Suit claims system to elect Norfolk's mayor is discriminatory

If the white majority has ruled this city with such dignity, then that explains the city's high crime rate & high number of homeless people. That explains why the city has chosen to demolish the homes of thousands of less fortunate family in order to build homes for those born with a silver spoon in their mouth. That explains all the crooked council members that we have sittin gon the board right now. that explains why police officers are shooting down kids in the street & saying that it was neccesary. that would explain the increase in the drop out rate among our teens. Thank you so much for finally steppin gup to the plate and accepting responsibilty for the city's decline. For once ,you didnt blame it on the black community. And as for judging that man by the content of his character, how about not judging him at all. Believe it or not, you are not God. White dont make you right. but again, the black community thanks you. Be blessed.

We are judging this man by "the content of his character and not by the color of mis skin." The only real racists in this city are a few loud black folks. Since they don't like this place they need to leave and make their lives somewhere else. Our white majority has ruled with great dignity and character. So sit down, shut up and vote your conscience, then see how you will lose your argument.

I do not live in Norfolk therefore that system of govt. does not affect me. However, I read all news articles regarding ANY city government and I find they are all similar. It appears that ALL city leaders put their own interests and those of their developer cronies ahead of the citizens that make up the populace. Time and time again the wants and needs of the public are put aside to cater to the whims of those in charge. A perfect example is the 31st Street Project in VB (AKA lining the pockets of developers.) Or the demolition of historical buildings in Norfolk in the name of "revitalization." Or the demolition of the Holiday Inn in Portsmouth to build hideous looking condos and shops in its place. All 3 projects opposed by the masses but pushed forward by the hierarchy. And what you said about the "personal time" of certain council persons mstynitty- you hit the nail on the head. The stories I could tell about some Ptown govt officials! JMO

at the end of the day, regardless of what this man has done, he is still a child of God. As a mother i am furious @ the thought of this man ruining an innocent child's innocence, but one, i serve an awesome God who said "the best revenge is mine" & secondly, there are two sides to every story. Nobody knows what went down but that man, that child & God. Who are we to judge & condemn that man's voice? But The real issue here is how fair will it be to the afican american community if this new system is adopted? As a member of the Black community I happen to think our current mayor is doing a good job while our black vice mayor should wrap his bow tie over his head & shut up. I appreciate Randy Wright because he is an upfront racist, so i know how to approach him, and Barclay Winn is a hypocrite. His opinion of drugs in the media is so no nonsense, but ask him his opinion in a darl alley on a Friday night in Park Place. But hey, who am i to judge? All I am saying is adopt a system that is fair to all races, the new mayor could be purple, but if he does a good job, then kudos to him

Do mayoral candidates have to take written tests that include math word problems?? If so, just get a job at the police department. It does not matter what kind of electoral system is put into place. You can not please all of the people all of the time. Ask Al Gore, remember the November 2000 election? Who won the popular vote and who became president? I wonder how Norfolk counts their "hanging chads"? I am curious to know exactly how the convicted felon thinks he has been short-changed by the current mayor and council. Does he have specific concerns or evidence of wrong doing or is he just making noise so that he can enjoy his 15 minutes of fame?

Consensus then? no worries mate; numerous reputable norfolk black leaders; (Joshua paige, ulysus Turner etc.) voiced their opinion and it was this; let see how it plays out, 2005. Since then, Dawn Hester title of Vice Mayor was removed and awarded Anthony ' Boss' Burfoot, NRHA has destroyed numerous Historic structures and well as inner city housing, displacing many minority families and as a consequence deminishing the number of minorities in Norfolk. The cenus is what determines the lines (areas) for the ward system. This is managed by NSU using the results of each 10 year census result. The census is very important when it comes to citizen programs and funding - and how the neighborhoods are represented. If, big if here, three of the seven small wards are determined to have a majority of minorities rather then the present 2, wards 3 and 4, three minority candidates will likely run to represent these minority areas. Why was the Mayor's position decided to be voted at large? because, Norfolk is attracting major investors and developers and a moyor is spending more and more time presenting the city to all of these interst. Mayor Fraim is a lawyer, his office, practice is do

TO SWD2K

There is a Black History month because it has not been taught to society as a whole...I know growing up I was taught nothing in school about what my race had done as a people but I learned 9 months out of the year history about every one else but me except the small blurb about slavery that was always included in text books...White privaledge is great in the U.S. that's why when anything is done that is foreign to you it is prejudice...We have learned your history all of our life..it is great to have atleast one month out of the year when our history can be shared with everyone..I choose to celebrate my history everyday of the year and have learned and openly accepted yours..that is why there is a Black History Month it has nothing to do with being prejudice but learning about our history that we were not privy to in the American Educational System!! and I am not talking about Martin Luther King Jr...we had plenty of other leaders besides him.........

There was a hot dog eating contest last week?

To clarify, smokers should only be shot when they light up around me.

I will admit I exhibit an open schadenfreude towards just about everyone. Especially smart-ass Pilot posters.

This article is silly. Why waste precious ink on the deluded ramblings of a convicted sex criminal?

He can't vote, why does the city council even let him speak? Why is a reporter following the political ramblings of a criminal who can't even vote? His thoughts are irrelevant.

I sure hope they wash the microphone after he speaks.

Why is it that any absurd, flame-baiting publicity stunt that happens in Norfolk gets coverage by Harry Minium?

This article belongs, if anywhere, in the daily break as an amusing tale of a nutcase who once threatened to blow up city hall filing a frivolous pro se case against the city.

This is every bit as newsworthy as the hot dog eating contest last week. Where was Mr. Minium then?

Mr Fabulous,

Nice to see your attitudes about your fellow human beings hasn't changed... God Forbid someone ever has a thought, action, or conviction different from your own. So, let me see if I've got this right: smokers are the scum of the earth and should be shot, and convicted sex offenders should die (those are just the two posts I seem to remember)? I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you meet your maker...

Anyway, back to the story. Did Jesse or Al just show up in town? I mean really, a 5-3 split can't get much more even, but I suppose this complainant wants a 4-4 (b-w) or even a 5-3 (b-w) "to make things fair". I hope the judge that this case comes before blasts this person for incredible stupidity and wasting the court's time as well as the attorney that filed this useless garbage.

Finally, I agree with the previous post that suggested blacks are far more racist than whites. Don't believe it? Then why is their "black history month", UNCF, NAACP, and the list goes on? To advance one race beyond another - that's racism.

Screw that. If this guy indeed molested a juvenile he does not deserve a voice in public discourse EVER again. For that matter, 5 years is too light a sentence - execution should be the sentence when a child is sexually molested. The offender ruins lives and typically cannot be rehabilitated - so why keep them around? And this is not about about race - I don't care what color a sexual predator is - they deserve to die.

Has no credibility on my opinion, especially if the crime involves a minor. As to the racist issue, I am waiting for someone to post.."Some of my best friends are black" lol

Your ignorance is showing. I suggest you look up the definition of racist prior to posting your drivel.

And the first two posts were spot on. Get your head out of your posterior and out of the 50’s.

Why is a 5-3 majority unfair? Should the council have affirmative action quotas assigned? Are you saying that white (black) council members are incapable of representing black (white) citizens? Should Norfolk assign it's residents to neighborhoods based on their race, so that they can be represented only by someone of the same race?

Please explain...

jmo

Simple fact is that the districts in Norfolk should be redrawn to reflect current populations. And eliminate the stupid-ward, I mean super ward system. Cut the pie 8 ways according to who lives where. Then add the mayor as a tie-breaker for a total of nine. Or cut one seat and make it three and three with the mayor for #7. Norfolk is just about 50-50 black-white so elections on a city-wide basis (for mayor) should be more fair than in years past. Still, whites with a 5-3 majority does not seem all that fair.

Here we go again...ignorance speaks.

The Pilot needed space to fill I see.

First off, race is not an issue here. It's a matter of what is right & what is wrong. It would not be right to convert to a system that would give any race the majority on an issue or situation that affects the whole city. Be it white, black, latino ,or korean...it just would not be fair to anyone. Secondly, because this man is a convicted felon doesn't mean that his voice is silent for the remainder of his life. He made some wrong decisions in life, but only God knows that man's heart and if he is really serious in what he is doing. So leave the judging to Him. And third, it is easy for the next race to have a get over it attitude because you are not black. Although one is suppose to be judged by one's character, that is not always the case. Blacks are constantly judged by our apperance, our tones, our vocabulary, our walk, etc. And that is not to say that other races arent, but simply to say it does happen. So if adopting a system would prove to be unfair to the black community, why cant we complain? Why can't we be heard? Why shouldn't we be mad?

Why doesn't this kind of unproductive human garbage just leave? What a waste of time and money for me to even comment on this trash.

That's all I need to know. Anything this guy says is nullified by that fact.

What is this? A klan subcommittee meeting? Did you guys know that Ron Paul has been endorsed by Stormfront (Nazis) and the KKK? He is your kind of candidate boys. I love it when white folk start channeling Rodney King. And “I know more racist black people than white people?” Your post makes clear that you can’t identify a racist even when he’s staring at you in the mirror.

Perry-Bey is hilarious! “The issue is the city is not following the law.” This from a convicted felon! hahahahahahahahahaha

I should file a lawsuit that claims the NBA is discriminatory against whites since blacks are over represented in that sport. Since I don’t have a criminal record, I won’t have to get someone else on the suit in order to file. Do us a favor Perry-Bey - just go away.

Amen brother. Cant we all just get along??? So sad.

I agree completely with Jeffries comment. I'd also like to add that I know more racist black people than I know racist white people. The best way to fill a job vacancy is to take "race" off the application form and look at the qualifications of the person. I'd rather judge a person by their character rather than the color of their skin. Perry-Bey would maybe overcome his hatred of people of other races if he were to adopt that way of thinking. Most of us have gotten over the "race" thing and have gone on to enjoy life, maybe Perry-Bey will catch up eventually, instead of living in the past.

Of course it's unfair to black people. Everything the white man does or achieves is at the expense of the black people. Many people of all races gave their lives to make this country what it is today. The problem is that a lot of them can't give up the crutch that the race card has become. Didn't get that job promotion over a white/Asian/Mediterranean/Native American/East Indian man because you are not qualified for it? Whip out that race card, call the NAACP and the media and brow-beat your way into it anyway!

I won't deny the sad fact that racism still occurs today in our great nation nor that it is wrong in every conceivable way but for the love of Christ, quit beating white people over the head with it! Anyone can achieve their goals in today's world if they are willing to work hard for it!