Dear Editor:
As Chair of the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations and directors of the Commission's Advisory Councils, we are writing to express our dismay and concern about an advertisement entitled 'Help Us Fight Cab Violence!' that was published on Aug. 4, 2005, and its corresponding Web site entitled 'End Cab Violence' ( see www.endcabviolence.com ) .
The ad refers to an 'unfortunate incident,' which is the subject of a pending murder trial concerning a cab driver who was killed on duty. However, the ad can be read as stigmatizing all cabdrivers—many of whom are at physical risk on the job—as violent. As a result, the ad and its corresponding Web site are building tension and mistrust between communities.
It is important that individuals and organizations in Chicago refrain from any stereotypical and harmful portrayal of other groups. In particular, it is important that everyone remains cautious and respectful as the legal process runs its course regarding this specific case.
Clarence N. Wood, Chair
Commission on Human Relations;
Co-signers: Hayelom Ayele, Director/Community Liaison, Advisory Council on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs; Naisy Dolar, Director/Community Liaison, Advisory Council on Asian Affairs;
Denise Ferguson, Director/Community Liaison, Advisory Council on Women;
Refugio Gonzales, Director/Community Liaison, Advisory Council Latino Affairs;
William W. Greaves, Director/Community Liaison Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues;
Sahar Mawlawi, Director/Community Liaison, Advisory Council on Arab Affairs;
Arnold Romeo, Director/Community Liaison, Advisory Council African Affairs;
Will Schmutz, Director/Community Liaison, Advisory Council on Veterans' Affairs
Cab Web site II
It's embarassing that the Windy City Times would publish a story like this [ about the Web site ww.endcabviolence.com ] under a 'News' banner. There is no evidence about any of Mr. Castronovo's allegations in the article. It's all conjecture done in order to punish the victim and help the accused.
No one knows the full story of what happened that night. What we do know is that the cabbie was ran over three times and his cab stolen. We don't know what led up to this, but does it matter? Haroon Paryani is dead.
But Mr. Jackson is a nice guy, according to someone who's known him for five months. He isn't violent, he doesn't use drugs, and poor Mike Jackson has had to endure being screamed at by a 'belligerent, ugly nurse' and had to witness 'violence and cruelty of unspeakable nature' at the 'worst prison in the state, if not the country'. And to think he was 'released with no counseling and no way to get acclimated' after 60 days in jail? Where is Amnesty International?
Mr. Jackson's partner can't comment on what happened in the cab, according to him, because he wasn't there that night. But he can comment on the prison abuse and the hospital incident when he wasn't there either? Apparently he can if somehow we can make this someone else's fault.
This is spin, pure and simple. No one person will admit to putting up the Web site. But friends, and friends of friends have had run-ins with Paryani, according to Mr. Jackson's partner. Really? And the cab company had no complaints? We've all had run-ins with surly cabbies, and some of us have even called the cab company with the cab number. But does anyone remember names? What they looked like? And now we're singling out one man, one dead man, because after all, he must have done something to deserve to get murdered. At least we now have a Web site to protect the taxi-riding public from mean old cab drivers. And someone else to blame.
Timothy Bell, Chicago
WCT decided the Web site was a 'news' issue, as did other local media. We also felt we asked the hard questions that needed to be asked on that issue—if you see by the reporter's questions, we have certainly not treated this less than seriously. — Editor
