Hey!!! Don't pick on the bigoted, racist, anti-Semitic right wing cop !!!

Hey Folks -

A while back I posted on the sad behavior of a Columbus police officer who had naively displayed her unbelievable racism and bigotry on You Tube ( http://www.ukuleleman.net/2007/08/this-psycho-is-columbus-ohio-police.html ).

I also shared the views expressed by "Mr. Studley" of Upper Arlington who published his classism with naive and ignorant pride ( http://www.ukuleleman.net/2007/10/this-pathetic-emperor-thinks-he-cuts.html ).

And, I'm sure, you've been hearing about Jena, Louisiana and the claims that no racism is involved.

Well, no matter how obviously someone shows themselves, there will always be those to make excuses for them. Below are two examples (letters to the Dispatch) of such apologists who see no problem with having racist, hate-filled cops out on the street.

- Uke Man

City overreacted to police officer's videos
Thursday, September 6, 2007

This is my response to the controversy surrounding Susan L. Purtee ("Bigoted videos investigated," Dispatch article, Aug. 29).

The knee-jerk reaction of Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman and the Columbus Division of Police to the uproar created by the sisters makes the city look as far to the left as these women appear to be to the right.

I watched a couple of their videos, and while I disagree with the content found therein, I see no grounds for dismissal from the police department.

]I can understand the division's need to express the fact that the views expressed by these two women are not part its mission for Columbus. However, I feel that the city should not dismiss Purtee unless strong, irrefutable evidence can be found that she abused her power as an officer of the law to advance her own cause.

Otherwise, these videos are nothing more than a woman using her free time to express her views in public, and should be treated as such.

These videos are nothing more than an exercise in our constitutionally protected right to express ourselves. Again, although I disagree with their views, it is their right to express them, and they should not be punished for holding an unpopular view.

Also, formal and public punishment for opinions expressed on her own time and in her own way would do little more than give their conspiracy theory more credit than it deserves.

JAKE ANDERSON
Gahanna

Personal info tainted article on officer
Thursday, September 6, 2007 3:51 AM

The Saturday Dispatch article "Woman was rejected by police review board" on police officer Susan L. Purtee, who produced disparaging ethnic and racial videos, was quite a smear job. The sources for most of the information in the article were 15-year-old police department files containing raw data.

While I certainly don't agree with the content of Purtee's homemade videos, it is frightening this type of personal information was made available to a newspaper reporter with a mission.

It sends a strong signal to all current and prospective city employees that details about their personal lives can and will be used against them if they express unpopular views.

Indeed, Reporter Theodore Decker noted that "civic and city leaders have banded together" against Purtee.

Some of the information and opinions in the police evaluation-board files from 1991 and reported in the story deserve special comment.

The evaluation-board entry, "has worked 20 years and has nothing to show for it," could also apply to thousands of hard-working people in central Ohio.

Revealing that Purtee had two divorces, plus the allegation she had married an illegal immigrant thief, was a transparent attempt to disparage her character and judgment.

The story also included information that she ranked 100th out of 116 in her graduating class at St. Francis DeSales High School.

I'm sure some of the city's leaders as well as members of the press would be reluctant to have their high-school class ranks published.

This was obviously a hatchet job written with the intention of lowering the boom on Purtee. The piece was over the top, vindictive and mean-spirited. It demonstrated a lack of class and civility too prevalent in American journalism today.

ED NOONAN

Dublin