I'd like to add my tuppence worth of "not appreciating" Teun's letter. Many Obs residents are extremely active in trying to keep the suburb in good shape - not least by protesting against the liquor licences that seem to get issued at the drop of a hat.
It's perhaps pushing things a bit to say that the young man being killed had nothing to do with the festival - those people were probably here because of it - but certainly it was not directly related and it's way out of line to say "denialism is king". On Dec 16, 2:20 pm, Rosemary Robins <mandrcr...@gmail.com> wrote: > All Obs said was it was not connected to the festival - Obs is not in denial > that it took place in their space. newspapers (unfortunately) said it WAS > the festival. This is inaccurate. Your comments are noted but not > appreciated. I speak for myself only as a resident in Obs. > > On Tue, Dec 7, 2010 at 9:56 AM, Teun Baartman > <teun.baart...@gmail.com>wrote:> • “The incident occurred well after > the Observatory Festival of Arts > > had shut down for the evening. “ > > • “Over to SAPS. “ > > • “Having looked at the facts we feel that this incident was > > unrelated > > to the festival – having happened both outside of the festival borders > > and many hours after the festival had dispersed.” > > • “ the murder was linked to gang activity in the Salt River area and > > involved drugs.” > > • “We don’t believe the festival was the cause of the murder. The > > incident took place outside our perimeter, after the festival” > > > These are some of the quotes from Observatory community members here > > and in the press reacting to the terrible happenings at the Obs > > Festival last weekend. One can clearly see the common trend: everybody > > and everything else is blamed and nobody in Observatory takes > > responsibility. Denialism is king in Obs. > > > Things will never improve in Observatory if the residents and > > community keep on having this “ostrich mentality”. > > > The Observatory community should take responsibility and say: “this > > happened in our area and on our watch – the only people who are going > > to make a change here are > > we, the people living in this area.” > > > On Dec 6, 10:40 pm, "Alan & Aparna" <thecaveofthed...@gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > God Trevor. What a disturbing and distressing account. We stayed > > > away from the festival due to the perception that it was the same > > > story - a giant multi-day festival that would attract plenty of people > > > wanting to stir up s%^t and get wasted; unlike the old 1 day festival. > > > > Whether fair or not (and probably not, I'll grant) I can't help but > > > associate this incident with the festival - as I'm sure many others > > > will. Will that not mean that more good people will stay away from > > > it, and more bad people will see it as their playground? > > > > More to the point it leaves me feeling very depressed about our > > > police. A story like this makes me think that they're broken as a > > > force. I don't blame our Woodstock officers for that. They are > > > responding to the training and example they've been given. And > > > they're naturally warm and helpful human beings from 80% of my > > > experience with them. But this scene you paint, makes me think > > > they've been given all the wrong protocols and training. > > > > I was already starting to hear from acquaintances - some even who live > > > in townships with huge crime rates far in excess of Observatory's - > > > that they perceive Obs as a dangerous place. > > > > I don't quite know what I want to say except that this is seriously > > > depressing stuff. > > > > Alan > > > > On Dec 6, 1:08 pm, Trevor Hughes <t...@thewildfig.co.za> wrote: > > > > > I have read various online reports, twitter reports, newspaper reports > > > > (Cape Times, Voice, Argus) and with the exception of the typical Voice > > > > headline and pictures, found the reporting to be objective and fair. > > > > This is based on my own witnessing of the event shortly after the > > > > stabbing took place. > > > > > One thing that appalled me and has not been reported on was the > > > > complete disarray that the members of the SAP were in. Once would > > > > thing a stabbing woudl be a fairly routine matter for them. > > > > > When I arrived on the scene shortly after the incident, Andrew was > > > > still alive - dying but alive. I saw not one policeman render > > > > assistance as he was bleeding out. > > > > > They were running arround like headless chickens - soulless headless > > > > chickens not displaying an ounce of humanity to the dying victim. > > > > > Finally I saw a lady render some assistance - too late to make a > > > > difference. Whether prompt first aid assistance from the SAPS (or > > > > anyone) would have made a difference to the outcome I cannot say, but > > > > that it did not happen was extemely sad. > > > > > Hilton Malila had only a comment to make about the SAP could not > > > > render medical assistance as they were not trained for it. Malila > > > > himself was on the scene. His car splattered with blood. > > > > > The police were more worried with trying to set up a crime tape than > > > > rendering assistance to the victim. There was a captain there who > > > > seemed more concerned to stop people taking pictures and to threaten > > > > to arrest them than render assistance. > > > > > Yes I observed with sadness from behind the tape, aghast that nothing > > > > was been done - not doing anything myself - knowing I would react with > > > > anger and outrage should a policeman have laid a finger on me in any > > > > attempt to cross the line - so I remained a spectator. Wondering if it > > > > was I lying there whether the same lack of concern would be metered > > > > out by the SAP. > > > > > Not only did Andrew bleed to death on that pavement, Obs was > > > > hemorrhaging as well. > > > > > No matter what Andrew did or was alleged to have been or where he was > > > > from, he was human first and did not deserve to die in a gutter in > > > > Observatory. > > > > > Trev > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. > > To post to this group, send email to ob...@googlegroups.com. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > obsnw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com <obsnw%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. 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