Polensek’s rage

Anyone struggling with (or even concerned from afar about) the inner-city issues of drugs, violence and persistent crime has to be able to identify with — and to some degree understand — Ward 11 City Councilman Mike Polensek’s frustration that fueled his harsh letter of condemnation to a young Black man who has repeatedly broken the law by selling drugs in Collinwood. If Polensek’s assessment is accurate, the only thing that will beat this kid to prison will be the headlights on the bus.

But the truth can hurt, as proven by the howls of outrage from the mother of the young man who Polensek wanted to rid his community of by “any means necessary” — including an untimely early death or incarceration. Also, despite the outcry from those in the community who consider themselves more level-headed and compassionate, the majority of folks — by an overwhelming margin — were on the councilman’s side. But if we’ve learned anything from history it’s that we should be wary of judging the rightness of a position based on majority sentiment: By an overwhelming margin, most Germans in the 1930’s supported Hitler, and they were wrong.

But this is not simply a good/guy, bad/guy scenario; there’s blame aplenty to go around. The mother of the young man in question demonstrated that she just doesn’t “get it” by stating that she doesn’t approve of her son’s behavior almost as an afterthought, long after blasting Polensek for being a racist. Her disproval of his actions — if genuine— should have been the first thing out of her mouth. Her threats to sic Al Sharpton and George Forbes on Polensek soon died down after someone probably explained to her that no leader in his right mind was going to take up her cause.

There’s a legal axiom that loosely states that “those who seek redress from the courts must have clean hands,” and this mother was asking for support in the court of public opinion while her hands were very dirty indeed. She obviously has done a horrible job of raising this young man (the proof is, he is headed to prison not college) for perhaps a myriad of reasons that unfairly stack the deck against so many urban minority families. Many, many other mothers are facing similarly long odds in regards to turning out successful progeny.

However, society is becoming increasingly feed-up with out-of-control thugs and gangbangers... no matter the trials and tribulations their parents are going through in trying to raise them. They no longer want to hear excuses they just want the problem gone, and they have a right to live peacefully and safely in drug and violence-free communities. But such pacific outcomes are not going to occur absent some heavy lifting by government on many levels, and the involvement of truly concerned and compassionate citizens.

What we are witnessing in Ward 11, other parts of Cleveland, inner-ring suburbs, and communities across the nation as well, is a clash of cultures. New people move in (read: Black) and those Whites who cannot afford to move out — trust me, they are usually the only Whites that remain — get up-in-arms to “protect” their neighborhoods against the perceived “invaders.” And this clash has been continuing in one various degree or another since the dawn of the civil rights movement.

Here is where I fault Mike Polensek and other politicians like him: Over the years he (and the others) has done virtually nothing to make the inevitable integration of formerly all-White communities any smoother, easier and less confrontational. With few exceptions most White elected community representatives like Polensek will follow on the issue of race instead of lead. And if they were wiser they would have followed the lead of communities like Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights and initiated programs to ease the friction between races. The simple fact is, those communities are comprised of better educated Whites, who are not as small-minded on matters of race ... or anything else.

Even if the leaders are not themselves racists (and I don’t think Polensek is a racist ... he’s worse, he’s a politician) they will do the bidding of the racists in their wards and help circle the wagons of exclusion. The wheels are taken off the Welcome Wagon when Blacks begin moving in and despite his probable disagreement with this statement I can easily prove my point. Every year Ward 11 staged the East 185th Street festival, a three-day affair that drew tens of thousands of people. Once Blacks began moving into the community a smarter and less confrontational councilman would have found a way to make the new residents feel welcome and part of the community. But not Polensek; his festival was as “White” the last year I went to it as it was 30 years ago. Just look at the committee who runs it, and the entertainment provided if you doubt me.

The first Blacks that moved into Collinwood, similar to Blacks that integrated other previously all-White areas, were industrious, hard working, and seeking a better life for their children; and they were usually met with stone-cold opposition (and in some cases violence), which set up the beginnings of the racial strife that we are harvesting today. Chickens really do come home to roost. Just this year the City of Euclid (which is right next door to Ward 11) decided to fight a federal civil rights lawsuit rather than make their process of electing members of their city council more open and fair. No wonder our area is ranked among the most racially segregated in the country.

There was once — about 30 or 40 years ago — a real opportunity to solve the racial conundrum we are currently faced with in America (which would have prevented the rise of the thug culture we’ve all come to abhor) but Whites elected to either take flight or remain and display a disgusting brand of vitriol and animosity towards the newly arriving Blacks. While it’s certainly true that underclass parents (Black, White and Hispanic) have to do more to raise successful, law-abiding children, and make more of an effort to be involved in their schools and communities, the folks that already lived in the community could have done more to extend a hand of friendship to new neighbors... and they didn’t.

The young man in question certainly seems to be headed down a bad road, and he probably did deserve a wakeup call of some sorts... it just should not have come from a throwback like Mike Polensek.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com
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