1 MAY 06: MEXI-MELTDOWN
The Columbus Public Library held a "Day of the Book" event Sunday - which was also promoted as a "Dia de los Libros" in Spanish. I was there, and didn't see any protesters outside. Apparently the bilingual critics were at home waiting for the NASCAR race at Talladega.
This could be a tense week, in relations involving Hispanic-American residents. A mass "Day Without Immigrants" walkout has been called for today. I'll believe this really has reached Columbus if "Viva 1460" goes back to gospel music for a day.
A check of WHAL "Viva 1460" for more than an hour Sunday night found no mention of a Hispanic immigrant walkout. Instead, it was Spanish music as usual - and an announcement about Riverfest, about three hours after it closed. You'd think they'd know better than to perpetuate stereotypes about slowness.
The goal of today's walkout is to show the importance of immigrants in our country, and perhaps influence immigration reform legislation in Congress. Of course, members of Congress know all about walkouts. They took two weeks off for Easter, and they'll take a month off in August....
In the preparations for today's walkout, a new version of the U.S. national anthem came out - with adjusted lyrics, and in Spanish. It's upset some U.S. natives. But remember, it could have been worse - with Roseanne Barr singing it.
Former President Carter said the other night the national anthem should be sung in English at "special occasions." That's fine - but I have to ask why people are concerned about it being sung in other languages. "O Canada" has been sung in English and French at hockey games for decades, and that country's still in one piece.
Some Hispanic Columbus business owners are keeping their distance from these protests. For instance, Millie's Market on South Lumpkin Road remains open because the owner's background is Puerto Rican -- and that U.S. commonwealth hasn't even asked for Spanish-language versions of dollar bills.
(In fact, the owner is a New York native -- so he's what they call a "Nuyorican." Does that make his local children "Jajaricans?")
In response to today's call for a walkout, a Phenix City blog is suggesting everyone boycott "Cinco de Mayo" this coming Friday. Now this could be a challenge - getting people NOT to become drunk on margaritas and Mexican beer on a Friday night.
I wonder if the Columbus Civic Center staff is concerned about all of this. It's scheduled the first "Fiesta Columbus," beginning Wednesday at South Commons -- "the Greater Columbus Fair, fiesta style." Does that mean they add jalapeno peppers to the funnel cakes?
(No wait, I think I know the answer - pig races are out, Chihuahua races are in.)
E-MAIL UPDATE: We mentioned Sunday a message we hadn't posted yet from "IsOurCitySafe." We post it today, after making further inquiry about it:
The CIA and FBI report that Columbus Police Department is 15 years behind the times in investigating crimes involving the computer, child pornography on the Internet, and Internet predators.
Wow! If we are that far behind the times dealing with that one particular area of crime, how far are we behind in investigating other crimes?
I imagine if the city government would remove their left thumb from their butt and their right thumb from the head of the Police Department, we might actually be able to solve some crime and keep our kids from being stalked by online predators.
If the predators online find out that there is no one watching what goes on online in the Columbus area, where do you think they are going to move and hunt? That's right! Here where YOUR kids are. Do you think that online predators don't talk to each other and tell each other where the "best pickens" are? Its kind of like game hunters sharing with each other where the best deer hunting is. Columbus is wide open for hunters!....
Why don't you call your city councilor and ask them if the positions that have been cut and have remained unfilled for years at the Columbus Police Department are positions that could be used to keep your kids safe from online predators that are looking to do very, very, very bad things to your children....
Thanks,
Brent Rollins
This message is interesting for several reasons. For one thing, 15 years ago the Internet hardly existed -- much less child pornography on it....
Your blog asked Brent Rollins where we could find the CIA and FBI report. He told us Sunday this was based on a comment an FBI agent made to a Columbus police officer some time back -- and he contended the police still have no one assigned to computer crime. That would explain the officer we spotted at a library, checking e-mails.
As Riverfest wraps up for another year, we also have e-mail about one of our preparation jokes from Friday:
+ An evening jog through the "Riverfest zone" found plenty of preparations underway for this weekend's big bash. I counted 11 port-a-johns lined up outside the Space Science Center. Hmmm - 11?! Is there some weird contest planned, involving high school football teams?
If I remember correct...The space center does an ALL nighter the same weekend as "Riverfest" I'm think it starts Friday Morning.
If the Space Science Center had such an event, I couldn't find it on its web site Sunday. Perhaps it already had fallen into that black hole, called a computer "Recycle Bin."
The Space Science Center's web site seems to be in the middle of a major makeover. Click on the link for "special events," and there are none. You'd think at least they'd have the moon-rise times....
Now let's get caught up on other things you might have missed, while partying over Riverfest weekend:
+ Gentian Elementary School held an open house, to mark its 50th anniversary. A lot of young people have been educated there over the years - and as best we know, it's somehow happened without a single teacher getting arrested.
+ An American Lung Association survey gave Columbus air quality grades of B and C - while Atlanta scored a pair of F grades, ranking among the ten most polluted cities in the country. They must not have done this survey when The Jerry Springer Show is on WXTX....
+ The Ledger-Enquirer announced a new column for brief reader comments, called "Sound Off." It took THIS long to figure out how to imitate "The Vent" in the Atlanta newspaper?!
+ A final check with the Georgia Secretary of State found local Congressmen Lynn Westmoreland and Phil Gingrey are unopposed in the Republican primary. Quick, somebody - check Dylan Glenn's house, and see if he's moved to another state.
+ A blogging buddy in Tampa contended he's being blocked from sending e-mails to Georgia with .dwg attachments. I don't understand why this would happen - since Georgia has loved its "Dawgs" for a long time....
+ Speaking of which: Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. He was a seventh-round choice for a team with Michael Vick - so Shockley must have really impressed the scouts with his clipboard-holding.
+ Instant Message to Beacon University: Aren't you taking a bit of a risk, allowing bottled water in your library? Some Pentecostal might walk in, pray over the bottle and start a wild revival.
COMING SOON: What grade we give a restaurant with an F on the door....
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