2016 Jan 25^th

There is usually some piece of right wing idiocy in the national press, and when there is I am delighted to bring that to your attention. Every couple of months the idiocy is local and this community’s coziness should not exempt its leaders from similar examination.

This morning’s paper carries a story about Jeffrey Turner who wanted to discuss a city issue regarding building height with Brian Haas a supporter of high buildings and a city commissioner. Turner found Haas’ place of business, TC Venture Partners, located on the second floor of a building above the Omelette Shoppe, not exactly a high traffic area. Now Venture Partners’ web site is not fully operational but what information is on it touts it as “investments and consulting.” It would not be unreasonable to assume that Haas might have a financial interest in pushing the commission to approve a modification of the building code. Turner found Haas business address and had a very brief discussion with Nicholas Perez, another principal and founder of Venture Partners. Turner asked Perez for a business card, didn’t get it; Perez asked Turner to leave which he did.

This was vastly complicated by Turner taking many pictures, possibly with his cell phone, of the office corridors mail boxes and even of Perez who decided to take pictures of Turner taking pictures of him. Now Perez, armed with a picture of Turner decided to alert the business community on Cass Street that a picture taker was on the loose and so informed Ms. Karen Roofe Hilt who owns, My Secret Stash, a nearby store. Hilt felt it necessary to post Turner’s picture on Facebook and label him “The Cass Street Creeper.” She claimed the name appealed to her feeling for alliteration. Now Turner must deal with the comments that inevitably flow when someone posts his picture on Facebook with a label like that.

Now enter the city police called by Perez who apparently believed that picture taking compromised his welfare. Turner had walked by his building several more times taking still more pictures and was clearly up to no good. Finally we have Haas complaining to Coburn the city manager who then sends police to Turner’s home to warn him to stay away from Venture Capital’s office and Haas (who has yet to even meet Turner).

I wonder what the reaction would have been had Turner, instead of appearing with a camera, had walked up and down the street with a holstered pistol on his hip. Maybe we need a Constitutional Amendment reading, “A citizen’s right to keep and use a camera shall not be infringed.”…More seriously, what right do the police have, without a court order, to limit the free movement of any citizen on public property? No court ordered restraint is described here. Was there any court action to limit Turner’s movement? I don’t know.

Then we have the playful Facebook post by Hilt who characterized Turner as the “Cass Street Creeper.” She just liked the alliteration and of course Perez, telling her about Turner with his awful camera, scared her half to death. I would bet that Hilt would have a hard time defending herself against a charge of internet harassment if Turner wanted to get an aggressive attorney. I doubt that Hilt’s claim that “Turner is still welcome in her store” would matter much….And then we have Haas telling us that, “He’s willing to meet with anyone, just call him first.” OK, but perhaps you’ll have to leave any cameras at home.