Can A Middle School Gang Hold A City Hostage?

A leaked F.B.I. memo places the blame for the mob violence that plagued downtown Louisville a couple of weeks earlier on a middle school gang. This particular gang was described as "crazy" and "well armed." So why are we just now hearing about this?

Louisville is the 16th largest city in America and with that comes certain inherent problems whether we like it or not. In response to the mob violence which some estimate included as many as 200 youth, the city installed more than two dozen cameras to cover the Waterfront and have noticeably increased their presence in patrolling this area. It would stand to reason that these kids are not idiots and that by telegraphing your response then you are simply encouraging these kids to change tactics and take their show on the road and to areas with minimal coverage be it cyber or otherwise.

We live in a society that demands information on an immediate level yet there has been only slight news coverage of the F.B.I. memo. How long has this gang been an issue? How long have authorities held this group under surveillance and if they are in fact as potentially as dangerous as stated then why was the public not made aware of the situation much earlier?

Intelligence reports now have this group (whose name is left off this page intentionally) as a possible threat for the Pegasus Parade. Could there be trouble? Sure...Could they decide to attack a Chow Wagon instead? Sure...Is downtown Louisville safe after dusk? No...

Metro Louisville is functionally bankrupt to this day. Louisville was the 14th worst city hit by the economic collapse and is struggling to this day. Convention traffic is key to our recovery. During my travels to the downtown area for medical treatment over the last two weeks, I have seen a Metro Police vehicle at Baders Market (taken over by these youth the night of the violence) only once. The Police are not to blame. Limited funding and man power stretched thin, our Police are at times handcuffed.

A recent news story featuring the former legal council for Metro Police accused the Abramson administration of keeping certain criminal activity long known and associated with Waterfront Park under wraps so as to not scare off downtown guests.

The response from Mayor Fischer was essentially a two day pep rally for inner city youth to find out what is going on. I don't think it worked. The black community in our city has no positive active leadership. Christopher 2X is there to pick up the pieces after a tragedy. If you want to solve this problem then 2X and others like him need to run the point before the next tragedy strikes.

Sadly it may take several young people going to the morgue to hammer this point home.

 

The Louisville Slugger Museum

 

"Critical Louisville" is somewhat misleading for a title. While I have no problem calling out the problem areas that plague our city, our local government and some of our local hot spots as necessary, praise will never be a rare commodity on this site.

 

With baseball season having kicked off and the weather finally taking a turn for the enjoyable, The Louisville Slugger Museum is poised for yet another record breaking year. The family owned business provides a quality and informative tour on how the "family business" exploded into perhaps the most iconic name in sports. If you live in Louisville and have not made it down since the most recent remodel then you owe it to yourself to make the trip! If you are in town on business then this is an absolute must and within reasonable walking distance of all the major downtown hotels. An expanded gift shop, personalized bats, and a movie theatre showing "The Crack of The Bat." round off a perfect day at the museum.

 

Hospitality is taken to the major league level with a staff that is truly committed to making sure that your experience is second to none. You don't have to be a baseball fan to appreciate the tour. The Slugger staff make you feel as though you are indeed a guest in their home. Excellent service, an informative day, and an entertaining adventure puts the Louisville Slugger Museum at the very top of things to do while in the Derby City!

 

 

 

 

A Personal Medical Update

I had not planned on posting this but I wanted to update you on my status. I intend to stop reviewing by 8/1 due to health and other nagging concerns.

 

I have had 9 surgical procedures to attack bleeding in my stomach area, the 10th is scheduled for the end of the month. At this time I do not qualify for a transplant. I have an inoperable blood clot and both the denial of transplant and inoperable clot are due to the inability of my body to tolerate blood thinners. If I bleed thanks to my liver condition and I do, the blood thinners would cause me to bleed out.

 

I happen to be a globally recognized jazz critic with this particular story originating from www.criticaljazz.com You can donate to my medical fund using the widget on this home page or the Pay Pal link at my other site.


I have one hope which is a liver by pass or "tips" procedure. Below is what I have to look forward to:

 

 

The possible complications from my upcoming TIPS procedure:

Complications

TIPS can increase the chance of encephalopathy, which is a buildup of toxins in the brain. Toxins normally removed from the blood by the liver bypass the liver, accumulating in the bloodstream. Symptoms of encephalopathy include confusion, irritability, personality changes and, eventually, coma and death, according to the ...Merck Manual. TIPS also accelerates liver failure in some cases, MayoClinic.com warns.
Complications of the TIPS procedure itself include fever, infection, bleeding, damage to the blood vessels or heart problems, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Considerations

TIPS might help reduce esophageal varices and ascites while a person waits for liver transplant. However, TIPS creates serious complications of its own. TIPS is best used when all other treatment to control varices or ascites have failed, according to MayoClinic.com.

 

I came home today only to find out my disability was denied again. My attorney said that was not unusual and we are filing for a hearing in front of a Federal judge. Meanwhile I have reactivated my funding campaign and raised the limit. Why?

Goal limits are in my case nothing more than approximations and I low balled mine feeling sure that Obama Care and or The Government would surely see that my disability was approved since I do not qualify for transplant and am for all purposes, a dead man. I don't want a free ride. I need a hand. I am paying your kindness forward, I have Walter Trout's funding widget on my home page as you read this. Walter needs a new liver. I have no clue as to what lies ahead. I know my disability hearing will not take place for 90 days. I hope you can help or share this message. Obama Care is not lifting a finger...This could be you or a loved one, I hope not but given the lack of real tangible reform it is a realistic possibility. Don't enroll in Obama Care...It doesn't help those that truly need it. You don't have to be an artist to help. I have received amazing support from the artistic community and I have had some of the same turn their back on me when a benefit was planned. I am not an ideology. I am a person.

********Additional*******

To show you how fast things are changing, a transplant is not totally off the table. It would be attempted as a last ditch effort to try and save my life. They are hoping the tips procedure stabilizes my condition and buys me more time to hopefully raise my odds.

The ever angry Bill Lamb panders to the lowest common denominators.

Bill Lamb's Point of View which is featured below takes hysterical to a new dimension.

Bill seems to feel "obligated" to say "something" about the teen mob violence that resulted in numerous people going to the hospital. Perhaps Lamb was preoccupied with the NCAA tournament but his "not knowing what to say" is disingenuous at best.

Lamb quickly dismisses this as an incident that was not rooted in race but police statistics made public beg to differ. If 8 out of 10 citizens filing a complaint are white then do the math. These are not kids that suddenly became "agitated." These are kids whose families have been beaten to death by the economy and whose prospects in this city which is void of any credible leadership in the black community have little hope. The death of a 14 year old compatriot that happened to stick his nose in an issue that he should have let die was more than enough to set off an irrational firestorm.

As a citizen I am outraged that the main stream media will paint a non racial picture of a portrait that is indeed as clear as black and white. Bill Lamb loves to hear himself talk, problem is he has little to say.....

Bill Lamb's editorial:


I suppose as an editorialist I should say something about the teens wreaking havoc in the streets last weekend in downtown Louisville.  But I've thought about this all week and the truth is, it's hard to know what to say.

I could say it's wrong to beat up people and hit women.  I could ask the parents of these kids if they knew where their kids were and what they intend to do about it.  I could say that dozens of them should have been locked up -- as though we had surplus space for a few dozen extra people at the already-overcrowded jail.

But it seems anything I have to say would just be too obvious.

Many people quickly posted comments on our website about how this was a racial issue - black teens beating up white people.  But this mob didn't really discriminate.  They beat both white people and black people, of various ages and both genders.  

This I know: This violence is as shocking to the black community as it is for the entire community. And no amount of police force can prevent this from happening again. 

That's why I'm glad so many local African American leaders -- church leaders -- are sitting down with some of these kids to find out what's got them so agitated.  Because this didn't just happen overnight.  And only by talking through the root causes can we hope to bring this violent chapter to an end.

I'm Bill Lamb and that's my Point of View.

Christopher 2X Speaks Out On Tarc Stabbing

The root cause of the mob violence that recently struck the downtown Louisville area came as an outpouring of anger of what was reported as the tragic stabbing of a Louisville teen.

Funny thing...Let's go to the video tape.

The video tape of the incident captured on TARC security cameras (not released to the general public at this time) clearly shows an older gentleman angry over missing two previous buses which is par for the course for those that frequent the public transportation system. Witnesses claim the man was intoxicated.

The security cameras clearly show a young black female strike the older black male with the older passenger moving to the front of the bus in an attempt to extricate himself from the situation.

The driver never opened the door.

The out of control black teens followed him to the front of the bus where they began beating and kicking the older man. At one point the older man pulled a knife and stabbed one young male who later died. A tragic story.

Community activist Christopher 2X had comments captured by one local television outlet stating he was seeking justice for the young boy that died. Seriously?

Out of control teens that are attempting to beat a man with video evidence that confirms the story as I have laid out and this ambulance chasing opportunist is looking for justice?

There is a law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky that you may use deadly force if you are in fear for your life. After reviewing the video tape several times, there is no justice for the dead youth as justice was served. You have a right to defend yourself and Christopher 2X's remarks serve no useful purpose to bring the black community together and to try and build a bridge that will overcome the violence now plaguing our city...

Community activists are professional opportunists that make their money feeding off the poor, uneducated and disadvantaged. They promise everything and deliver nothing...How do you think Obama got to be President?

Mayor Greg Fischer, Losing His Grip On The City?

The good news is that you can not lose what you never really had.

This past Saturday there were outbreaks of mob violence that plagued the downtown area after dark. The Chief of Police maintains that downtown is safe despite a shooting and two stabbings in the last month to coincide with the rampage that occurred late Saturday evening.

On Monday Mayor Greg Fischer held a press conference...on U of L basketball? Well, that seemed to be his primary concern. The Mayor is urging citizens to buy as much red U of L gear as they can to wear that day so that our town can set a world record. Seriously?

Evidently the Mayor began taking some unwelcome heat over his support of the University of Louisville as numerous Kentucky fans informed the Mayor they would never vote for him again. The Mayor's response, "I'll take that chance." The Mayor went on to add in an aloof and indignant fashion that he wished to remind these people that he was the Mayor of Louisville and not Lexington. On behalf of the those that he directed his "snarky" remarks to, thank you for confirming the blatantly obvious. You are the Mayor, act like it.

Under Mayor Fischer the bonds for the much sought after KFC Yum Center plummeted to "junk" status thus indicating what most of us already new, the City of Louisville just financed the biggest white elephant since the Falls Fountain currently gathering dust, rust and what have you while in storage. The Mayor said, "No worries, we will just redo the lease." Right...
At one point last summer the empty office space for "white collar" business in the downtown area was as high as 20%.

Mayor Fischer is nothing more than a potted plant warming the seat for King Jerry Abramson should he feel the coast is clear and the good people of Louisville have forgotten about the corruption and scandals that plagued his administration. Tuesday - 3 days after the violence the Mayor gather community leaders to give little more than lip service to the problem that happened this past weekend. One leader went as far as to say this was not a racial issue. The video tapes show roughly 20-30 black youth so kindly explain to me how this is NOT a racial issue when unemployment is high, racial tensions have always been high and we have a city government incapable of handling a crisis in an honest and expedient fashion. The Chief of Police said the violence was the fall out from a memorial service for one of the stabbing victims held that night and things simply "went bad." A family spokesperson for the slain teen said the service was held the night before...Opps!

Louisville Football and Bobby Petrino First Blood Part Two

Photo via Getty Images

Why is this man smiling?

A hefty pay day can brighten a cold January day faster than an overrated Orange Bowl win coming out of perhaps the weakest BCS conference in history.

But that was then...this is now.

Tom Jurich and The University of Louisville have gone all in on Bobby Petrino for a second tour of duty but why? Petrino was one of three final candidates and I am betting the other two may have been rising star coordinators - the same coaching pedigree that would have the other two bailing after the first taste of success with a football program at a basketball school.

Second chance? Try last chance.

Bobby Petrino interviewed with Auburn University and several other prominent schools within weeks after his first tour of duty. Now Petrino is stuck...Any attempt at bailing on the University within the first five years will simply confirm all the personal problems, issues and character flaws that have been reported numerous times in the last 48 hours. I have a hard time attacking Petrino's character or perceived lack thereof. There is something about throwing stones in glass houses that is inherently dangerous.

Forgiveness? If Rick Pitno can violate the ethics clause in his contract and then keep his job this simply confirms that major college athletics is big business. Money talks. Fans in the stands and championships are all that matter today. This is a business built on ethics of convenience. Does Petrino deserve a second chance? No...

This is about money and all the intangibles that go into making major college athletics an ethical sham on a multitude of levels. Pitino should have been fired. The decision to rehire Petrino has disaster written all over it. You never get back with an ex-girlfriend as you obviously broke up for a reason.

Fool me twice?