Redmond & Newman Show on Denver Wilding

[Editor’s Note: Redmond & Newman is a Denver radio talk show. They put the following criticism of the news coverage of the recent wilding in Denver on their discussion list. Their e-mail addresses are at the bottom of the page, and we encourage readers to send them messages of support.]

Redmond . . .

What do you think the reaction would be if a group of ‘white’ guys pulled a ‘black’ motorist from his car on a LoDo street after all the bars closed and beat the ‘black’ motorist?

Two weeks ago in LoDo, a group of ‘black’ guys pulled a ‘white’ motorist from his car and beat him. While the incident was covered on the news, there was the obvious absence of racial overtones. As a nation, we will never escape our past and when African-Americans are beaten by white Americans there will also be greater outrage.

The selective playing of the race card is not fair, but here’s why it happens. Certain groups, like blacks and homosexuals, are seen as being the targets of widespread discrimination. Therefore, if an individual belonging to a group that has been discriminated against by the majority becomes a victim, the incident is exaggerated by past and current perception of the unfair treatment of the group.

Setting race aside, the videotaped ‘wilding’ occurrence in LoDo is inexcusable. Bars and nightclubs in a close area push patrons into the streets at 2:00am. That invites violent incidents to occur. LoDo has been the scene of its fair share of fights between individuals.

So what’s the answer? Bars and nightclubs should be allowed to sell alcohol until 4:00am. Everyone will not stay until 4:00am so patrons will leave drinking establishments at intervals rather than all at once. Living downtown I see the potential for problems every Friday and Saturday night when all the bars and clubs close at 2:00am. I reached legal drinking age in New Orleans, where alcohol can be served 24-hours-a-day. I never saw the potential for problems like I see in places like LoDo when all the bars and clubs push people out at the same time.

Newman . . .

I was not surprised to see a bunch of punk thugs attack someone in LoDo the other night. Violence of this nature is bound to pop up from time to time in any city with some racial tension.

But what really got my attention was how a group of suspected gangbangers who appear to have all been one color, can attack some poor guy who is of another color, and no one says a damn thing about this being a racial incident.

Where is Jesse Jackson? Where is Al Sharpton? Where is the NAACP?

Had the colors been reversed, this incident would have made national news, front and center. A hoard of self-proclaimed ‘activists’ would have come out of the woodwork to deplore this brazen attack. But since the victim was white and the attackers were black, no activists have shown up to say how disgusted they all are. This is because many race-relations activists are racists but don’t have the guts to admit it in public.

It is embarrassing to see that all the ‘concerned citizens’ who reacted so strongly to the shooting of Paul Childs are now all quiet as church mice over this latest incident.

This just goes to once again show that racists come in all colors.

bobnewman@clearchannel.com

scottredmond@clearchannel.com