Corporal Ray Roberts of the Lewiston Police Department gets out of his patrol car to see why dozens of boxes and pieces of furniture was piled on the sidewalk and roadway on Chestnut Street Wednesday afternoon. To see what happened, visit sunjournal.com/streetfurniture
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I know most won't want to hear this but I will say it anyway. The law is the law for all who are here whether they are natural born or immigrant or displace refugee. That is the way this country works. The police officer did his job. Driving that area is already difficult because of the amount of traffic on the road and the traffic pattern. Anything in the road makes it just that more of a hazard for all in the area at the given time.
To those that are making comments about the hard working individuals....I was at a local business on Lisbon St. yesterday when two men walked in to send $10,000 home and they were not sending it to some place in the United States.
Our economy is in dire need and yet people are making money here, whether it be through hard work or entitlement programs and not spending the money here....they are sending it elsewhere. Makes a person stop and think doesn't it?
Sandra, I tried to increase the audio on the part where he talked about discrimination so viewers would understand he was not talking about the police officer, but was commenting on the person who drove past when they were unloading the furniture and began spouting profanity and racial slurs at him. It's obvious I did not make that clear enough.
Sun journal came in with video camera , Police came in with siren turned on, all for what reason? Simply for having store owner unload his belongings.
I think that if you watch around town, the police put their lights on to warn of a problem. Correct me if I am wrong, no one said the police ever had the siren on. The reason the police were there was because the store owner was obstructing a public way. There was a complaint the police responded. Just like they would, and do, if the Somalians called to ask them to enforce our American laws!
For the record, it is "Somalis" Not "Somalians" Sandra, do you think same thing would have happened if this was Staples delivery truck or Pepsi delivery doing this? It seems like every time there is an article about Somalis, some people tend to get little excited. Somalis have been in Lewiston area for more then 12 years. They have become part of this great community, so plz lets stop this negativity. Thank you
Thank you for the correction. And now I will correct you. YES, if the Staples truck or Pepsi truck were blocking the sidewalk and the road they would be moved along. The officer was polite and patient. He explained the law and gave them suggestions on how to proceed next time. If this had been a Staples or Pepsi truck and the police had come along this whole discussion would not have even started because it would not be a news story because it would not have involved a person of darker skin. All I am saying is that people get up in arms because it involves someone of imported decent. It is a law, it is a law! Stop using your color as an argument for why you need to follow the laws. There would not be so much unrest if people would not expect different treatment. You have no idea the amount of times a Pepsi driver is asked to move because it is not made an issue. Watch Parking Wars sometime and watch how many are asked to move just on that show!
Abdi if there are negative feelings towards the somali's it is because of some of the people in that community. You probably are one of the hard working Somali's that I mentioned who earn their keep around here but there are several in that community that don't and just think that the good ol taxpayer should take care of them. When I sold cars a Somali couple came in and when I went to shake the womans hand (after shaking her husbands) she gave me a dirty look and they never came back. I now understand that you don't touch another mans wife period in your customs but remember you came here I don't know your customs and rather than be rude they could have simply explained why shaking her hand was such a bad thing. If you are going to live here then you should contribute to our economy and conform to our customs that don't interfere with you beliefs and at least explain your customs to us when we somehow offend you without knowing it.
One of the reasons I hate to drive down Lisbon Street is that there is always some huge truck parked in the road blocking your lane delivering something. I guess these folks have not noticed that or they would have just had their delivery truck park in front of their store to unload. Instead they unloaded on a side street and ended up carting their merchandise down the street one piece at a time. After a while they will see what everyone else does and do the same. As for the guy who spoke to them rudely well I guess ignorance comes in all colors. I know plenty of people who would have just helped someone who needed it.
I received an email from "a fan" who said she usually likes my photos and video's, but did not think I should have posted this video as it hurts the image of our new immigrants. Here is how I responded.
I really appreciate your feedback and hope you can understand our
reasoning behind publishing this video.
First, in the past two days I have uploaded three video's. One was a
spot news fire on Orange Street that was obviously a news item.
However, the police trying to corral 5 pigs the day before had no real
"news" value, except it was a slice of life and a cute scene.
Yesterday afternoon one of the editors received a call that a big truck
was parked on Chestnut Street and people were "stealing" stuff out of
it. He came over and asked me to walk down and check it out. I did and
found the truck gone and the scene where all the furniture was in the
street and sidewalk. I talked to a woman loading up her car with some
of it and she explained that it was a shipment of merchandise that had
been delivered for a store nearby. I took a photo to show my editor and
then walked over to Simonees to get a hot dog. When I was coming out,
Corporal Roberts pulled up and put on his lights and I began filming.
When I got back to the office, we had a lengthy discussion with several
top editors and photographers. Some thought it should be published and
some thought not. After much discourse, we decided it was a slice of
life that may not have significant news value, but was an event, like
dozens of others we often publish. We felt it was fair and balanced,
highlighting several differing "opinions" from three different people.
Our reasoning behind publishing it, like so many stories we highlight,
good and bad, was that it showed the different opinions of the people
involved. The police were doing their job, and the reaction of the new
immigrant store owners and the different comments of one of the people
helping move the furniture highlighted the misunderstanding and
confusion that is one of the reasons there is tension and cultural bias.
I personally felt that this highlighted the struggle of this hard
working business owner that is trying to make a honest living and become
a good citizen. I had a long conversation with him after, and told him
that he is going through the same thing that the Franco's did several
generations ago when they immigrated here. I did not say it to him, but
I'll bet it was a franco that was the one who stopped and said some
nasty things to him. I feel that it is history repeating, only the
names and faces are different.
After the editors watched the video, the majority felt that it really
highlighted the fact that the new immigrants do not always understand
the laws of this country, and the police are doing their job to make
sure they abide. I had twenty minutes of video, but edited it down to a
couple, but made sure to keep the part that showed how sad it is that
the store owner was harassed, highlighting how he is a real person with
feelings. He is just trying to make a living and "doing the best I can"
We all felt that it was pretty fair and balanced. It showed the
struggles of both police and shop owners on Lisbon Street where parking
and delivery of merchandise is a problem. If nothing else, it gave
people in our community who may never meet one of these new members of
our community who know nothing except many of the urban myths they hear
and have formed an negative opinion. Here was a tax paying, hard
working immigrant trying to be a productive member of our community,
working, not somebody draining our services like many of our longtime
citizens believe.
During the course of the day, we come across a variety of stories that
often are not really "newsworthy", but are an interesting slice of life
that highlights our community. Some are more "important" than others,
but they are all pieces of this community that we highlight. From kids
swinging and sledding to accident and murder scenes. What some of our
readers/viewers feel is inappropriate and should not be covered, others
applaud. We can not cover all the news and often miss important things.
We often publish innocuous items and slices of life that many think
should not be published. However, we try to give our readers/viewers a
variety of subject matter that highlights the good, bad, and beautiful
nature of the communities we cover.
Looks like its time to play the I am the "victim" here. Like it or not laws are laws and its simple YOU live here YOU obey them.
As far as slamming the police for doing their job Sorry that just wont get it here.
The last gentleman interviewed on the video speaks English better than a Harvard graduate Yet there is lack of knowing the law?
Oh and Terry? That "furniture" was being moved into a retail store not a residence not that that makes a difference regarding the ordinances.
So this officer takes the time and effort to hassle normal citizens just doing the best they can to move some furniture to their home.
How many cars were obstructed? How many people were inconvenienced? In the entire video piece I heard about 5 cars pass by, and they all just passed by, no traffic jam, no cars struggling to get around the furniture. How many times, when a semi truck full of soda, office supplies, or paper plates, does the officer order that truck to stop blocking a public way?
Perhaps the officer, in the amount of time that he spent "enforcing the law" could have grabbed a few pieces and helped move them to the sidewalk.
Be a human first,,,, do your job second.
Did you really just say do your job second? Who and there right mind wants a police officer to do his job SECOND. You are not a smart individual. The officer didn't issue a summons he simply explained the laws to these immigrants that really should learn them prior to opening a business. i don't know about the rest of you but I don't want police helping business owners move their furniture (white, black, purple or green). Had the police officer pulled a muscle or thrown out his back we would be paying taxes for his workers comp just so these immigrants who we already give money to could have there stuff moved. And hate me all you want but I'll say it I'm sick of these immigrants moving into our country and receiving BETTER benefits and help than the people that were born here and then complain about discrimination when we expect them to follow the same rules you and I do. Do you remember the sign on a lisbon st business that said "NO WHITES". The sign may still even be there I'm not sure. And also I saw a vehicle far nicer than the one I drive with a plate that said "You bought it" and it wasn't a thank you you bought it it was a haha you bought it. While I fully understand that those people came from a miserable place and some of them work hard, obtain education and become contributing law obiding citizens and to them I say congrats good job that's why we brought you here. To the ones that complain about discrimination, post "no whites" on their store, and to the ones that don't try to work and contribute I say GO HOME! How would their country treat us if we were refugees there? Watch Black Hawk Down Terry and tell me if you think you would be welcomed by the somalians in their home country. Again I know not all immigrants are like this, I'm just talking about the ones that are (including this business owner who claimed discrimination). And people like Terry that defend them should buy a ticket and move out of the country with them. You wanna talk about discrimination Terry? If this had been a white business owner or a natural born American citizen you wouldn't have even commented on this so you my friend discriminate against naturanl born American citizens which proves your intelligence yet again. And to stop all you crazy folks in your tracks I'm not racist I hate the lazy white people as much as I hate the lazy black peoples and I like the hard working contributing black people as much as I like the hard working contributing white people. Black, white, purple or green if you can work and don't try to you're a waste of space, if you cry that people are discriminating against you by asking you to follow the same rules and laws as the rest of us you are not only a waste of space but you are a disturbance in the space belonging to the rest of us GO AWAY!
You saw a vanity plate with 9 letter and 3 spaces? I will go out on a limb and say that the sign on Lisbon Street might have never existed either.
The plate read something like "ubghtit" I can't remember exactly how it was spelled out but it was 7 letters or less and meant to say you bought it. And the sign absolutely did exist ask around.
If you read the article, I believe they were business owners moving stuff into their shop. I think the officer did the job we as tax payers, pay him to do! I suspect they had a complaint from a citizen and, as you would want them to do, they had to follow-up on the complaint. If it is against the law then it is against the law. When a complaint is made they need to follow through.
How can this person say it is discrimination when it is the law???? I am tired of people using the 'They pick on me because of my color' card! This furniture was very evidently blocking the way. If you want to come to a state or for that matter a country, KNOW THE LAW! Do you think that we 'pale' people go to another country and get any kind of break because we do not agree with their laws? When you go to a state or country, you are expected to follow the laws!
Sandra couldn't be more right. If we go to another country and disobey their laws they use their prehistoric means of punishment and make an example out of us, but we have a friendly police officer simply explain the laws and make sure that they are follow and it's discrimination? It's only discrimination because of all of the crazy liberals like Terry that think we need to worry about everyones "feelings" and treat anyone that is a minority better than the rest of us. I'll end with a saying that everyone of us has heard before IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THE LAW.
Oh my god! What a circus ... it would be respectful from individuals that move here to understand the laws we abide to.
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