9 Comments Add your own

• 1. Glory Stephens  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 9:18 pm

  I was born and raised in rockford, i am
  50 years old i have seen many police
  in rockford, get away with alot of things,
  they have many dirty officers,who get away with alot of things,, and never get
  caught, because they cloak for each
  other, it’s time for this to stop, we need
  and want justice.

• 2. jeff woodard  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 12:16 am

  Unfortunately, this conversation is more about accountability of citizens and media. Yes, a balanced account would be good.

  I’ve known Mr. Jackson for a long time and feel that he is a person of reasonable moral judgment. however, its not about Jesse Jackson as I feel this discussion is about and the press is on the defense based on the tone of the conversation. If you work together we can get through this. Its has not been done before and we are living with the outcomes.

  Everyone will get to tell their story but the longer we dance around the issue the more fuel will be tossed on the flames. We do have a bigger problem that will have to be addressed one way or another and I pray it will be done with genuine concern and a sense of morality.

  A spokesperson from the media siad and I quote, “We got to have people who can read or we don,t have a job” in reference to the library issue. That’s it?

  We need people to have an opportunity to be educated so they
  better themselves first and foremost I believe and you and I know a single library is not going to make or break a individual’s opportunity but there is something deeper going on here and the citizens of this community on the west side didn’t just wake up one day and decide that there was a problem of inequality in the city of Rockford. This is coming from someone who was born in Rockford Memorial Hospital in 1960 and lived a great deal of my formative years on the city’s west side. I believe community policing can work if its genuinely embraced by leadership in the community.

  This is not something that we can just wish away or divide up into two separate camps. It has gotten the city nothing in the past and will offer as much in the future at this rate.

  I own a property 6 blocks west of the river and haven’t had a curb and gutter in front of my property in at least 30 years and no one can tell me when and if it will ever happen . I got a spanking new jail house and federal building in the center of my community but I can’t get curb and gutter. Yes Rockford, there is a problem. What happened to the pride on the West side? Again it’s the little things that signal distress in the community. Let us not squander yet another opportunity to save this city.

• 3. Concerned Citizen  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 12:37 am

  Excellent dialoge. Thank you for making this available.

  Is there a “Part 3″?

• 4. Billy Kulpa  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 9:15 am

  There is no “Part 3″ to the meeting.

  I actually ran out of tape right where part two ends (63 minutes in HD is as long as the tape could hold) and reloaded a new tape just in time to catch the sound of chairs clanging and feet shuffling. I didn’t think it was worth tacking on to the end of the recording.

  Thanks for leaving feedback!

• 5. Jackie, Baton Rouge  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 3:39 pm

  I listened to both parts of the interview and found myself cussing at the computer. Ms. Cunningham, why are you so set on Rev. Jackson not repeating the witnesses version of the murder of Mr. Barmore? He alone is not going to insight a riot. The actions of the police, mayor, racist comments, and the medias outright unwillingness to report the obvious truth will feed the unrest of the people who want immediate answers. Stop the diversionary tactics, this is not an education problem or a matter of no jobs, or the fact that Black people in Rockford can\’t read, or the west side of the river has been neglected for years,etc. TWO WHITE POLICE OFFICERS SHOT AND KILLED AN UNARMED BLACK MAN IN A BLACK CHURCH BEFORE BLACK WITNESSES, THAT INCLUDED INNOCENT BLACK BABIES AND THEN LIED ABOUT THE STRUGGLE FOR A WEAPON. An investigation is necessary, but the facts will not change the outcome. The newspaper is obligated to report the facts, on the other hand, Rev. Jackson\’s responsibility is to report the truth as he sees it, to the people who invited him to town. Ms. Cunningham your request to him should fall on deaf ears. Does the newspaper seriously expect him to solve all the racial problems of Rockford? He is a not a miracle worker.

• 6. Peter  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 8:59 pm

  What kind of discussion was that? The Register stars seems to be taking side with the police department. You guys are also part of the problem.

• 7. Andea  |  September 6th, 2009 at 4:35 pm

  I am so shocked to know that we are in such a bad time that the truth cannot be told.Tell the truth and the truth will set you free.I hope to GOD that JUSTICE WILL PERVAIL. It should have happen a long time ago. The problems on Rockfords west side is a great problem and it definitly needs some repairs.!!

• 8. Carolyn  |  September 8th, 2009 at 6:30 am

  As I watched “Wire in the Blood” series where
  Dr. Tony Hill talks about personality Disorders, like “Muchausen Syndrome by Proxy, etc. he always reacts out the crime scene over and over in his mind until he solved the crime. Many times in my own mind I reacted out various scenes or even while I was asleep and my subconscious mind was at work. Even when I was dealing with a controlling abusers, predators, corrupt, held hostage for illegal purposes, listening to the radio, reading an article, or hear a certain word, a word like sludge. I would flash back to the scenes. One thing I do know is that these people illegally provoke or commit criminal activity in order to get a certain response in order to create a crisis and “CRY_WOLF”. They always have to create a crisis in order to put forth agendas. Victims/targets/”Victims of Violent Crime” are treated like pawns in a game of chess, “Checkmate”.

  When health insurance is used for criminal activity or brainwashing, Suicidal Programming, it is more like a Ponzi Scheme. What abusers, predators, corrupt and violent do to those who rock their boat.
  So when it gets hot in the kithen or steam heat, just react the scenes of different crimes over and over in your mind. How they do not like people who refuse to accept “False Memory” or refuse to make a false confession, or allow the corrupt to use “Off Label” drugging for illegal purposes of mind control or refuse to listen to “Suicidal Ideology” videos and rock their sick, twisted, and perverted boat.

  At “City Hall” they say the Pledge of Allegiance” and “Justice for All”. I never forgot about turning my complaint into the legal department and neither did Rockford ever acknowledge my complaint or pay the bill. I absolutely refuse to pay “Racketeering” bills or bow to one who tries to shake me down. All the money in the world is not enough when it comes to corrupt, controlling, abusive, violent, and greedy people who do not like their boat rocked.

  I was also asked on 11/16/2001, when some city people called a false emergency, sixteen days after my kitchen was vandalized and allegedly arson on 10/31/2001, Halloween Night, if I saw things before they happened. “Racketeering” one person tried to get me to stop from calling my insurance company and got hyper with each telephone call that I made telling people what illegally was taking place. What we have is the pot calling the kettle black. So I say, react all the crime scenes one wants if that is what it takes to get to the truth. “Forensic Science”, and while the controlling think they can frame people and “CRY_WOLF”, someone needs to wipe the smirks off their merciless faces.

• 9. Rose  |  September 8th, 2009 at 6:42 am

  Rockford is in an angry state the way I see it. Not only is the city sickened with crack and drug dealers it is starting to look like a slum city. And the tenses are high so it seems with the African Americans in Rockford. I was almost run over by a women the other day while crossing the street. She acutally speed up to try to run me over. I can’t wait to move out of Rockford and never look back. I hate this town and what is has become in the past 5 years. I know it’s bad all over but this town is what I call a crap hole. It’s embrassing to say I live here and friends from out of town do not come here due the all the crime and hate in this God awful city.

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