“In
politics, absurdity is not a handicap.” — Napoleon Bonaparte
I have been so absorbed with
gleaning the details of Attorney General Mike DeWine’s report on the Kirk
Middle Schoool Police Shooting that I have neglected to post a couple of items
for Non Profit Thursday. Before I get to them I must give thanks that Jeff
Follmer, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, did not
choose to become a fireman, because he apparently likes to throw kerosene cans
onto house fires.
Yesterday we reported
on the CPPA press conference where Follmer and others fiercely defended the
actions of each of the scores of police officers involved in the 25 minute chase
that eventually found Russell and Malissa Williams cornered in an East
Cleveland school parking lot and met death in such a hailstorm of police fire
that DeWine
was moved to say “it’s a miracle that many police officer were not killed.”
What we did not know at the time
of yesterday’s post was that Follmer also described the police pursuit as “the
perfect chase”.
“Seek first to understand,” said
the guru Stephen Covey. We will return to Follmer's quote in a couple of days, after
we have fully digested the Attorney General’s work. We will also discuss why we
think there should be no rush to judgment on the deliberate pace of Police
Chief Michael McGrath and the Jackson administration. For right now, we will
let Napoleon’s quote above resonate awhile.
• • •
Nonprofit Thursdays
Nonprofit Thursdays
 |
| Cleveland Men of Song |
Amidst all the mayhem in our
community runs a seemingly unquenchable spirit of charity and service. While
sometimes it may be a cloak for rapaciousness, we deal on Nonprofit Thursdays
with the real kind, as exemplified by Cleveland Men of Song.
This sonorous band of brothers
presents its Fourth Annual Concert in celebration of Black History tomorrow
evening, Friday, February 8th, at 7:30PM at the Plymouth Church, 2860 Coventry
Road, Shaker Heights.
The program will blend anthems,
spirituals and other traditional music as well as contemporary gospel
selecitons. The group’s founder and artistic director is Carlton Fellows, who
has performed many places overseas and around the country.
This year’s concert will feature
composer and pianist Daniel Mario Cason as special guest conductor for the
evening. Cason is a Cleveland native who currently pastors in Birmingham,
Alabama.
Tickets for the concert are $10
and may be purchased at the door.
• • •
The news of virtually any day
could serve as a reminder that it is not too early to register our young men,
ages 6 to 18+, for the annual Call to
Action Young Men’s Conference.
Sponsored by Working in Progress, this
year’s conference will be held Saturday,
March 30 from 9AM to 3:30PM at the University of Akron Student Center.
Topics to be addressed at the
conference include career planning, bullying and cyber-bullying, social media,
breaking the fatherless cycle, under-age drinking, what to do when stopped by
the police, and more.
Working in Progress is a nonprofit
social service agency that seeks to support the transition of African American
youth into adulthood.
A similar conference for girls is
scheduled for May 4.
More information on the group, as
well as how to register for the conference, can be found by visiting the
group’s website, workinginprogress.org, calling 330.474.9472, or by emailing tmonroe@workinginprogress.org.
• • •
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