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Lip Service

You know that old puzzle? “If a tree falls in the forest, and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

I won’t worry with that one right now, but I will suggest a variation on that question to ask in Trenton, NJ: “If a street fight breaks out, and there’s no smartphone to record it, does anyone pay attention?”

The answer to that one, apparently, is “No!”

A very nasty fight broke out this week at Trenton’s Greg Grant Park. Two young girls, 16- and 17-year-old sisters were, in the words of the Trenton Times’ Kevin Shea, “punched, kicked and stomped by a crowd of people in Greg Grant Park in Trenton on Monday while onlookers videoed the melee and urged more violence… During the brawl, Lajahia Cooke was struck in the right ear with a brick, causing a wound that required 15 stitches to close, she said. Destiny Cooke lost a chunk of hair, leaving a bald spot. At various points in the attack, both women were held down while others throw punches and kick the teens.”

As I said, nasty. There are several unanswered questions about the fight that are as of this morning unanswered. The identity of the attackers is under investigation by Trenton Police, and the role of the Police is also at issue. A spokesperson for TPD confirms there were officers on the scene, having been sent there after police received a 911 call about the fight.What they did or did not do at the scene is being examined.

Although the fight took place this past Monday, it did not rise to public notice until some cellphone video started appearing on Wednesday. Local press started appearing online that day, and in print yesterday. The story also picked up some attention further afield, with TV stations in Philadelphia and New York running stories on the fight.

All this attention focusing on Trenton led to a public appearance by Mayor Eric Jackson yesterday. A news conference was held at Greg Grant Park headed up by the mayor, backed up by several members of City Council, senior Police officers, and community members.  A piece in The Times by Jenna Pizzi and Keith Brown describe the mayor as “visibly angry,” and that comes across in the video clip embedded in the online piece.

The mayor had strong words to say yesterday. “I will use the full power of my office to bring those responsible to justice.
We are better than that as a city and we are better than that as people. We will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our city… This type of meaningless violence, no matter how it begins, will not be tolerated in the City of Trenton.”

Yes, strong words. But they are hollow and empty. Hollow and empty because we Do Tolerate behavior like this. The fight in the park this week was indeed horrible, and the injuries suffered by the Clarke sisters shocking; I wish them a quick recovery. That no one in the crowd stepped in to help the girls or attempt to stop the assault is sickening.

But I do not believe, for one minute, that this incident would have received this kind of attention had not the video of the incident not been posted online and picked up by the media. I don’t believe the Mayor and the Council members would have appeared at a press conference yesterday if the morning newspapers hadn’t covered the story. The assault and near riot occurred Monday. The Mayor spoke only yesterday. What happened in the meantime? The media got interested, locally and then in the region.

Am I being cynical?

Where was the outrage over this fight?

Or this one?

Did I miss the press conference about this?


Was there “visible anger” after viewing this video?

If you search for “Trenton fight” on YouTube, you’ll find these and many more videos. Some are recent, some are several years old. This sort of stuff happens in Trenton all the time. We do tolerate this, Mr. Jackson! This is all meaningless violence, and it is not uncommon.

The Clarke sisters were brutally beaten by a crowd after having done nothing wrong, and that makes this incident in my mind worse than the others. But that many of the people in these other videos were in many cases willing participants does nothing to excuse them and those incidents.They are, all of them, nasty and unacceptable.

That a lot of people choose to record video of these fights and attacks rather than take any action to help or defuse a situation means that too many look at these fights more as entertainment than as serious assaults or worse.

We do tolerate these, far too much. And we have, for far too long. And in making this entertainment, we do more than tolerate it. We are complicit in it. We encourage it.

That’s why when I see and hear Mr. Jackson express his outrage, I see and hear Lip Service. Cheap Theater.

When I see Council Members stand behind him, I see Council members who’ve been in office for close to five years now, and who’ve done Nothing in their time.

When I hear the bold proclamation, “We will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our city,” I say “Yeah, right. Until the next time. And only if someone records video.”

3 comments to Lip Service

  • Minister Lee Ingram

    This is a great message. Where has all this out rage from the N shor and Police department been? This has not just started. If they think this fake show of anger is going to make a difference, somebody done told them wrong!

  • ed w

    I know these are not the only incidents, people are scared to walk the streets in Trenton for fear of getting shot, robbed or worse, all the police seem to be able to do is give themselves promotions.

    peace

  • Michael Smith

    There are political repercussions from “mayoral lip service”.
    Mayoral lip service gives the impression to the gullible they will be protected by police and combatants will be brought to justice.
    PS: If police who are tasked to handle situations such as this either refuse to intervene or have second thoughts about intervention why is it expected onlookers should intervene and expose themselves to injury or lawsuit.
    Which brings us to a little known uncomfortable fact contrary to popular belief. Police do not have a constitutional duty to protect the citizen.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/28scotus.html?_r=1&