- FAST FACTS:
- Herenton addresses council about Rape Crisis Center
- Mayor suggests council's outrage is racially motivated
- Herenton says there wasn't outrage after a different tragedy last summer
tom.powell@wreg.com
(MEMPHIS June 2, 2009 8:16 PM) -- Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton scolded council members and much of the community Tuesday, suggesting more outrage is shown when a tragedy involves white victims, or when it upsets white constituents with political connections.
The comments came during a discussion about the Rape Crisis Center. The nationally recoginzed center, is now under intense scrutiny after news surfaced that rape victims were turned away due to staffing issues. There are also questions about the center's finances.
The mayor argued there was less outrage last summer after two Memphis children died at inner-city pools.
"What I did not see from all of these special activists, I did not see the hue and cry or concern about the death of those African American inner-city kids," Herenton said.
The mayor's comments drew an immediate objection from Councilman Jim Strickland, who was chair of the committee that oversaw hearings on the drownings last summer.
"It came off to me that I was not as concerned about the inner-city black children as I was about the recent rape victims. That is absolutely not true," Strickland said.
Last summer WREG interviewed Strickland who expressed his outrage at the time over the drownings. He called for the top directors of the Parks Service to come before his Parks Committee at City Hall to answer questions like, "How many lifeguards are required? How many do we have? Is it required dependent upon the size of the pool or the number of swimmers?"
"There was outrage," Strickland said Tuesday. "We had meeting after meeting."
A News Channel 3 investigation exposed the city had hired convicted criminals to work poolside as lifeguards. After the investigation, background checks were implemented, and dozens of seasonal employees were fired.
Council Chairman Myron Lowery said he remembers the outrage last summer. He says the mayor's comments to the council were divisive. "I'm not buying into that theory that the mayor presented in here, that tried to divide us by race. I will not be divided by race," he said.
Councilwoman Wanda Halbert also responded to the mayor's comments about last summer's deaths at city pools. "There was outrage. I think there was a different kind of outrage with the administration. That's the sentiment I got from the mayor," said Halbert. "Here it appears, some members are very concerned more about the appointed leadership in this area."
"I also think it's unfortunate that we're comparing apples to oranges. A problem is a problem. It doesn't matter who it occurs to, where it happens, and whose responsible. It's a problem," she said.
Meantime, discussion about how to solve the problems at the Rape Crisis Center continues. Council members again seemed frustrated Tuesday that they weren't allowed to ask questions directly to the division directors who were in charge of the center at the time victims were turned away.
Herenton told the council he is ultimately in charge, so he'll be answering the questions. He says he's decided the City of Memphis should retain control of the center, and those who have talked with county leaders about transferring control are grandstanding.
