Laurence O'Donnell had him on last night and evidently, I'm not the only one who found him disappointing. Despite Laurence's questioning him and Al Sharpton also calling him out, he gave no sign that he really gets it.
UPDATE: Due to this feeling Mr. Bonaparte later reversed himself
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2012/03/norton-bonaparte-does-right-thing-bill.html
NEW UPDATE: Today Bill Lee asked to resign and the City Commission inexplicitly refused to accept it. It is believed City Manager Norton Bonaparte applied pressure
What's with Norton Bonaparte anyway? http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2012/04/is-norton-bonaparte-behind-bill-lees.html
Now maybe I'm mistaken, maybe he wanted to be careful in the interview and not make news but you can't tell. As Laurence's next guests-two leading "hoodie" activists-commented, he seems a little too careful.
He definitely was careful. I think even worse than careful is that he seemed too patient. As the City Manager of Sanford, he is the people's first representative. He's supposed to cry his residents' tears, share their pain, feel and express their anger. If he does feel what they feel, what all of us who feel the pain of Trayvon's friends, family and community he shouldn't be patient.
If Mr. Bonaparte gets it, if he feels the people's pain he should understand the point O'Donnell and Sharpton were making to him-that police chief Bill Lee, needs to at the minimum be suspended and is not fit to continue his duties at this time.
If you feel the pain of Trayvun's family then you're impatient. You aren't mollified that Bonaparte has promised an investigation on April 15-you feel a tremendous sense of outrage and urgency. Every day, every minute before April 15 that we have a murderer-Robert Zimmerman-free and the chief of the police department that let Mr. Zimmerman walk out with the gun he killed Trayvun with still loaded, secure in his job is an intolerable injustice. A moral travesty.
Mr. Bonaparte only needs to take a ONE SECOND look at what is going on in this nation regarding Martin/Zimmerman to determine if Mr. Lee has (quote)"caused a problem". Isn't that reason enough to fire Lee? If not, Bonaparte should be fired too.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. This is not a hard call.
ReplyDeleteTell him how you feel on his Facebook page
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/people/Norton-Bonaparte/100001758859402
I watched this spineless man and he and the police chief must step down. Clearly, neither of them undestand the vulgarity and disregard for humanity that they have permitted George Zimmerman advance. They both feed their families at the public's expense and have no respect certain people.
ReplyDeleteI just called this mans office and left a message. I am a resident of Florida. The GOP has had complete control of this state for decades, right now there are not enough Democrates in our legislature to stop the repubs from implementing their idea of utopia. Tax payer fed private prisons, private schools, no regulations on insurance companies (homeowners insurance has quadrupled), tax cuts for corporations and the rich, cuts in education, cuts in elder care, cuts in Medicaid. Research our governor, Rick Scott, and you willl be appaled. he keeps signing into law drug testing for many of our citizens because he owns the company that administers these tests. He actualy putthe business in his wife's name after he became governor. He won with less then 50% of the vote, the poorest of the poor voted this man into office and now that they are feeling the effects of his policies, instead of learning their lessons, they are blaming President Obama.
ReplyDeleteThis speaks to what I believe is general misunderstanding of how our government works... and I would posit, works best. In his capacity as a conscientious human being, I would never deny Mr.Bonaparte's right to any human emotions he feels in the wake of any case - including that of the shooting of Tayvon Martin.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is NO City Manager's role to be "the people's first representative." A City Manager is simply in charge of staffing and planning issues - and follows the guideline of rules and laws as they stand in his (or her) respective community. The columnist here declares "He's supposed to cry his residents' tears, share their pain, feel and express their anger."
Perhaps as an individual, but not as a City Manager. The role of any City Manager is to attempt to guide staff in whatever is best for the City and optimize that staff's service of the people of the community. Mr. Bonaparte has staffing issues to deal with - and perhaps has the right and duty to suspend or even dismiss the Chief of Police (ideally with the guidance of the Commission/Council of whatever respective community he serves).
A City Manager serves a different function than the one which the columnist has saddled Mr. Bonaparte. While the columnist (and anyone else for that matter) has every right to feel aggrieved over the shooting of an innocent young man - I believe that anger is misplaced when seeking to vilify a Manager for apparently attempting to do what managers do - which is to manage.
Then he should do his job and not pass the buck or step down and let somebody with a backbone do the job. Fire the Chief and the deputy on duty that was supposed to question the perpetrator, Zimmerman. End of story.
DeletePlease sign the petition to fire the police chief. http://www.change.org/petitions/the-president-of-the-united-states-fire-police-chief-bill-lee
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Anon!
ReplyDeleteInteresting about things in Florida Anon. I've heard about "Pink Slip Rick"
ReplyDeleteHopefully many of your fellow Floridians have also called Mr. Bonaparte
Burns I don't need your santicmounious civics less. I know what a city manager does-I for one prefer a Mayor but in any case.
ReplyDeleteFirst Representative is what anyone in his psotiion should do. If you are the top executive at a certain part of government that is your role. I don't know if you have sympathy for zimmerman as you are both Roberts but it's you who don't get it.
You can quote me wodr dor word about what the technival aspect of his office is and it dones't change what I'm syaing. He's not a monarch and if he doesn't act as the people's First Representative here he may find himself out of a job, he is not a monarch as much as you might wish he was.
I think there are plenty of things taht work well about our government. That's not what this post is about. That's not what the family of Trayvun want or need to hear right now.
Your impressive lack of empathy makes you a fine Repbuolican that would do Mitt Romney proud.
Geez, you all pick on everyone who doesn't jump and do what you want and when you want. Why not give Mr. Bonaparte a second to listen to everything before you make judgement. Funny how you don't want people to make judgment on Trayvon and his family, but it's okay for you. Double standards. I do live in Sanford, and he has done a pretty good job so far. So far what I see is a bunch of bullies calling for everyones job who doesn't jump when told to.
ReplyDeleteJudgement on Trayvon and his family? Are you saying that his murder in this instant can be mineralized because of something you feel he or his family did? How absurd.
DeleteAnon what judgment on Trayvon and his family do you want to make? You really are shameless. It's not enough that they lost their son yet you want to smear his name and the family's name in death.
ReplyDeleteTrayvon was the victim. Zimmerman murdered him. Sorry-there's not debate about this. He shot him dead. So I can judge him. I can judge that sorry police chief Bill Lee who between his racism and his love of guns let a murdereer walk out with the murder weapon.
If you in anyway defend him, there's someting wrong with you too.
You are a bigger bully than anyone. You probably are in lobve with Rush Libaugh and get sexually turned on at the thought of a dead black kid or when women are insulted by Rush and company.