RECENT COMMENTS
Eric S. Huffstutler on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
Eric S. Huffstutler on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
Yvette Cannon on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
crd on Power Outage on the Hill
Tribute to Fidel Castro this Saturday at Wesley Memorial
01/24/2017 8:20 PM by John M
From Phil Wilayto of The Virginia Defender:
Comandante Fidel Castro, leader of the Cuban Revolution, personified the selfless revolutionary ideal, becoming an inspiration to people everywhere who fight for justice.
Join The Virginia Defender this Saturday afternoon, Jan. 28, at a tribute to Fidel hosted by the African Awareness Association and A-APRP (GC): 4-6 pm, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, 1720 Mechanicsville Turnpike in Richmond’s East End.
Are you kidding me??
I’m in shock.
Well, there ya go! What the heck?
Shame
Is it already April 1st?
That date happens to be the 31st anniversary of the Challenger explosion. Totally unreal.
I say this as someone who has no fondness for Fidel Castro, nor the political movements he inspired, nor his actions: I respect John’s journalistic ethos in reporting this event is happening in a factual, non-opinionated way. I equally respect his publishing of all the comments of ones infuriated he printed the original story. That’s a fair, journalistic detachment I wish I saw in the Times-Dispatch and Style Weekly on a daily basis.
Wth?
I totally agree, Jaren! John is great at keeping us informed about what’s going on in the community, especially when it’s a real head-scratcher like this “tribute”.
My eyebrows are confused by this event, they want to be frowned and raised at the same time.
These type of wackos and their related movements will only strengthen Trump and the populist movement. This is pure insanity- Fidel Castro was a butcher!
This is an all time new record of stupid…. for organizing, writing the post and most of all for ALLOWING the post! Why dont you hold a tribute to celebrate the life of Kim Jong-un as well? Despicable! The ignorance on this one is epic.
This man brutally suppressed an entire Island nation for decades. Killed 100,000s of his own people, just because their ideas were not in line with his. Imagine how great he was that his own people risked sailing in the open ocean in make shift rafts for 90 miles to get to freedom. Sounds like the only celebrating we should be doing is that he is no longer in power and his people can finally catch up to the rest of the world.
Forrest Gump said it best. Stupid is as stupid does.
Unfortunate ignorance. Education, education, education.
Jaron and Jason…I’m glad to read your support of John posting all news regardless of what might be his personal views. Wish there were open minded people.
@Jean – I try to share everything that happens in my coverage area, without attaching my opinion. If what I write about does not interest you, you certainly have the right to, like, not read it.
Church Hill People’s News don’t worry already not following Church hill people any longer…. promoting that post is consequently promoting genocide, political persecution, starvation, etc…. the promotion of the event is on the very least as irresponsible as the event itself… would you promote a neonazi rally just because is inside your area of coverage? In my very own opinion you are being hundreds of times more irresponsible than the person coordinating the event, it is sad you don’t see that you are empowering groups of people like these. Up to this point I actually enjoyed reading Church Hill people’s news. Farewell…
@Jean I think that your comments in post 11 and 17 is a reach and a little harsh.I don’t think that Church Hill People’s News is promoting genocide, starvation,etc. That’s far fetched. I just think that this post is simply letting us know what’s going on in the community. I’m not going to attend this meeting, nor is anyone that I know is going to attend this tribute-I just believe that John is letting us know what’s going on in Church Hill, regardless if you agree with it or not. This is a news blog, and from my experience, a news blogs reports EVERYTHING!
@Kay9 – As a Trump supporter, I can assure you someone holding a memorial to controversial Cuban leader doesn’t change my disdain for current US politics or desire for needed reform over more of the same.
@Jean – Don’t let THE WALL hit you on the way out!
Its a shame CHPN has to defend it self. “…like, not read it” advice well given. Of course if news and/or events were left out, then you’d hear about that as well. Can’t make them all happy. I for one am glad to have seen this post. Did not know about this memorial. Now I don’t support everything Castro did, and having not grown up in Cuba I don’t have that experience, but I do appreciate his support of Third World rights, the advancement of education and medicine and his passion in starting the “Revolution” instead of talking about one. All leaders make mistakes. Some more than others.
Edgy
A friend of mine went on about Obamas elegance in regards to Castros passing. I didn’t understand why the left was eulagizing a man John Kennedy considered a mortal enemy (let alone what he did to his own country). Be as elegant as you want, the man nearly started world War 3…killed or was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands, and because he got geriatric he’s forgiven? Crazy is, as crazy does and this is one more example of how far from center the left has gotten. When the man who was held up as the creator of our Camelot has his enemy memorialized by our country and president in a positive fashion we’ve gone Loco. Pollsters say Trump got 30+ % of the Latino vote and the Democrats cant believe this. People of Cuban descent must be all scratching their head at the Democrats and voting Republican over this kind of insanity. How could you vote for someone who thinks this man who was evil is now a saint?!
@22 Michael. Thank goodness for basic common sense that prevails in most of the country. This is why the left is no longer in power-they’ve lost their way.
This is not my own words but from a Latino website in Florida and people reflecting about Castro’s death. He may have done some good but the negative outweighs it. Here is a post from:
” Radames Suarez
Fidel Castro was a megalomaniac who wrapped himself in a mantle of false humanism in order to justify a reign of terror that destroyed a once prosperous country. He ran Cuba like a Mafia Don giving confiscated mansions, stolen art and vast terrains of land to his cronies. He has the distinction of being the first dictator to create concentration camps for gays. He persecuted intellectuals so ferociously that Cuba’s greatest writers had to escape, others were assassinated. Under his reign-of-terror Cuba went from being a country that welcomed European immigrants that were clamoring to become Cuban citizens to being a country where Cubans have escaped by the millions. May he burn in Hell for all eternity. ”
.
If John decides to cover one event and not another, at what point should he filter the content? By economic status? By race? By events that HE thinks are worthy of posting? I would hope that he doesn’t filter a nazi rally OR a black panther rally OR a bake sale… The neighborhood should know what’s going on and decide if it’s interesting.
People don’t seem to understand that reporting of events in an unbiased way is called journalism.
This event is happening.
We are all free to have opinions about this fact.
See how that works?
When a free press (or a neighborhood blog) is condemned and its writer castigated for reporting facts (and this event is a fact and not an “alternative fact”) then we all lose. Knowledge is power, so filtering facts to withhold information…well, you fill in the blank.
Please keep on keepin’ on, John. You represent the best of America.
I also don’t believe in censorship when it comes to announcing what activities go on within our community, good or bad. As other have said, you decide if you are interested or want to go. My problem is that the announcement comes from “The Virginia Defender” which is supposed to promote “diversity” but seems to do anything but… only encouraging superiority of blacks over whites and not being inclusive of all people hence “diversity”.
I know a lot of Africans (including Nelson Mandela, who really loved the guy) have a soft spot for Castro, due to him sending thousands of troops to Angola in the 70s/80s to fight encroaching South African apartheid. This was during the time the U.S. supported South Africa. And way before that, Cuba sent troops to the Congo, Algeria, and others to fight against oppressors. This doesn’t erase the horrible things he did, of course. It just adds to the complexity.
John – Sorry for some of the heat you are taking on this “Fidel Castro” announcement. When I read the announcement of the event a few minutes ago, I was like; OK information. That’s fine. Journalism not opinion. I re read the spot and thought ok. I may strongly disagree with the Castro’s but John is a journalist. That is what Journalists do, they write. And you kept your opinions out of the piece.
So, thanks for the announcement and leadership in our City.
Thanks for putting up this notice, John. I hope you are not deterred in the future.
I’m guessing I’m the only one in this comment thread that went to the memorial…and let me say I really enjoyed myself. Good group of speakers. From a professor at VUU, a few local community leaders to a representative from the Venezuelan embassy in DC. Those who spoke did agree that he had good and bad sides, so it wasn’t a room full of blind eyes speaking. And no, I didn’t feel like anyone was promoting superiority over anyone. Evening well spent.