Village Idiot of the Day: November 14, 2009: Linda Stevens, glock45

Obviously we've been away again. As we wrote earlier, it is becoming increasingly difficult to read the lumpen prolitariatisms emanating from Canton, Ohio. We trust that most of these commenters keep their mouths shut at work (if they have jobs), school, and the Elks. Or maybe class envy, racism, misogyny, illiteracy, classism, greed, and wacky Christian sectariaism is the normative ethic in Canton, and nobody notices. And we can't even blame fluoride in the water for it.

We've been perusing posts, clothespin on nose, and have been greatly amused at the reaction to the news that the old Ambassador Motel (we couldn't find a picture of the motel, so the picture at the right will have to do) is being turned into a transitional home for ex-cons. Now anyone who's been in Canton for more than 10 minutes knows that the Ambassador has been a whore and crack house for at least 30 years. In fact, IHC cant' even remember when it wasn't, and we've been around a lot more than 30 years. IHC may have been 9 years old and not understood the nuances, but we knew a seedy pit stop when we saw one.

It all started with the October 31 Housing Facility for Former Inmates to Open in Old Motel. Comments from the local locals--that is, those who pristine Ambassador Motel neighborhood is soon to be invaded by monitored cons, rather than the regular unmoderated junkie/trollop class, were axed. But our memory tells us, outside of the general doom and gloom keening, some complained that their property values had plummeted LAST year, even though the facility hasn't even opened yet THIS year.

Official lumpen reaction, however, comes from Linda Stevens, who in her letter, Former Inmates Have No Business Living in Residential Canton Twp. Neighborhood, vows to keep her neighborhood clean of convicted scum:

Why did the Rev. Kenneth Lancaster pick this neighborhood? Why not his? I believe I am speaking for all the residents of this area. First of all, there is a school eight-tenths of a mile from the motel. I thought convicted sexual predators can’t be around children within less than a mile. The staff will work with the inmates a few hours a day, and then most will go home and lay their heads to rest while we have to live in fear of our children and grandchildren being abducted or killed, vandalism and robbery. Where do the inmates get their money to go out? There is a pizza shop next door. How many times will it get robbed? There are bars down the road....

This won’t be the last that Rev. Lancaster and the Canton Township Board of Zoning Appeals will hear from us. Come on, Canton Township area, let’s fight. Express your opinion and we will do what we have to do.

Backed by glock45:

glock45

"I think the Rev. is trying to help these individuals so they don't end up back in jail'

The rev is trying to line his pockets with your tax dollars.

'however, when a man, or even a woman comes home after serving time, they usually resort to a life of crime, because they need money to find a place to stay, they need money to eat. If no one will give them a chance, a job, what in the world do you want them to do, starve, sleep under a bridge?'

They had a choice, just like all of us, to live a law abiding life or choose a life of crime. They chose crime. Too bad for them if they can't get a job or housing. Their choice, their consequences. No matter in prison or a halfway house like this...it's still our tax dollars. I say keepem locked up.

No sympathy here if you choose crime. I chose not to commit crimes, unlike some (sympathizers).

We are not without a modicum of theoretical sympathy for Linda and glock, but where were they when the Ambassador was operating? We fail to see why rockheads and whores-run-wild are more acceptable neighbors than hand-selected, monitored ex-cons, and they don't tell us.

For failure to communicate, we award glock45 second place in today's Village Idiot competition. Linda Stevens, without saying, wins first place.

We also give a gold star to Otterk1k for apologizing to Mary Parker in this same thread:

Otterki1 wrote originally:

Ottertk1

Good luck Ms. Stevens. The bleeding heart liberals will fight you tooth and nail as most believe that all felons can be rehabilitated. The people that live in the real world know that this will be a diaster for the community. Children will have to be watched when outside. Woman and children alone in their homes will have to lock all their doors and windows and be on guard 24 hours a day. They say that 70% of our crime is commited by repeat offenders. Just think, if we could get rid of the felons, our crime rate would drop by 70%. Of course this will never happen as too many people pay no attention to these things until they become a victim.

and when taken to task by Mary Parker, replied:

Ottertk1

Mary V Parker, You are right and my comment was really off the wall. I guess I'm just sick and tired of all the crime. My daughter just bought a house and it was broken into while they were moving in. $8000 in electronic equipment was stolen. This is a good neighborhood in Akron with two police officers living on either side of my daughter. Anyway, you are right, these people deserve a second chance, a place to live, clothing, and food to eat. Please forgive me for that idiotic comment. I'll try and not let my emosions over come me.

We promise not to grant Otterk1 a VIOD for the rest of November.