlement mentality is getting out of hand. I am in no way saying that the city of Milwaukee shouldn’t help a developer finance a project; I am saying though, that it is the developer’s responsibility to have a good portion of their financing package in place with minimal financial assistance coming from the city, sort of a show of good faith. Maybe it’s more a case of misguided expectations, but it's definitely poor planning.

I’m really surprised that the Department of City Development never even thought that opening up 64 acres in downtown Milwaukee would cause developers, local and national, to look at our city in a new light. After all, both the city and developers are in the same business: making money. Developers want stores and loft apartments that create revenues; the city wants (and needs) an expanded tax base, jobs, etc. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. At least they are finally realizing that every Tom, Dick and Mary will have their hand out, asking for money, if you don’t set some expectations. There are some excellent plans on the table, my favorites being the Block 22 & 26 proposals, the North End Project, Sydney Hih and the just announced Moderne proposal.

Hopefully, the feasibility study won’t take 6-9 months to approve. If it does, I fear developers will unfortunately take their money elsewhere and Milwaukee might be labeled an “anti-development” city or a city that fails to plan for development. Maybe that's already the case. Continued delays in getting a plan in place only adds to the desolate appearance of a highly visible area. Not to mention that I’m a little sick of seeing seagulls hang out in swamps that could be locations for new buildings housing new jobs. Jobs, by the way, that are closer for people in the central city to get to; an area that could obviously use the boost.

The link below details the Park East Plan.

Wait, so Cruising is Bad... Right?

mitchgat — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:58:15 GMT

In my recent blog about plastic handcuffs being used in MPS, I pondered whether IQ’s had dropped in the past 20 years. I cited the sudden bouts of foolishness in our society as the reason why I believed this might be true. I optimistically concluded that they probably didn’t but perhaps I was wrong. What caused me to change my mind so quickly? One word: CRUISERS. Over the past weekend, 97 people were arrested, 490 traffic citations issued, 30 vehicles towed and 6 guns confiscated. One can assume one of two reasons for this: some folks didn’t get the memo that cruising is bad or IQ’s have dropped sharply over the past 20 years.

It wasn’t as if the MPD didn’t warn these folks, who use boredom and “we’re just having a good time” as reasons for engaging in rude, dangerous and SELFISH behavior. Several months ago Chief Haggerty said she and her team would be cracking down on cruisers. I guess she wasn’t kidding. Yet, there are still those who refuse to comply and when they get caught, they blame everyone but themselves.

The chances that anyone who happens upon this blog being a “cruiser” is probably pretty slim. But in case you are cruiser, here are my suggestions for you:

STOP CRUISING! - You have absolutely EVERY right to drive around the city if you chose to. You have NO right to organize your friends into a train of cars and then gather in a parking lot or, worst yet, park in front of other people’s homes and have a party. It’s rude and SELFISH. Not to mention its stupid, considering gas is at $3 a gallon. Stop being so wasteful!
STOP BEING SUCH A FOLLOWER: Just because you think everyone is doing it, doesn’t make it so. Stop trying to be like everyone else. Stop trying to pretend you’re more important than you really are. Driving around in a car with fancy rims and a boomin’ system doesn’t make you important. It’s all on the outside and is about as valuable as a freshly minted penny. Stop trying to gain self respect (and respect in general) by what you own; it’s all venerable to theft, attack and eventual destruction.
YOU ARE NOT BEING SINGLED OUT BECAUSE THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN - Let’s not beat around the bush. I’m sure that over 95% of the cruisers that were “dealt with” this weekend were black. That’s not an indictment against black folks. It is however addressing the annoying habit of some black folks to blame certain rules\ordinances as targeting black folks, especially when the rules seem too difficult for some people to follow. Contrary to popular belief, rules aren’t meant to be broken. The fact is, cruising around in trains of cars (or parking in the middle of the street), music blaring loudly, not paying attention to traffic lights and other drivers is a recipe for problems. Therefore, when the police are arresting you or issuing you a citation, please keep in mind it has nothing to do with the color of your skin. Breaking the rules is breaking the rules and consequences, are consequences.
STOP BEING SELFISH! – Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. As a rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t want someone doing it to you or someone you love, than don’t do it. It’s that simple! When enforcing this rule in your life, don’t make excuses, don’t make exceptions and don’t compromise. The way to end selfish behavior is to stop making exceptions to rules and more importantly to start realizing why the rule is in place to begin with.

I’m hoping that the police will continue the crackdown on cruising. I hope even more that this summer these young folks will wise up and stop this foolishness. I know these folks complain that “there’s nothing for us to do!” Here’s a complaint that goes way back to the horse and buggy days. Boredom is nothing new and it isn’t going away anytime soon. Try improving your behavior – turn down the music when it’s late, stop the loud talking, try respecting other people and yourself. When you fix your disposition first and not expect everyone else to change to meet your needs, things improve quickly and the boredom might just disappear as more options of places to “hang out” increase.

I’m just sayin’....

Media Campaign takes Aim at Lowering Teenage Preganacies

mitchgat — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:41:35 GMT

One of the most innovative, important local media campaigns to come along in a while was recently introduced. It’s aimed at teens and reducing the amount of teenagers giving birth in our city. For some time, Milwaukee has been on the dubious list of American cities with high teenage pregnancy rates; I think we’re number 2 out of the 50 largest US cities. This costs Milwaukee taxpayers as much as $48 million a year. It also creates a terrible burden on the teen moms and in many cases, grandparents as they try to salvage a sad situation.

If you haven’t seen the ads, one is prominently placed on a billboard as you’re heading west on 94, just around the Plainfield curve. The ad has a very pregnant boy (yes boy) and the tagline is: It shouldn’t be any less disturbing when it’s a girl.” I’m sure there will be complaints but what’s to complain about? Someone is calling attention to an obvious problem and sometimes the best way to get someone’s attention is to shock them a little. It’s an in your face proclamation that we have to deal with the vicious cycle of poverty teenage pregnancies perpetuate. It also sends the message that it’s not just about the girls. The young men are just as responsible for the situation. I think that’s why I love this campaign so much; it shares the accountability.

Another aspect of the campaign is a telephone number that teens call which supposedly will provide job leads. Actually, they receive a recorded public service announcement letting them know that having a baby is about more than dressing up another human in cute outfits. I think this instance of the old bait & switch tactic is legitimate. It’s going to surprise teens and there may be some that are angry but I can guarantee that most will listen and if the message reaches one teen, the campaign (in my opinion) was a success.

The campaign will saturate the areas where teenage pregnancies are highest. This is an excellent way to send the message. Seeing a pregnant boy is enough to cause anyone to do a double take and take notice. I wish the United Way of Milwaukee, the group behind this campaign, every success and I hope we start to see a difference!

For more information and to learn about what else is being done to make Milwaukee a better place for all, check out the link below.

The campaign was created by Serve, a part of the BVK advertising firm located in Glendale.

What's Yellow, Plastic and Coming to MPS?

mitchgat — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:45:55 GMT

You can’t win for losing in this city, especially if you’re an MPS teacher/administrator, the general manager of Mayfair mall or a MKE cop. If you happen to be a white teacher or cop, you’re really doomed because it’s automatically assumed (by some black folks) that you’re racist and everything you say or do is racially motivated. Sound ridiculous? Sound like a conspiracy theory by some lone white man, tired of being blamed for every new rule that supposedly unjustly targets the black community? Well it’s not and I’m truly tired of the race card being played anytime discipline is mentioned in conjunction with black youth, so this is my take on the latest “issue”: handcuffs on unruly students in MPS. Some people, especially African American parents, are outraged at the prospect of this:

“If the teachers and administrators can’t deal with young people in a non-physical manner, we need to review those positions.”

“Develop training programs for teachers on how to deal with situations without resorting to tying a kid up.”

“Our children are not animals, and no school should treat our kids as such.”

So here we are again, yet another battlefront in a long war of words and ideologies that’s become far too common in MKE. Sigh. When I read opinions like those above, it makes me wonder: Is discipline and holding people accountable for their behavior wrong? IQ’s surely haven’t dropped that much in 20 years that it’s now conventional wisdom that you don’t punish bad behavior, or has it? I guess based on a handful of comments I read, including those above, the new CW is: We only punish in really, really extreme cases… I don’t know what those are but kill someone and we’ll get back to you on that.

Here’s my conclusion: many black folks in this city are in obvious denial about the sad and dangerous state of affairs in some MPS schools. I don’t have a problem with putting plastic handcuffs on students who refuse to cooperate. Repeat: clearly this proposal is aimed at those who won’t cooperate. Just like the Mayfair escort policy, cruising ordinances and any other such safety measures, they’re aimed at those who refuse to abide by simple, shouldhavebeentaughtathome, common courtesy rules.

The only issue I have with this policy (which I just heard probably won’t be enforced) is I think it’s another Band-aid. MPS already has random and planned locker searches, banned cell phones, police officers located in the schools and drug dogs sniffing for drugs and these kids still didn’t get the memo that they need to behave because someone’s watching. Unfortunately the underlying problem, which in this case is poor parenting, still remains. Bad parents cross all color and economic lines and we lowered the expectations of what parents should be doing a while ago; the ramifications of this are being felt and will continue. Discipline, love and attention have been replaced with excessive freedom, apathy, “stuff”, disrespect and false attention. The seeds of success must be planted early. These seeds are planted at home, by parents. A parent waters the “seed”, provides love, food, shelter, safety, hope, and gives attention so the child grows. A teacher, a respected adult, these are the “fertilizers” that help aid in the child’s growth. Notice, everybody has a specific role, the parent being the primary one.

Which brings me back to my first statement: you can’t win for losing in this city. When the powers that be try to help, they aren’t doing enough. When they don’t do anything, they’re chastised for not helping. I suggest the following questions be asked the next time a policy is implemented and racism allegations arise:

Are rules made to be broken or compromised frequently?
You refuse to instill any values in your child; so everyone else should have to deal with their unacceptable behavior?
Can you please explain to me the rules you do follow and the ones you chose not to? I’ll make a note of it.

Many people don't like these questions and yes, I’m being sarcastic but there is definitely some truth in them. Some would deem these questions as “demeaning” or even (surprise) “racist” but they’re not. These aren’t wishy-washy, make everyone feel good about themselves questions. These aren’t nebulous questions that don’t cause real thought. These questions require soul searching. They require a closer look at motives. They make you look at the sometimes selfishness of out-a-whack expectations and the whole idea of entitlement. There is a responsibility to every right we have! The solution for the handcuff debate, mall escort policies and the like is really not difficult: PARENT YOUR CHILDREN! Ultimately, most people are seeking the same outcome: a safe, happy life. This is a common ground; this is where the discussion needs to begin because this is where real decisions can be made.

First day of school 2007, the following is the greeting I suggest be given by ALL principals of troubled schools:

From the movie “Lean on Me” Principal Joe Clark (On stage, talking to an auditorium full of students):

I want all of you to take a good look at these people on the risers behind me. These people have been here up to five years and done absolutely nothing. These people are drug dealers and drug users. They have taken up space. They have disrupted this school. They have harassed your teachers. And they have intimidated you. Well, times are about to change. You will not be bothered in Joe Clark's school. These people are incorrigible. And since none of them could graduate anyway, [turns to the troublemakers on stage] You are dismissed! You are out of here, forever. I wish you well!

That’s the way I see it, how about you?

Still Another Point of View About Imus' Dumb Comments

mitchgat — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:00:38 GMT

If you don’t know who Jason Whitlock is, you should. He writes for the Kansas City Star and most recently, wrote a column where he weighed in on the Don Imus/Rutgers Women's Basketball controversy. He expressed his belief that while Imus's comments were deplorable, the real focus for the black community should be to minimize the negative impact of pop culture elements such as gangsta rap. He expressed a mainly negative opinion of the actions taken against Imus by the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton as an opportunity to elevate their agendas’. I agree with that statement.

I recently discovered Jason’s column while visiting Blackamericaweb.com. I clicked on a link and was surprised to discover a black columnist who expressed opinions that were honest, logical, wise and thought provoking. He would be what my mother used to call a “tell it like it is” kind of brotha’. His writings have an obvious slant towards the black community, specifically regarding how we need to improve. Yet, according to Eugene Kane, our own resident African American columnist, Jason’s recent commentary on Imus was catered to white folks. Here's what Mr. Kane said: http://www.jsonline.com/blog/?id=84 I re-read Jason's article because Mr. Kane had me wondering if we even read the same thing. For the record, there was nothing that Jason stated that was catered to a white audience but read it for yourself and decide. http://www.kansascity.com/182/story/66339.html

The premise of what Jason was saying is quite simple and really not different from what Bill Cosby, Oprah and countless other black folks have been saying for years: we need to fix our collective selves as black people before we go and try to fix someone else’s problem. That’s what the passage in the Bible means when it says you should “remove the log from your own eye so you can see clearly to remove the speck in someone else’s.” When something’s blocking your view, most of the time you try to remove it before continuing.

Life has always been challenging, and it will continue to be. More of our black parents need to teach their children that in every challenge there is an opportunity. We need hope. We need to teach our young that whatever you focus on will grow stronger and more influential in your world. Choose to focus on creative, innovative, loving, and respectful things and in most cases, you’re rewarded with the same. Chose to focus on over priced cars, swearing profusely, how someone “disrespected you”, talking loud and having sex before you’re ready for the responsibility, well, you are still rewarded; even though might not like the prize. Roots is on cable right now and that mini series was "must see TV" in my household growing up. It showed the true struggles of our ancestors, in situations that they didn't create themselves. That's what it meant to live a "hard life". I'm not diminishing the fact that life can be difficult for some today but accepting excuses isn't the answer.

If challenging people to do better for themselves and not accept the same tired excuses as to why “things will never change” have suddenly become something only white people can do, than I guess Mr. Kane is correct. Jason is writing ONLY for white people. But correct me if I’m wrong, Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcom X, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson, Dr. George Washington Carver and the list goes one and on, filled with black women and men who shaped this country. They challenged themselves, never gave up hope and NEVER fell into the habit of accepting excuses for not making a better life for themselves, and more importantly others.

It is unacceptable for the American black community to squander the prize that was won for us, on people who continue to disrespect our own. What Jason is saying is what far too many black leaders, writers, musicians and movie makers are afraid to say: the truth. The current plight of the black community is a result of our complacency. I think that we finally realize that just because you make millions of dollars being an “entertainer” doesn’t necessarily make you a good person. I don’t care how much of the money earned by these individuals is put back into the community, why haven’t we stopped to ask: why are we accepting money made at the expense of our own people?

Am I criticizing Eugene’s short blog from Friday 13th? Absolutely! Does that mean I that I now have less respect for his opinions? Definitely not. A recent column he asked “Where’s the Anger when the Victim is Black?” It was an excellent topic to write about and he handled it well. The fact that he has written more than a few columns about black folks needing to fix their own problems AND the fact that he agreed with many of Bill Cosby's comments, caused surprise for me that he refused to see the truth in Jason's statements. Sharpton and Jackson, previous to the IMUS debacle, were never, EVER as boisterous about the negative affect rap music and thug mentality in general has had on the black community. Yet there are many who are adamantly opposed to the negative effect of gangst’ rap, yet you have to listen very carefully to hear their cries.

The main reason I wrote this was because I agreed with Jason and I didn’t appreciate Mr. Kane insinuating that if you’re black and agree with the statements, you are somehow looking for favor with white people. Please! I gravitate toward the truth, and sometimes the truth is hard pill to swallow but that doesn't make it any less true. Living in Milwaukee, I don't feel threatened by white people. Maybe 25-30 years ago I would have but times have definitely changed. However, an inconvenient truth that I and many other black people like me fear, is that someone of my own color is much more likely to murder, rob or otherwise harass me. That's a sad fact and that's why we need to acknowledge the problem instead of pretending that the foolishness of one white man is going to have a more detrimental affect on our culture than us murdering us!

The obsession of some black leaders, writers, etc, to support ALL black people, carteblanche has got to stop. When you cover the sins of someone just because they share your race doesn’t make the sin go away anymore than an aspirin can cure cancer. I leave you with a quote from Wynton Marsalis. He was talking about democracy in our country. Remove "our democracy" and replace it with "the African American experience" and you get the lament that many of our black leaders need to be contemplating:

“I have absolutely no idea what my generation did to enrich our democracy. We dropped the ball. We entered a period of complacency and closed our eyes to the public corruption of our democracy.”

The Mayfair Curfew Policy: Nothing to do with Race or Age, Everything to do with Acountability

mitchgat — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 19:22:45 GMT

My mother used to call the behaviors that caused the new Mayfair escort policy, "acting a fool!" I remember like it was yesterday, both my parents drilling into me that when I was in public, they expected me to "behave" or as my father used to say, "act like you've got the sense God gave ya." The issue here isn't really this new policy, it's the fact that young folks don't like being told what to do. Yes, this is nothing new; the difference is that instead of helping our youth understand the importance of following rules, we compromise or worse yet, give into their whining. Which essentially leaves the core issue: poor parenting.

As a black guy, born and raised in Milwaukee, I can honestly say that the current problems being experienced at Mayfair are simply old problems resurfacing. Many malls across the country declined in the late 80's and early 90's because malls failed at PR and managing the problem of unsupervised youth. Perception is 90% of the game. If people perceive that Mayfair is a horrible shopping experience, even if it's not, they'll stop going. I don't shop at Mayfair that often but I admit it's a very nice mall. So was Northridge and Capitol Court, yet they ultimately failed because they failed to respond to the obvious problems that existed there. At any rate, the simplest thing to do, for those who don't like or think the policy is fair is to shop somewhere else. After all, going to the mall is a PRIVILEGE, not a RIGHT: two words that often get confused in our entitlement society.

A few bad apples spoil the bunch. Life sucks sometimes. Some people have absolutely no home training. Occasionally the good suffer with the bad. However you look at, this policy was way overdue. There's no - isms involved here. It's a policy designed to hold people accountable for their actions. When parents fail instill accountability and expectations, someone else should and will. We should be glad it's not some gang leader telling these kids to trash the mall because the policy is whack! The bottom line: you go to a mall for many things: to shop, eat, enjoy lunch with friends, catch a move. You don't go to be rude, obnoxious, swear and seek out attention. Sure people do, but they shouldn't.

One more thing, for some strange reason people in this town seem to think that the ridiculously poor behavior of some teens is a phenomenon unique to MKE. It's not. The Mall of America began enforcing a curfew policy way back in 1996 to address the issue of unsupervised, disruptive teens. A quick Google search also produced results stating that malls in Kentucky, Ohio (the HUGE Easton Mall in Columbus), New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina all have escort\curfew policies. There's an obvious accountability issue and a basic lapse in understanding of how one should behave in public. Yet if it's not being taught, how would you know. I understand teens like to hang out with their friends, fine. Just lower your voice, stop dropping f-bombs and behave responsibly. This is not impossible, nor is it too much to ask. But, without diligent parenting, which would include a constant discussion about expected behaviors and the importance of respecting others, the challenge is quite difficult.

The Way I See It #2 - Walking Along, Diversity on my Brain!

mitchgat — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:11:32 GMT

Sunday, March 11th was a beautiful, sunny day with comfortable early spring-like temperatures. As I wandered through downtown Milwaukee and various east side neighborhoods, noticing other folks enjoying the day, I suddenly started thinking about diversity, specifically how diverse is our city? I personally think Milwaukee is a very diverse city, filled with people who celebrate the cultures and religions of others. Is there room for improvement? Of course, but generally speaking, Milwaukee can and does hold its own with other cities when it comes to having a diverse, rich grouping of people trying to interact with each other peacefully. Now based on that fact, it seems so out of place that racism and prejudices still flourish in our city; a city that boasts many wonderful ethnic festivals, restaurants and religious faiths. Yet, with all this going for us our city is still considered by many to be one of the most racist cities in the United States, according to stats, we are the most segregated. The latter is a rather dubious and unfortunate honor. A stigma like that has been in place for decades and the title unfortunately, isn’t going anywhere soon. The Frank Jude beating, for example, demonstrates how institutionalized racism (in some parts of the MPD) allowed a few bad apples to taint the image of an otherwise good police force. Those cops had been indoctrinated into the racist club a long time ago; their idea of diversity is probably having several minorities to abuse instead of one.

Yet, being the optimist that I am, I think the best way each of us can reduce racism and increase our understanding of others is to learn how to embrace the diversity that truly is Milwaukee. In the summer, when I go to Jazz in the Park on Thursdays, it’s great to see that everyone gets along fine. There isn’t “black section” or a “white section” there’s simply sections of people, of all colors, enjoying the music, the food, each other. If for one evening, people can embrace each other, why not the other 364 days out of the year? Here are 3 ways to get started so we can embrace the TRUE Milwaukee spirit of diversity:

Respect EVERYONE – Fighting over parking spots? Another senseless shooting caused because the old “they disrespected me” excuse? Giving someone the finger because you don’t like the way they drive? Generalizing about races? Shame on you! All are examples of ways we decrease diversity and increase unrest in our community because we think we think about only one person: OURSELVES. We think we know the best way to drive or our way of thinking is best. While all this energy is placed on “being right” we never consider the implications of being quiet and moving on. Empathy is really not that hard when you practice it every chance you get and the notion that “I have all the answers” is not only foolish, its dangerous thinking. I challenge anyone reading this to start thinking about others FIRST and stop being so self-centered. The golden rule isn’t something we should take under advisement; regardless of your race or political\religious affiliation: treat others as you want to be treated!
Realize: we are more alike than different – In our quest to celebrate our cultural differences, we seem to forget a more important fact: we’re more similar than different! Most people want security, peace of mind, good health, friends, love and generally good things for everyone. I think most people understand that there are all kinds of people in the world. Where they fail is in understanding that the color of our skin, who we choose to worship (or not worship), our sexual orientation and our political affiliation should NEVER take priority over common HUMAN goals that should unite us even more. It would be a miracle if all the world governments used money currently funding wars, to rebuild nations instead of destroying them. Start focusing on similarities in the human experience: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We’ll all be working towards a common goal; not the fragmented goals of, “my race\religion\political party” is better than yours. That’s really so last century anyway. Finally…
Reach out! – I have friends of all ethnicity, economic backgrounds, etc. and I can honestly say that I have (on more than one occasion) re-evaluated my position on things because I was blessed to have them in my life. I’ve debated people on many of the hot topics lately and it amazes me how I’m now able to accept others opinions on a topic, vs. shooting them down instantly because it went against my beliefs. That’s not to say I change my stance (although that has happened too) but I don’t play Mr. Know-it-all either. In my younger years, I was quite the fundamentalist and I truly parroted what I heard from pastors and teachers, many times without investigating for the truth myself. Now, after years of studying the Bible and other doctrines, I can safely say I’m solid in my beliefs as a Christian but I am NOT against learning about other religions. This is a lesson that I wish so many would learn when it comes to dealing with others. Reach out and learn things about people that you might not ever know. We miss out on so much when we refuse to move out of our own comfort zone. Be willing to learn a new language, listen to new kinds of music or get to know people with different opinions than yours. Most of the time you discover that those surface differences are hiding many inner similarities.

You can’t blame the entire white race, as some black folks do, for the failings of a few ignorant white people. The same goes for white people who generalize about all black people being reckless or lazy, just stop it because it ain't true! THOSE are the unfortunate stereotypes that we’ve allowed the media to latch onto and report. In turn, some rather accept these falsehoods as truth rather than find out the real story about other cultures and people for themselves. Its bandwagon thinking at it’s worst (or best... I guess)! Such a senseless, avoidable cycle that needs to stop. Now....

That’s the way I see it, how about you?

The Way I See It #1 - Shopping isn't What it Used to Be

mitchgat — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 23:06:46 GMT

When did going to the mall become so complicated? Mayfair Mall, to some Milwaukee’s premier shopping destination, has had to endure several years of recurring problems that center on a small group of people who refuse to behave. Finally, a new policy, which is set to be implemented in mid April, hopes to lessen the problems that are becoming far too common. This won’t be Big Brother watching over us; rather, it’s an overdue response to those whose behavior has become a nuisance.

Mayfair hasn’t turned into a dead zone where people are too scared to shop. On the contrary, parking spots are still very difficult to come by. The mall is thriving. People aren’t allowing an overall good place to turn into a wasteland, ala Northridge. I’ve read many editorial comments on Wauwatosa Now and JSOnline where several good points are mentioned, specifically that the “enduring racism in MKE” is going to affect who this policy affects most. Racism does cause obvious problems in Milwaukee. No one can argue otherwise. And yes, racists, whatever their nationality, have a myopic viewpoint of the world and their acceptance of tired, false stereotypes is what cause most racial discord to thrive. I believe the response to the problems at Mayfair has nothing to do with racist tactics and I definitely don’t think policies will be aimed at black folks, as some have charged. The new policy is simply responding to some people’s lack of respect for others and a public entities looking out for the best interest of those who CAN follow the rules.

Being disrespectful transcends all color lines and socioeconomic backgrounds. Being disrespectful happens because A) a person isn’t taught to behave\respect others appropriately or B) they were taught appropriate behaviors but choose to ignore them. Unfortunately, many young people think it’s cool to be a nuisance (even more than us older people did when we were younger). Obviously a parent can’t be with the child every second of the day and no one is asking them to. I, however, ask that they provide a foundation built on love, mutual respect of others and an understanding. Kids need to know that they can’t do whatever they want whenever they want, no mater what mixed messages they get elsewhere. That’s not too much to ask for, nor is it a naïve pipe dream to believe that children can be taught to be respectful in this day and age. Even more importantly, putting action to these words isn’t that hard either. Start early, and constantly reinforce the behavior that is expected by modeling good behavior for your child! When a house is built, it needs a firm foundation. Children also need a firm foundation in order to stand up to the constant temptation to do the naughty.

Parental accountability doesn’t stop at ensuring a child understands personal responsibility, it continues with teaching sound FINANCIAL priorities as well. More than ever, we have an obligation to make sure that our children get their priorities aligned for success. Unfortunately, it’s not happening as often as it should. A few months ago, I read an extremely well written and honest article by Journal/Sentinel writer, Tannette Johnson-Elle, entitled “Dressed for Excess”. The article discussed how some of our black youth are willing to spend up to $1000 for jeans and $200 for Air Jordan tennis shoes, all in an effort to emulate their favorite rappers. Now way back in the mid 80’s when I was a teen, the most coveted piece of clothing was $80 Guess jeans and $125 Air Jordan shoes. Needless to say, even though I worked, I never had a pair of Guess Jeans (Levi’s worked for me) or Air Jordan tennis shoes. Why? Mainly because my parents taught me that it was more important to actually OWN the part, instead of just DRESSING for it. Dressing to impress is nothing new. If you have the money to “dress the part”, as the ladies on the red carpet at the Oscars do, that’s one thing. Sadly, most black teens wearing overpriced jeans and shoes can’t. Even more unfortunate is the fact that some parents don’t instill the idea that you have to crawl before you walk. Chasing after the FALSE American dream of “accumulating stuff you can’t afford” may explain why so many end up living the American nightmare.

I think it’s also important to mention that this problem is NOT unique to Milwaukee or other cities with similar demographics to Milwaukee, as some comments suggested. One comment states “other areas of the country don't have the same problems with violence as Mayfair because of a much larger black professional class in the suburbs.” I don’t understand this statement. First, Mayfair isn’t making this about race, everyone else is. Second, so do you need to live in a suburb and be a professional in order to have good manners and know how to interact with others? The Mall of America, located in a predominately white Bloomington, MN. (88%) has had a similar policy in effect for over 10 years. Their policy has been quite successful. By the way, this is a city full of “professionals”; obviously bad manners happen everywhere. I know a lot of working class people who raise their children to behave. They do it by modeling good behavior. Status doesn’t mean a thing when it comes to manners.

With all that said, for some it’s just easier and convenient to dismiss the cause of the imminent escort policy at Mayfair as being racially motivated, when actuality it’s not. I think, those drafting this policy clearly understand that the norm at Mayfair is that thousands of people of all races ARE able to shop in harmony and have done so for years. The new policy will (hopefully) focus on one fact: that there are people of all races, who are public nuisances and their behavior won’t be tolerated at Mayfair. I think an inconvenient truth for some black folks is that many times, the face of the perpetrators, are (unfortunately) black. According to Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber, he estimates that 70% of those arrested at Mayfair are African-American. For some, this sheds an unwelcome light on Milwaukee’s black community, already plagued with all sorts of negative stereotypes. Unfortunately, racist and those easily swayed by statistics fail to deduce that the 70% stated above, represents a very small cross section of the black community. I am ashamed of that 70%, who share my race, and make a mockery of all the suffering that insured that they have a chance to live life just like any other tax paying, job holding, American citizen. Perhaps an appropriate response, in addition to the new policy, is pressure from the black community that says: “stop acting ignorant in public; what you do on your own time is entirely up to you!”

In closing, I applaud Mayfair for its efforts in working to maintain a positive image and for finally doing something about a problem that has existed since the movie theater was added back in ‘99. Those who still think that racism is a factor in the policy should keep in mind that Mayfair has the right and responsibility to preserve and improve PUBLIC SAFETY and the PERCEPTIONS of the mall. Essentially:

PUBLIC SAFETY + PERCEPTIONS = PROFIT$

Ultimately, money is the name of the game. If you’re not there to shop, enjoy lunch\dinner or a movie, leave. That’s the way I see it, how about you?