Mell met with NAACP president yesterday and is now apologizing. I give him credit for responding quickly. He certainly didn't have to meet with anybody about this, including them. He certainly didn't have to apologize.
Full story will be posted online later today
p.s. Full disclosure:
As a reader pointed out, Mel did tell me he planned to go as a audacious black women the week before the event. I told him he should reconsider because it would be offensive. I'm also aware of others warning him.
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30 comments:
You probably should have mentioned that sooner, instead of waiting for a reader to bust you on it.
Still looks as though you trying to stir up stuff. I mean seriously...if you hadn't been on here writing it all up and starting a controversy not many people would have even paid attention. Makes the Traveler look as bad as Mr. Kuhn
from the www
http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/30140049.html#comments
"Still looks as though you trying to stir up stuff. I mean seriously...if you hadn't been on here writing it all up and starting a controversy not many people would have even paid attention. Makes the Traveler look as bad as Mr. Kuhn"
not really. David planly states that he tried to warn him that it might not go favorably.
Hey, all you can do is tell someone "BRIDGE OUT, AHEAD!".
Which David did try.
I agree that it was right to report it. We deserve to know when our elected officials get out of line. Too bad we didn't see articles on the badge incidents as well.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,432023,00.html
This is from Fox News. We should be so proud, we made the national news.
Please don't point fingers at David because he is doing what is required of him to do with his job and I think he is being respectful and honest. If you want to point a finger, you need to direct it in Mel Kuhn's direction. It is time that someone stand up to the corruption in this town and I say you go, David!!!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,432023,00.html
an interesting quote from this foxnews article.
"Still, he warned that he might rescind his apology if "people wouldn't accept it." "
Kuhn added that he was saddened that the event had been "blown so out of proportion," by the local
media and bloggers.
"I am the mayor of a small town in Kansas," Kuhn told FOXNews.com. "We are poor people, but we don't
have poor ways. To paint me as a racist is just not right."
---Mr. Mayor, speak for yourself. I am NOT a poor people. I DON'T have a poor people attitude, nor do I have a 'poor people mentality'.
--- Strong Black Female ---
"To help rectify his actions, Kuhn has promised to work with the NAACP and other local groups to raise
awareness about issues of racism in his city.
Still, he warned that he might rescind his apology if "people wouldn't accept it."
--- I just wonder Mayor Kuhn, how can one rescind a 'sincere heartfelt apology'. It just does not seem possible to me. Whether your half-hearted apology was or is accepted, if it was sincere it would stand on it's own merit.
Now I am not a brain surgeon, nor a rocket scientist, but even I know that when a person is sincere in an apology, it doesn't matter what people say or think.
Sorry, but your 'sincere heartfelt apology' never, (and surely after that statement) seemed to be a sincere statement issued to the local paper. ;(
--- Strong Black Female ---
His apology is a step in the right direction.
Again...I'm not all in favor of having the PC police on every doorstep. But this was really bad judgement.
Let's move on.
Interesting editorial over on newscow about when Mr. Farley was in the CASA pagent he dressed up as a hispanic woman with the name translated into big boobs and the seatons' thought that was just fine. What's the difference between that and Mr. Kuhn??????
Who was Mr. Farley? Was he the mayor of our fair (or shall I say, our poor city)
I don't think Kuhn's apology was all that sincere and he NEVER mentions any thing about the FOUL language,and the real intent to be just that in his apology.If you are a child or elderly person with any feelings at all you should be embarassed and ashamed for not standing up to such a action of the leader of our little town. I know our language skills as a whole has gone down hill but in a publc place in front of children,on the news, in the paper in a public place.WE ALL should be ashamed to let this pass.He (KUHN) not only should apologize to the citizens for whom he is suppose to represent as much if not more, than anyone else. KUHN ia a disgrace to everyone and should hang his head in shame.If he were a sincere person he would apologize and step down from public office.Those that support Kuhn should think twice about standing behind him now after all the shameful things he has committed.
Mayor Kuhn was not the only one involved in this. What about the CASA board that allowed it to go on. What about everyone in attendance at his performance. I understand everyone thought it was very funny at the time. The judges at the event picked him as the best performance. Did anyone step up at that time and say they were offended by his performance? Why was the performance not stopped? At least the Mayor has apologized, we have not heard from the other people involved!
Would people be as outraged if they were not still so angry over his disregard for public sentiment over the Lowe's issue. Their anger has been fueled by this incident and the "I don't care" attitude. He has two years and 6 months to show us that he really does care about the community - ALL of us and not just his cronies.
I don't know who to be more disgusted with... Kuhn for thinking it was appropriate to name his character such an offensive thing (in a fundraiser benefiting KIDS for crying out loud) or for the people that awarded him the prize for such an obviously inappropriate performance. Maybe I’m just upset with knowing I live in a community that has so many members that aren’t bothered by this.
A person can be funny without lowering themselves to appeal to the lowest common denominator by playing up racial stereotypes. Then the good mayor has the audacity to LIE to us about his intentions. Mr. Kuhn, I’m not stupid. I know what blackface looks like. Besides that, I can’t even bring myself to publically say the name you dubbed your character or your “backup dancers”, and I’m horrified that YOU, a public official, can and did.
The saddest part? I've seen this story from several NATIONAL news sources online in the last two days (thinkprogress.org, foxnews.com, and fark.com) and not to mention all of the local coverage. Our mayor has made our town a laughing stock.
After reading Kuhn's initial comments following the incident (words he KNEW would be in print and shown to his community and eventually the rest of the world) I felt even worse. I don't want someone representing my home town to use the type of language he uses as a public official. I don't want someone representing my town to act the way he has. I'm glad he has apologized, but too little, too late. He’s given us a glimpse into his judgment. I don’t want him making decisions on behalf of me. I’m embarrassed. Mayor Kuhn, I hope it was worth it.
Mr. Kuhn did not embarasse me he was only helping to raise money for a certain orgazination. Do we walk on eggs all our lives because we might offend someone????Loosen up people and quit pointing your fingers at other people. The people who made a mountain out of a mole hill are the ones who kept this going. If you are going to talk it make sure you are going to walk it.
The CASA organization issued written guidelines instructing the contestants to avoid anything vulgar or inappropriate. He was NOT in "black face". He looked like a woman with too much makeup. Not everyone understood the slang he used in his name. If they had known, he probably would NOT have won. Naive, but true.
Sure, it wasn't blackface... Even though he told people beforehand that he was going to be an "over the top black woman".
And his inspirations were "Big Mommas House" and "Norbit"...
It took a chastizing from the NAACP for him to apologize.
...but it wasn't black face. Right.
This wouldn't have nearly been such a big deal to me or others if the Mayor had initially come out and and said "Yeah, I thought it was funny, but I can see why people may have taken it badly. In hingsight, I might have done things a little differently." Rather than blasting that this was "a bunch of PC Bullsh*t" and escalating the tension in the situation (thus making this more of a story).
I don't want a mayor that ignores what his constituents are saying, and frankly acts like a jerk in the press over it. He handled this horribly... And yet we let him run our city government and be our public face.
I think he should have his title taken away and given to the runner up!
Ok, I am asking. How many people really want to come into a room and be real people and have a real conversation on the feelings stirred by this incident?
Unfortunately, it does take someone disrupting our comfortablelives before we take on the real challenges that threaten to reshape our way of viewing life.
There is so much to belearned from this moment in time. WE do not have to be a "laughing stock" as someone earlier stated it. We can show that ourselves as a strong community who is willing to speak to be heard and to listen to understand.
After a weekend where, at the Presidential election level, I am listening to someone assert that the D candidate is not like us regular Americans, I think we still have huge chance to show ourselves ahead of the curve in this nation on Human Relations, inculuding our mature views on race, gender, economic disparity among other things.
Any takers?
(unedited for grammar or spelling)
I'm with you Charles.
I'd show up.
sounds like a job for the human relations commission. um why don't you start meeting more often?
I am wondering if the person who turn in Mel will ever have the guts to come forward???
I was appointed by Mayor Smith to Chair the AC Human Relations Commission in March of 2008. In December of 2007, the governing body had edicted that the HRC would only meet quarterly.
Not a good excuse but it is the hand that was dealt me. WE have done what we can but, honestly it is difficult to accomplish much or to gain momentum with a solely volunteer group. We have one person from City staff assigned but that person only supports theactual meeting - that is they send out the meeting announcement along with an agenda. They attend and take minues during the meeting.
Any work done is done by the volunteers. We were historically modestly funded dating back to the original charter in 1971 (?) AS of FY2009 we are not in hte budget. This does not preclude HRC from coming to the commission to ask for funds for a project but consider the dynamics.
Quarterly we meet. If a project is proposed, we have to get on the agenda and solict funding. If the funding is denied or more information is requested from the group, we have to wait until another quarterly meeting to get the ducks in row then start the process again.
With this format, the HRC sould easily spend a year just trying to get approval to move forward with a project or proposal. In the time that passes the relevancy of the proposal is likely to be lost.
AS for the "who turned the Mayor in" comment above, it would do all well to recognize that WWW stands for World Wide Web. This posts are there for anyone to see. Many of the comments that show up here or between the rivers come from folks outside this community.
I have friends in AZ who tell me they look at the Traveler site daily. They are former residents of AC - some grew up here. Anyone from anywhere could have responded or reacted to the original post.
Admittedly, I had acquaintances from several Kansas cities email me asking if the story was true or a hoax after it had appeared in the Topeka Cap Journal and in the KCK news. This is the information age. Folks might want to keep that in mind when commenting on local topics.
A couple younf folks class of 2003 live in Albuquerque and contact me about local AC news posted on the web. It's probably the same way we found out about the Idaho senator in a men's room at the airport in MN or Rev Jesse Jackson and his child born of an extramarital affair. That's what the Internet does. The world is a bit smaller as a result.
Back to this query of anyone willing to come together to talk about ohw to make people relations better in Ark City......
Charles, It was someone locally that wants to be on the city commission and wants to be mayor. It will all come out soon.
So you're guessing that it's Charles? hmmmmmmmmmmmm
It was pointed out to me, that in the photo printed on the front page your local newspaper, the colors seem kinda weird. Hmm. Kinda funny like when you photoshop a picture. As far as the race thing goes I had assumed we had moved past those worries and were establishing gay rights. On that note, why have there been no appologies to the crossdressing community. Probably because they were to busy laughing like everyone else with a sense of humor. Maybe it was over the top, but Mr Mayor did not set the format, he just won.
written by: James J. Bogner
Nope! Wasn't Charles......
So far all Mell Kuhn has done for our community is refuse to listen to the people and thus stand in the way of progress (Lowe's... remember?) and embarass us nationally. He should resign.
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