FALSE ACCUSATIONS

The following submission represents a response to numerous, unbalanced, unfair, and even slanderous news articles and editorials that have appeared in the Democrat and Chronicle recently --- criticizing City Councilman Adam McFadden. <!--break--> <p align="justify"><font size="2"><strong>As it relates to refutation of a Sept. 22 editorial by City Councilman Adam Mcfadden, which criticized the victory of Domingo Garcia in the recent Democratic Party Primary Election for a Rochester Board of Education seat --- some </strong><i>D&amp;C</i><b> readers have expressed a sense of &quot;overkill.&quot; Since Sept. 22, the </b><i>D&amp;C </i><b>has published at least five (5) </b><i>Letters To The Editor</i><b> and </b><i>Speaking Out</i><strong> essays that criticize the content of Councilman McFadden’s article. The most recent diatribe (Oct. 14) was co-authored by politicos Jose Cruz and Gladys Santiago.</strong></font></p><p align="justify"><font size="2"></font></p><p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">It is my sincere hope that Hispanics, particularly those whom I know well and respect, will not construe the following as an attack. Such is not my purpose or intent. Instead, I feel compelled to point out several very serious and blatant contradictions regarding the above referenced matter. </font></strong></p><p align="justify"><font size="2"></font></p><p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">First, with regard to composition of the Rochester school board, Councilman McFadden was accused of not valuing and respecting &quot;diversity.&quot; If this is the case, then how do we explain the fact that, one year ago, (during the 2003 school board election), not only did McFadden support Hispanic candidate David Perez, but if my understanding is correct --- he also helped manage Mr. Perez’s campaign, and played a key role in the candidate’s victories at the Democratic Party Convention, the Primary, and General Elections? This reality leads to another very important question. If (in accordance with Cruz and Santiago’s, and other recent letters) large numbers of Hispanic people feel that Mr. Garcia &quot;is the most qualified person to sit on the school board&quot; --- then why wasn’t there any fuss or &quot;bucking party rules and actively campaigning against designated candidates&quot; when Garcia was beaten out as a potential Democratic Party designee by political novice David Perez and others in 2003? </font></strong></p><p align="justify"><font size="2"></font></p><p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Mr. Mcfadden was also accused of &quot;disrespectful characterization of school board President Shirley Thompson,&quot; and &quot;belittling&quot; her. It was not necessary for Councilman Mcfadden to &quot;belittle&quot; Ms. Thompson. Prior to the 2003 school board election, (politically speaking), she had done a swell job of that all by herself. Although many may suffer from historical amnesia --- not all of us do. Some have crystal clear memories regarding the fact that during the period leading up to the 2003 Board of Education Election, Ms. Thompson had waged an all-out, open war with Joanne Giuffrida over the position of Board President, which resulted in sowing seeds of widespread &quot;divisiveness&quot; and &quot;polarization&quot; that resonated all the way to the halls of education in Albany, and was finally settled by the NY State Commissioner of Education. Certainly, we recall that divisiveness, factionalism, polarization, and inability to work cooperatively were key issues in the 2003 school board election campaign. This was the era in which Ms. Thompson gained a lot, but perhaps lost her political soul. That is, she became President of the Board, but lost much support within the Democratic Party, and as pointed out in Mr. Mcfadden’s Sept 22 essay --- this was the era in which he, Calvin Lee and David Gantt came to Shirley Thompson’s political rescue. Had it not been for the three leaders and their supporters, it is highly unlikely that Thompson would be a sitting Board member today, and that’s a fact! Indeed, the Councilman is absolutely correct in his assertion: &quot;How soon [some of us] forget.&quot; I simply cannot find the part of this fundamental truth that supposedly represents &quot;belittling [or] disrespectful characterization.&quot; </font></strong></p><p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Lastly, I must sincerely ask those who continuously spew rhetoric about valuing so called &quot;diversity&quot; --- if we are so damn diverse, and value diversity so much --- then how do we logically reconcile and explain that (although, we are supposedly far beyond &quot;the 1960’s when inclusiveness was something people fought against&quot;), why is it that school districts and residential patterns throughout Rochester, Monroe County, and much of the nation still (in 2004) resemble the deepest apartheid in South Africa and many other parts of the world? We can't blame Councilman McFadden for this, can we? </font></strong></p><p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">It seems to me that the Hispanic, African American, and other communities of color have bigger &quot;fish to fry&quot; than arguing over crumbs --- while the common oppressor continues to keep &quot;his&quot; foot on all of our necks, and benefits most from our petty bickering and jockeying for political leftovers. Wake up! </font></strong></p><p align="justify"><font size="2"> </font></p><p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Howard J. Eagle</font></strong></p><p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Social Studies Teacher (James Madison High School)</font></strong></p><p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Candidate For School Board (2003)</font></strong></p>

<p>The following submission represents a response to numerous, unbalanced, unfair, and even slanderous news articles and editorials that have appeared in the Democrat and Chronicle recently --- criticizing City Councilman Adam McFadden.</p> <!--break--><p align="justify"><font size="2"><strong>As it relates to refutation of a Sept. 22 editorial by City Councilman Adam Mcfadden, which criticized the victory of Domingo Garcia in the recent Democratic Party Primary Election for a Rochester Board of Education seat --- some </strong><i>D&amp;C</i><b> readers have expressed a sense of "overkill." Since Sept. 22, the </b><i>D&amp;C </i><b>has published at least five (5) </b><i>Letters To The Editor</i><b> and </b><i>Speaking Out</i><strong> essays that criticize the content of Councilman McFadden’s article. The most recent diatribe (Oct. 14) was co-authored by politicos Jose Cruz and Gladys Santiago.</strong></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2"></font></p> <p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">It is my sincere hope that Hispanics, particularly those whom I know well and respect, will not construe the following as an attack. Such is not my purpose or intent. Instead, I feel compelled to point out several very serious and blatant contradictions regarding the above referenced matter. </font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2"></font></p> <p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">First, with regard to composition of the Rochester school board, Councilman McFadden was accused of not valuing and respecting "diversity." If this is the case, then how do we explain the fact that, one year ago, (during the 2003 school board election), not only did McFadden support Hispanic candidate David Perez, but if my understanding is correct --- he also helped manage Mr. Perez’s campaign, and played a key role in the candidate’s victories at the Democratic Party Convention, the Primary, and General Elections? This reality leads to another very important question. If (in accordance with Cruz and Santiago’s, and other recent letters) large numbers of Hispanic people feel that Mr. Garcia "is the most qualified person to sit on the school board" --- then why wasn’t there any fuss or "bucking party rules and actively campaigning against designated candidates" when Garcia was beaten out as a potential Democratic Party designee by political novice David Perez and others in 2003? </font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2"></font></p> <p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Mr. Mcfadden was also accused of "disrespectful characterization of school board President Shirley Thompson," and "belittling" her. It was not necessary for Councilman Mcfadden to "belittle" Ms. Thompson. Prior to the 2003 school board election, (politically speaking), she had done a swell job of that all by herself. Although many may suffer from historical amnesia --- not all of us do. Some have crystal clear memories regarding the fact that during the period leading up to the 2003 Board of Education Election, Ms. Thompson had waged an all-out, open war with Joanne Giuffrida over the position of Board President, which resulted in sowing seeds of widespread "divisiveness" and "polarization" that resonated all the way to the halls of education in Albany, and was finally settled by the NY State Commissioner of Education. Certainly, we recall that divisiveness, factionalism, polarization, and inability to work cooperatively were key issues in the 2003 school board election campaign. This was the era in which Ms. Thompson gained a lot, but perhaps lost her political soul. That is, she became President of the Board, but lost much support within the Democratic Party, and as pointed out in Mr. Mcfadden’s Sept 22 essay --- this was the era in which he, Calvin Lee and David Gantt came to Shirley Thompson’s political rescue. Had it not been for the three leaders and their supporters, it is highly unlikely that Thompson would be a sitting Board member today, and that’s a fact! Indeed, the Councilman is absolutely correct in his assertion: "How soon [some of us] forget." I simply cannot find the part of this fundamental truth that supposedly represents "belittling [or] disrespectful characterization." </font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Lastly, I must sincerely ask those who continuously spew rhetoric about valuing so called "diversity" --- if we are so damn diverse, and value diversity so much --- then how do we logically reconcile and explain that (although, we are supposedly far beyond "the 1960’s when inclusiveness was something people fought against"), why is it that school districts and residential patterns throughout Rochester, Monroe County, and much of the nation still (in 2004) resemble the deepest apartheid in South Africa and many other parts of the world? We can't blame Councilman McFadden for this, can we? </font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">It seems to me that the Hispanic, African American, and other communities of color have bigger "fish to fry" than arguing over crumbs --- while the common oppressor continues to keep "his" foot on all of our necks, and benefits most from our petty bickering and jockeying for political leftovers. Wake up! </font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><font size="2"> </font></p> <p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Howard J. Eagle</font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Social Studies Teacher (James Madison High School)</font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><font size="2">Candidate For School Board (2003)</font></strong></p>