Posted on 10/29/2005 1:10:32 AM PDT by Clemenza
DETROIT - A full-page newspaper advertisement depicting black corpses hanging from trees and likening media coverage of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to lynching has drawn criticism in the home stretch of his re-election campaign.
The mayor distanced himself from the ad, which was published this week in the city's largest black newspaper and echoes complaints he has made about media coverage.
"This advertisement is not affiliated in any way with the Kilpatrick administration or the Kilpatrick for Mayor campaign," Kilpatrick said in a statement. "Detroiters are very passionate people, and while I appreciate the spirit of some of the content, I do not condone the images in this advertisement."
The ad states it was paid for by Citizens for Honest Government, an independent political action committee. A message seeking comment from the committee was not returned Friday.
Mayoral challenger Freman Hendrix, deputy mayor under Kilpatrick's predecessor, criticized the ad.
"I think Detroiters are goodwilled," he said. "African-Americans in particular will look at this ad and reject it."
The ad, which appeared Wednesday in the Michigan Chronicle under the headline "Lynching is Still Legal in America," claims the media has targeted Kilpatrick and failed to examine Hendrix's tenure as deputy mayor. It also describes recent examples of racism in the Detroit area, including hate crimes in the mostly white suburbs.
Detroit is about 80 percent black, and both candidates for mayor are black. But race and the issue of how much the city should cooperate with the surrounding suburbs have come up repeatedly in the campaign.
Sam Logan, the newspaper's publisher, said he wasn't aware of the ad until after it appeared in print, and that the paper "does not condone" the images.
The co-publisher of The Michigan Citizen, another community newspaper that ran a similar ad, defended it, saying it highlighted issues that need to be examined.
"I have not got one call from a subscriber or a reader who complained about that ad," Catherine Kelly said. "Not one letter or e-mail."
Kilpatrick has implied that the media is out to get him with scrutiny over his use of a city credit card on out-of-town travel and a city lease of a luxury sport utility vehicle for his family. In May, his father apologized after comparing the media's treatment of his son to Nazi propaganda.
Hendrix, 55, has been leading Kilpatrick, 35, in polls ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.
Ping
--"Kentucky Fried Movie"
Detroiters deserve better representation. Vote Detroit Vote.
This article doesn't say who paid for the ad.
This looks like a job for .......SuperMayor Nagin!
This is Detroit.
So I think you're being unfair to sh-tholes. I know which I'd rather have in MY house.
whoa, here we have two black candidates and the use of racism charges abound with each making such charges against each other? this really needs to be on tv, its great entertainment. dems have really done a complete job on black america, wow.
"Detroit is about 80 percent black, and both candidates for mayor are black."
At least no one is playing the race card, yet. Where is Jesse Jackson? I sense that there is money to be made here. Maybe he doesn't have his angle worked out yet, but if he doesn't hurry Sharpton will beat him to it.
I was born and raised in Detroit. During the fifties and up until the early sixties it was a great place. By the late sixties decisions were made to not fight black crime. There was a police squard called STRESS: Stop Robberies and Enjoy Safe Streets. Cops posed as potential victims and arrested and sometimes shot street muggers right and left. Then the ACLU decided that fighting crime was racist, the program ended and Detroit went to hell.
The media and liberals (but I repeat myself) decided that it was better for everyone to live in their homes behind bars than to put criminals in jail.
I moved years ago. My parents stayed, in 2000 my mother was mugged in a grocery store parking lot. The POLICE told me "off the record" to move her out. I did. Now look with what they are left with. The biggest victims of crime in Detroit are African-Americans. Most are very fine people, it is a shame that their leadership has forced them to live this way.
All these ads do is keep alive and stoke the flames of racial tensions. But to a certain political party, damn the racial torpedos, full speed ahead - we have an election to win. Afterall, winning that political job is more important than the country's well being.
It WAS on tv and it IS great entertainment! Watch the second mayoral debate. Parts #3, #4, #5 and #6 most enjoyable. Tradin' by the dozens!
Detroit, the New Orleans of the North. To bad Hurricains cant go that far north. Maybe a popular conservative will be elected to mayor and save them. Or mor likely, I will wake up and Detroit will still be a Sh** Hole.
That's b/c "..."Detroiters are very passionate people..." Hey, Detroiters, less "passion" and more grey matter working.
Passion over what, a bunch of lies? Thats called stupidity.
Detroit lost more young people - 18 to 34 years old - than any major city in America.
People are leaving for a reason. The corrupt politicians and the hack bureaucrats don't care about high taxes, a crumbling infrastructure and stifling regulations. Detroit is the No. 1 example of how NOT to run a city.
Is that Bill Laimbeer?
Nailed it in one guess. 8)
Does it mention that the Southern Democrats allowed the lynching, and that the Evangelicals started the Civil Rights Movement?
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