Spokane7
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February 9, 2011 in City
March organizer urges dialogue
City forum on violence draws about 100 people
An organizer of Spokane’s annual march commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. criticized community leaders Tuesday for not opening an honest dialogue about race issues after last month’s march was targeted with a bomb.
“What do we say to our kids?” said Ivan Bush, a longtime civil rights leader in Spokane. “What do we say to them about that day when a community stood up with a hump in the back and didn’t make a real statement? What do we say to them? How do we go back and face them and talk about the greatness of a community? We can’t in a legitimate way. We did not when the time was there. I’m hurt. I’m pained, and I’m full of rage.”
Speaking at a city-sponsored forum about violence held at the Spokane City Council chambers, Bush also said the African-American community hasn’t been kept informed.
“Everybody was affected by it, but those of us who felt that we were most affected, why weren’t we in the information loop?” Bush asked. “If there’s any black folks here who say they’ve been in the loop, stand up.”
None did.
Bush, however, singled out Mayor Mary Verner as a leader who had tried to keep the community informed.
“The reason we are hosting this discussion here tonight is that we don’t want to put anything under the rug,” Verner said. “I’m really glad and proud that you threw the issue out that we have to acknowledge that we have race relation problems in the city of Spokane.”
The forum, which was attended by about 100 people, was announced late last week and billed as a forum on violence. The bomb, however, wasn’t mentioned until Bush mentioned it 40 minutes into the forum.
Verner, Spokane police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick and Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich addressed the crowd and took questions. Citizens and the panelists addressed a variety of issues including domestic violence, funding shortfalls for social services, gang violence and questions about the proposed new county jail. Much of Tuesday night’s two-hour event focused on the recent spike of officer shootings within Spokane County.
“We have law enforcement officers who are concerned about encountering violence from citizens, and we have citizens who are concerned about encountering violence from law enforcement officers,” Verner said in her opening statement.
Kirkpatrick acknowledged that officer-involved shootings have risen in Spokane. She said there’s also been an increase statewide and that she’s sought out experts to see if there might be underlying reasons for the spike.
“I can’t find anything that’s talked about what’s the real sociological reason that drives these waves,” Kirkpatrick said.
Knezovich and Kirkpatrick noted that seven law enforcement officers were killed last year in Washington.
Toni Lodge, executive director of the NATIVE Project in Spokane, echoed many of Bush’s concerns. She said no Native American groups were invited to the forum until an hour before it started.
“We have to have a conversation of race in this community,” Lodge said. “We have to undo racism. It is the root of so many of our issues.”
Representatives from the Spokane branch of the NAACP said they will hold a community forum called “Talk Out” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at the East Central Community Center. The event will focus on the bomb, race relations, policing and other issues.
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
ChefGus/ John Olsen on February 09 at 4:49 a.m.
Jonathan … thank you for the informative article… two points here this morning… ?Where was this “announced”/ I think I keep up on the local news with regards these sorts of events and saw and heard nothing until late yesterday afternoon stumbling on a small article in the back of the hard copy of the Review?
Second…. Where was Mr Tucker… it seems to many of us that the missing link to justice and peace in this basin is an active and effective prosecutor…. and my question as to why he was not there last night was simply ‘Ducked” by the moderator and the three panel members? It was a place he well could have been to face those of us that are unhappy with the current administration of justice in this basin. John Olsen
Scoutster on February 09 at 8:01 a.m.
I, too, was at the forum last night. Someone who was not might get the impression much of it was a discussion about race and the bomb. It really was more about recent police actions although there was overlap.
I agree with ChefJus…the principals had clearly anticipated the question about Tucker, and simply agreed to skip over it with a “we will let Mr. Tucker speak for himself, but he’s not here”.
Sweet listening, but I didn’t leave with any sense that these leaders were ready to get serious about serious changes. It felt more placating, although I do sense sincerity that they WISH things were different, they just don’t know what to do.
As to who knew ahead of time, my info came from the county (Heather Martinez) office via email, the first notice Feb 3. The mailing list I think is mostly local neighborhood folks and other govt/public offices, like higher ed.
westerly on February 09 at 8:46 a.m.
Spokane does have its problem with violence, racial violence etc. Less economically endowed cities seem to have more of this social misbehavior.
shanusmaximus on February 09 at 8:52 a.m.
@Scoutster
What is it exactly that you want these leaders to do? You said they just don’t know what to do which is leading me to believe you do.
Ivan Bush said, “How do we go back and face them and talk about the greatness of a community? We can’t in a legitimate way. We did not when the time was there. I’m hurt. I’m pained, and I’m full of rage.”
I would like to point out to Ivan that it was the COMMUNITY that spotted that threat. I don’t know about you Ivan, but I think that is pretty great.
Also about the bomb. The African-American community has been kept out of the loop??? What? Is everyone else getting different information? The WHOLE community doesn’t know much, because……they haven’t really said anything yet. We don’t even know if it was somebody from Spokane.
MarleneFeist on February 09 at 8:59 a.m.
For citizens who would like to listen to the discussion first-hand, it will be replayed on CityCable 5 on:
*Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m.
*Saturday, Feb. 12, at noon.
*Sunday, Feb. 13, at 6:30 p.m.
*Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m.
In addition to asking media outlets to promote the meeting, the information also was available on the City’s web site, was sent to people who receive the City’s email newsletter, included in information sent out by the Office of Neighborhood Services, tweeted through @Spokanecity, and distributed through the organizations who co-sponsored the event.
Follow us on Twitter or sign up for information from the City to get these notices directly. And thanks to all who attended and particpated last night. It was a great discussion.
opiemuyo on February 09 at 9:34 a.m.
I saw something about a bomb on a day to honor a great man. Why do we have to refer to the great man’s skin color after all these years, was not his dream to have it not be an issue?
RIP, Reverend King, Your dream is my reality even if others do not accept it. Thank you for making the world I live in better than it was for my parents.
DickAdams on February 09 at 9:49 a.m.
How many spokespeople does the city of Spokane need? (Marlene) Seems to me the Lilac City has more than its share. I find it difficult to keep track of all these people. And to hold this event without Steve Tucker in attendance is pathetic. Gus is correct, “where was this announced”? is another good point. WHERE? Mayor Verner loves these kinds of meetings that are warm and fuzzy (facade). All puff and no substance.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on February 09 at 9:58 a.m.
Skin color will continue to be an issue until everybody — not just almost everybody — realizes it’s not worth caring about.
horse_feathers on February 09 at 10:25 a.m.
Law enforcement needs to ask it-self, have we become a violent gang contributing to the problems?
Scoutster on February 09 at 10:43 a.m.
Shanus…
It seems to me a more credible LE community can’t emerge without the following item:
1) A citizen’s review board to investigate Officer Involved Shootings and other critical incidents;
2) Either a more transparent or a more professional post event investigative procedure. Two weeks before questioning? No blood testing? Accusing victims of the families of wanting to squeeze money out of the public? These are, frankly, just bonehead and show the Keystone Kop professionalism of our LE admin.
3) To achieve these things will probably require a change in the collective bargaining agreements with the Guild. That is the first step, and it is time for the Mayor, the council and the Chief to step up and make public the fact that the agreements made with the Guild pretty well screws up any hope of an open and transparent process. That, to me, it the first battle to fight: public opinion. The leaders are on the wrong side of it.
Thanks for asking.
westerly on February 09 at 11:49 a.m.
All about the Spokane area here, not sugar coated:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014166546_spokanebomb09m.html
shanusmaximus on February 09 at 12:40 p.m.
@Scoutster
Thanks for answering.
On #1, does a citizen review board have the teeth required to be effective?
#2 We blew that by hiring Steve Tucker back. I don’t know how the hell that happened. He is ineffectual at best. Time for a recall maybe?
#3 Maybe it is time to get rid of ALL public service unions.
zelda on February 09 at 1:28 p.m.
Steve Tucker is incapable of feeling shame or embarrassment. He’s immune. It is a dangerous situation to have a prosecutor who is engaged with only one set of stakeholders.
As for the racism issue, time and again we see things happen here and it’s like the business community takes command and we are told “this is not Spokane.” The accumulation of evidence has set off a wave of cognitive disonance so that the more it happens, the more that civic leaders insist it’s not representative. Crazy.
Meanwhile, over in N. Idaho we’ve got a bunch of fundamentalist LDS adherents who are running a human breeding operation to produce Caucasian bloodstock while exploiting their proximity to the Canadian border. Then we’ve got Idaho representatives talking about parental rights and using the term “heavenly father” which makes it pretty clear what segment of citizenry he’s working for.
Having grown up here, I’d say the John Birch Society is back with a vengence — but even creepier, if such a thing is possible.
shanusmaximus on February 09 at 4:30 p.m.
@Zelda
“As for the racism issue, time and again we see things happen here and it’s like the business community takes command and we are told “this is not Spokane.” The accumulation of evidence has set off a wave of cognitive disonance so that the more it happens, the more that civic leaders insist it’s not representative. Crazy.”
Fascinating. What is happening time and again? What accumulation of evidence? What is being represented? Are you saying that there is some secret cabal of KKK running the city? See….you have seriously confused me because you are saying there is some sort of representation that people are not only just not talking about, but also secretly endorse. So Spokane is really FULL of not just racists but CLOSET rascists. Which I find odd since in the 80’s Spokane elected a black man mayor. Not only a first for this majority white, hillbilly, backwater where everyone runs around shooting guns in the air like Yosemeti Sam, but for the entire State. Even before Seattle. What about that sort of representation? Or does that not count?
“Having grown up here, I’d say the John Birch Society is back with a vengence — but even creepier, if such a thing is possible.”
What are you trying to say? That Spokane is now MORE racist than it was previously or what??
DickAdams on February 09 at 7:32 p.m.
Maybe the event should have been held at the 19th hole. I`m told that`s where Steve Tucker hangs out and imbibes in the grape. Might want to think about the next one. That`t the only way Tucker might attend. Unless he slips into the closet.
zelda on February 09 at 11:10 p.m.
Thank you @westerly for the link to the Seattle Times article. It’s like a bucket of freezing water thrown in our faces to see it all summed up in one article. This summation, shamusmaximum, is the accumulation of evidence that Spokane either denies or has collective memory lapses about.
Spokane’s African-American mayor was a fine man, but he was elected back in the days before the strong-mayor form of government was put in place. Back then the mayor’s duties were lpirmarily ceremonial and I found Spokane’s attitude toward him to be cloying, self-congratulatory and rather patronizing. He served his term in office with dignity and grace, but I thought it might have been difficult for him since the city’s powerbrokers seemed overly proud of their one conspicuous good deed.
shanusmaximus on February 10 at 8:31 a.m.
@Zelda
Right, so it DIDN’T count. So Jim Chase was just put in there so Spokane would look good. But again, Spokane was CLOSET racist. All those people who voted for him were back at home rubbing their hands together saying, “Boy we sure fooled em. Muahahahahah!” What bollocks. What about the rest Zelda? What has happened time and time again? I want to know what accumulation of evidence you are talking about. If there is an accumulation, that means you should have a WHOLE PILE to show me. Because I think you are talking out of your posterior.
If the people in this town are as bad as you are saying, why the hell do you still live here? You can always vote with your feet you know…..
zelda on February 10 at 11:20 a.m.
The accumulation is compiled in the Seattle Times article —
ttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014166546_spokanebomb09m.html