Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

Dear Membership and Community,

The Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday, March 2, 2008 endorsed the zoo levy but encouraged voters to not vote for the school levy.  In November of 2007, the Cincinnati Enquirer endorsed a jail.  The Cincinnati Enquirer supports animals over children.  It will be a very sad day in Cincinnati to see a zoo levy pass while a school levy fails. 

Seventy percent of the children in Cincinnati Public Schools are African American.  There is also a large number of children in Cincinnati Public Schools who are White and African American that are below the poverty line.  The only way many of these children have access to education is through public education.  The alternative for many of these children is a life of crime.  The Enquirer in 2006 and in 2007 endorsed the building of a new jail.  This country has 2.3 million people in prisons.  We spend $50 billion dollars a year to support the prison system or $4 billion dollars a month.  It seems to me that it is cheaper to invest in educating our children on the front end than to incarcerate on the back end.

There is already a perception in the African American Community that the “status quo” places a greater value on animals than they do on human beings.  This endorsement of a zoo only reinforces that perception or reality that the “status quo” values the lives of dogs, cats, lions, tigers, and bears over the lives children.  This is really sad.

The round table of business leaders called the CBC gave $100,000 in campaign money to support the building of a jail 90 days ago.  Children’s Hospital gave $15,000 in campaign money to support a jail.  Children’s Hospital and the Cincinnati Zoo are in the process of tearing down homes in Avondale.  This is an African American Community. This effort is being led by Uptown Consortium.  I do not see development on the part of Children’s Hospital and the Cincinnati Zoo but I do see gentrification of an African American Community.  Margaret Buchanan publisher of the Cincinnati Enquirer is a member of the CBC and 3CDC.  This is a major conflict of interest.

It is my hope that we will unite as a community and dismiss the Cincinnati Enquirer and vote yes on Issue 10.  Our children deserve better!

Christopher Smitherman
President of the Cincinnati NAACP

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