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The Editor's Log

Reliving or remembering 1979

Greensboro City Council will be asked tonight to issue a statement of regret about the 1979 Klan-Nazi shootings.

Here we go again.

I won't comment further on the validity of the request. I am interested in an online comment by someone who goes by Beachwalk. Beachwalk suggests that the News & Record and WFMY tell the Human Relations Commission that no one cares about this incident any more.

I'm inferring that the suggestion is also that we not give it much or any ink. We also heard that three years ago when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was meeting. (Of course, still some others thought we weren't covering the commission's proceedings enough.)

In full disclosure, we have no intention of ignoring the Commission's request or the Council's response. That wouldn't be right journalistically.

I am, however, interested in whether and how you think we should cover the meeting and the subsequent actions. Is this an important story or does it belong on page A6?

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Comments

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dusenberry

June 16, 2009 - 9:40 am EDT

Page 94, if you please. I've lived here for 66 years and I couldn't care less about the CWP, Nelson Johnson or the KKK. I smell another attempt to dig up a little stink.

Tommy

June 16, 2009 - 11:06 am EDT

It might be a positive step. This is a very delicate issue. The current city council can not apologize for something they had no power to affect, however they can at least recognize that in a neighborhood and during an event in Greensboro in 1979 events occurred that might have been mitigated or avoided if there had been a different level and strategy of police protection. From here they could affirm the city's present commitment and duty in maintaining public protection in a manner that would prevent such an event from happening again anywhere in the city. We as citizens deserve nothing less.

dusenberry

June 17, 2009 - 10:49 am EDT

I was here in 1979. The one thing you can count on is each year the five people killed become a little more martyred. The statement the Council accepted said nothing about the five being the problem in the first place.
Nelson Johnson publicly accepted his part in this mess, rightly so.

brian444

June 16, 2009 - 1:14 pm EDT

A6 or lower. A few hundred people care about this, and a few hundred more vociferously ignore it. The rest couldn't care less. And whatever your opinion on the matter, this is an utterly tired, overworked story.

avondale

June 16, 2009 - 1:15 pm EDT

I was here in 1979 and was concerned then (how often does Greensboro make national news in such a spectacularly negative way?) but honestly, now I would like the whole matter to end. No one, then or now, wanted people to die. I think we're all getting tired of this subject. Let's move on to current issues affecting Greensboro! If all the news outlets could stop reporting about the shooetout AND the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, I'd be even happier :-)

tim tribbett

June 16, 2009 - 9:40 pm EDT

John,I think this belongs as far away from the front page as possible. Very few people remember the actual event and most that do could care less.The version of the story I've heard has both parties acting irresponsibly and creating a dangerous situation.It's regretable that someone died but I thing both groups involved owe the citizens of Greensboro an apology for creating the situation in the first place.My biggest problem with the so called truth commision was and is it's obvious bias.No one could seriously consider them nonpartisan. The people of Greensboro have had enough of this and do not owe an apology for the idiocy of two violent fringe groups.

tim tribbett

June 16, 2009 - 10:35 pm EDT

Hey john, you look a little like James Taylor in your blog photo

John Robinson

June 17, 2009 - 8:37 am EDT

Thanks, Tim. I've been told that. While I may have his looks, I don't have his talent, unfortunately.

oldeagle

June 17, 2009 - 9:45 am EDT

As a relative newcomer to Greensboro I see little value in the Truth and Reconciliation work. The whole world watched the original event with shock and disbelief. I personally opposed the views and tactics of both the Klan and the CWP, and I think that no one can truly defend the actions of any of the players, including the role of the police. However, the time has long passed for all thinking people to put this ugly incident behind us. Nothing is gained by the continued finger pointing; indeed, the gap is only widened. Let's focus on healing the wounds, and the acknowledgment of regret by the Council is both appropriate and adequate. I only wish the vote had been unanimous. As to where it belongs in the paper; you got it right. Put it on the Front Page but tell them all to get over it.

greywolf

June 17, 2009 - 10:52 am EDT

John, Amanda Lehmert has done a good job of covering this story and the numerous responses to her article are both a tribute to her work and a testimony to the hatred that is alive and well in Greensboro today. You can count the voices of reason among your respondents on one hand, while they are outnumbered by "haters" tenfold. It is a sad commentary on the state of affairs in our city. Jim Crow ideology remains alive and well in 21st-century Greensboro and its proponents are many.

Continue on with your coverage. This is a "top of fold" topic and needs to be on the public radar. With any luck, maybe you can enlighten those who remain in the darkness of the 1950s and help shift public opinion in a more positive direction.

PWS24

June 17, 2009 - 11:19 am EDT

I suggest putting all articles on this subject, the former basketball coach at Northern Guilford (and all related articles concerning that situation), and Charles Davenport's column in one tab. Then I can easily dispose of it in the recycling bin in one quick step without such tripe cluttering up pages that have other articles I actually care about reading. Other readers who own small, caged birds would probably find an even better use for such an item.

flight105

June 17, 2009 - 10:43 pm EDT

Such an item would also do very well for wrapping catfish.

bubba

June 17, 2009 - 8:50 pm EDT

".....and a testimony to the hatred that is alive and well in Greensboro today."

Please spare us the sanctimony. It's a creation of pure imagination over something that doesn't exist. The requisite cry of"raaaaaaaaaaaacism!" regarding something that doesn't quite pass muster in a certain worldview is totally worn out, particularly regarding this issue.

The real hatred is displayed by those of that certain worldview agenda who have a vested interest in keeping the phony "hate" meme alive for any number of political, social, and economic reasons.

Now that the council has "accepted" the HRC work, we can be assured that not so little fact will be trotted out whenever needed to whip the target audience into a religious fervor, and to beat the appropriate other groups into submission.

Mialamasoul

June 19, 2009 - 4:43 pm EDT

Do all your neighbors look like you Bubba?

Lakeshia

June 17, 2009 - 12:04 pm EDT

I visited the web site of the Truth & Reconciliation commision and I also watched, via the internet, some of yesterday's GSO City Council meeting - as I viewed these two separate entities the one thing which immediately jumped at out me was our growing public health problem of obesity - at least three members of each group appear to be seriously affected thus putting their future health and well being at risk. Being overweight may well indicate a lack of discipline and personal pride as well as an inability or unwillingness to take responsibility for one's own health and future well being - it would be inspirational to see each of these prominent and public spirited women provide a meaningful and refreshing example of leadership by tackling this serious public health concern head on -

Dogwood

June 17, 2009 - 4:18 pm EDT

I am glad that the City regrets November 1979. I wish someone has the power to change the Wikepedia site Greensboro home of the 1979 KKK-Nazi killings in the introduction to our city. It is sad that our city is not introduced as having two major universities,multiple private colleges and excellent community college systems..There are more educators per square in this town than can be seen on the Wikepedia site Our hospitals strive for goodness.

I personally regret CWP or what ever they called themselves and the China Grove klan ever met and came to town

John Robinson

June 17, 2009 - 4:56 pm EDT

Actually, Dogwood, you have the power to edit the Wikipedia page, if you want to. You'll need to log in, but you should be able to do it.

dusenberry

June 17, 2009 - 7:31 pm EDT

John, You are a professional. Why don't you do it ? You have all the facts.

John Robinson

June 18, 2009 - 5:28 am EDT

Thanks, but I have my hands full here without taking on another editing job.

tledford

June 18, 2009 - 7:54 pm EDT

It should be covered, and prominently. The way the City (and its "leaders" at the time) handled the whole thing has resulted in several sad and a few interesting things.

1. November 3, 1979 being the single event that Greenboro is best known for in in the US and around the world.
2. The second-best-known event that informs the rest of the world about Greensboro is the GTRC, whether some people are willing to admit it or not.
3. Justified suspicion and a sense of injustice on the part of a significant percentage of the community, at least among those of my generation and those older (I'm 53). And
4. Despair among many of those described in #3 above that any REAL acknowledgment of any wrongdoing will ever be forthcoming.

Beachwalk

June 18, 2009 - 8:26 pm EDT

Well it looks to me like the majority on this thread would rather not hear anymore about the 1979 CWP/Klan fight. It is my opinion that the majority in Greensboro feels the same way.
I am curious as to why you ask the question, seeing how you have no interest in changing anything you are doing. (Your quote - we have no intention of ignoring the Commission's request or the Council's response. That wouldn't be right journalistically.) Do you report with the same vigor everything the Council does? I don't think so. So why do you feel it necessary to spend such a large amount of time on this issue. You seem to give a large bullhorn voice to certain groups in the city and ignore others (the same way you will ignore the majority on this thread). Another example of giving a bullhorn voice to a certain group is; the Pulpit Forum. A member of the Pulpit Forum cannot fart without the N&R giving it front-page coverage. Why is that? They are not elected officials. It is my opinion and I feel it is also the opinion of the majority of the citizens of Greensboro (although I do not claim to speak for the majority in Greensboro) that the Pulpit Forum is made up of self appointed racist thugs. But yet the N&R gives them as much coverage as they want. All they have to do is call a news conference and the N&R will have it on the next mornings front page.
Do you ever really wonder why you are losing readership?

John Robinson

June 19, 2009 - 9:05 am EDT

I asked the question because I was curious. What I said was we weren't going to ignore it. There is a great deal of difference between blowing out the coverage and ignoring it entirely. That's the issue that we at the paper address every day. Y'all comments do influence my thinking in that way.

The council spent a great deal of time and words on this issue the other night. They obviously thought it was important. The number of people coming to comment here certainly seem to think it's worth talking about. Why would we ignore that?

As to the Pulpit Forum, we don't cover them nearly as much as you think. They held a news conference yesterday that we didn't attend. We saw the topic and didn't consider it newsworthy. The last news conference they held we published on page 4, I think. My point is that we consider these issues case by case. If we think there is news value, we write about it. We also know that everyone won't agree with our decisions. How could they? That's why we publish letters to the editor and enable comments on the blog. Thanks for joining in.

Beachwalk

June 19, 2009 - 9:55 am EDT

Your quote - "The number of people coming to comment here certainly seem to think it's worth talking about."

You just don't get it. The majority of the "number of people coming to comment here" are saying it's NOT worth talking about anymore. And they would rather not hear anymore about it. And you take that to mean because so many commented it must be news worthy. And the only ones who were spending a "great deal of time and words" are the same FEW that keep things stirred up in Greensboro (Thanks to the N&R for giving them a bullhorn). That is exactly what the trouble makers of Greesnboro count on from the N&R. The N&R needs to understand: a small number of people can be very LOUD, but that does not make them the majority and being loud does not make it news worthy. A great example of this is: the FEW who were able to close the landfill. The city council made the costliest blunder in the history of Greensboro by closing the Landfill, Only to satisfy the very LOUD (thanks to media sources like the N&R and WFMY), but VERY few who wanted it closed for selfish reasons.Your responsibility is to report the NEWS, not give voice to small groups with selfish agendas.

John Robinson

June 19, 2009 - 10:20 am EDT

I believe that people comment on things they are interested in. That's what I mean by that quote your reference.

The City Council spent the time and words. They are hardly "the same few who keep things stirred up." As our elected officials, their actions mean something to the citizens. They took action on the TRC report and they took action on the landfill. Why would we not report that? Your supposition that they closed the landfill because of the media spotlight is interesting but historically inaccurate.

I think what the city council did the other night WAS news. Closing the city landfill and trucking waste out of the county IS news. Whether that is giving voice to "small groups with selfish agendas" is, I suppose, a matter of opinion.

Beachwalk

June 19, 2009 - 10:39 am EDT

Your quote - "I believe that people comment on things they are interested in."

You seem to be looking at the number of comments and not what the comments are saying. I don't know if I can make this anymore plan. The majority of comments were NOT discussing the specifics of the HRC or the TRC reports. The majority of comments were saying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, we are tired of hearing about this. To me that does not sound like this is one of the "things they are interested in".

John Robinson

June 19, 2009 - 11:08 am EDT

I understand that. But the action of the City Council is not something we as a newspaper can ignore, even as people are saying they are tired of reading about it.

PWS24

June 19, 2009 - 11:23 am EDT

True, but you can darn sure bury the stuff people have clearly indicated they are sick of hearing and reading about in the back pages instead of running above the fold on 1A.

Phil Stevenson
Greensboro

John Robinson

June 19, 2009 - 11:31 am EDT

True, and I would say we have done that, partly. The council took its action, which we published at the top of the front page. The elected body took a position on an issue that has been around for years. Obviously, I think that play was right. And I understand that some people disagree.

The next day, we did a "reaction" story. Published it inside the paper. We did that because it didn't break much news and because we know that many people are tired of the story.

PWS24

June 19, 2009 - 11:35 am EDT

Saw the paper yesterday, and actually meant my comment to be as much a praise for where you placed the story yesterday as I did a condemnation of where you ran it Wednesday. Thanks!

Phil

Beachwalk

June 19, 2009 - 11:39 am EDT

As the N&R has demonstrated in the past, they can make front page news from things that have little significance. And as I said the City Council takes lots of action on things that the N&R does not report.
At this point, the HRC gave their report. The City Council took action (how be it the wrong action), The N&R reported it. End of subject. Enough is enough with the whole CWP/KLAN issue. NOTHING else needs to be said or reported.
But I know this is not the last we will hear about the November,1979 incident, because the N&R will continue to give voice to the small few who want to keep this issue and racial tensions stirred up in Greensboro, despite the fact that most do not want to hear or read anymore about it. This is no longer reporting the news, this is creating it.

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