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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #55 - Discussion Item=I 43 " /3, /Y9z 5c,�Ss� 92�- 241-1 Cq3I. (A& NUMM-DADS BRAS(-� NMC f Nation. Association for the Advance►, h f Colored People a P.O. •Hoe 916 - Opa-Locka, Florida 33054 Johnnie 1G XCUOUGn ant NOVEMBER 14 J991 at "m President Brad Brown MR. MANUEL .GONZALEZ- GOENP_YA, Snd slot Jbesldant DEAR MR. GONZALEZ-GOENAYA: mddtim PreeldmHa THANK YOU SO FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR POLICE BRUTALITY HEARINGS. F"gyDemn YOUR INFORMATION WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING. 0 "' e2rv7nfi+arident ENCLOSED IS 'THE AGENDA FROM 11/.12/91. Davie AGAIN,• THANK YOU VERY MUCH. i�elot Pr+ss�deett 1 . Betty Ferp Don ~ _ lib "m Previdlent rlobian Newlandt YOURS VERY TRULY, �, daonetary ryoldoro Butter JOHNNIE R. McMILLIAN �; .... _ AsNstant aserrtary _. _......... _ _ .. __ _.. , _._.. -•- • ----• - .. � �-Q / . .6haron Jackson ti ;v,;,;� v l ' � .i _ .. � ,c,U'•.ca„/' . treasurer • c. Brian Rort 'RECEIVED D"mttsaerat conasel her Btlnallorio1Nov 19 t991 I 'ii10A1C1U Awn" vm ton, specew counstl .1ohnDur.ape" Coun..1. A.a.1cd. INTERNAL.AFFAIRS l�ecvtl�s eommta+et: �Ma.1111y /astdn lea. Mt�oent+r Sotde . . �e,,. vtcoor r. aa*y ` ' ilea irons r�xenram rple, Cbsrles Drab fleas ttort lei 0, Dstie »Drina Submi fled into the public Am rlalre we rr ou-Nan ra" r�--ct in connection tv'th wr� ,ally t•wlr . .r�ntoeralty � f.3 on Z .Z ' Iw. Ardurr.Jlsela�../r. Aa..Jenidn. ablrley.bbnser; Matty Hirai City Clerk BMW" "m 9 2-. 241- f 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 JOSEPH CALEB CENTER 5400 N.W. 22ND AVENUE MIAMI, FLORIDA Submitted into the public record in connection with item 4- 3 on 4' • .1 - 9 � Matty H;: rai City Clerk NOVEMBER 13, 1991 WEDNESDAY, ,7:00 P.M. TRANSCRIPTOF PROCEEDINGS RE: MANUEL GONZALEZ-GOENAGA 92- 241.1 FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE MIAMI, FLORIDA (305) 653-6164 • � 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS of the NAACP held on Wednesday, the 13th day of November, 1991 commencing at 7:00 p.m. at the Joseph Caleb Center, 5400 N.W. 22nd Avenue, Miami, Florida, with JACK W. GRAVELY, Chairman, presiding. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: JACK W. GRAVELY, Chairman Coordinator NAACP Police Conduct DENNIS COURTLAND HAYES, ESQ. General Counsel, NAACP JANICE WASHINGTON, Assistant Director of Branches, NAACP Hearings JOHNNIE McMILLAN, President Miami -Dade County Branch NAACP Submitted into the pu�?ic record in connection with item —y-3_ on Natty Hirai City Clerk 92- _241•I. FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE I, FLORIDA (305) 653-6164 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Submitted in�Clhe public record in CO3l ucction with item on Matty Hirai (Whereupon, the following proceeding!plt&L-PlOkkad): CHAIRMAN GRAVELY: Mr . Gonzalez? MR. GONZALEZ-GOENAGA: Good evening, my name is Manuel Gonzalez-Goenaga. G-O-N-A-L-E-Z G-O-E-N-A-G-A. Last name. I represent on behalf of myself and also I am president and founder of Citizens United Against Police Brutality, which is a corporation, nonprofit corporation to combat police brutality. Unfortunately, I went to the City of Miami with my own case October 16, 1990 concerning the Cuban macho policeman. I asked for some funds. Not funds. Actually an old typewriter which was given away and some office space and they refused. They did not want to hear of this organization. We have been under scrutiny and provocation by the Cuban police officers. While you were meeting here last night I was campaigning for Mr. Baret (phonetic) , who was running against Victor DeYurre. And Mr. DeYurre' s gang of policemen approached my car and 92- 241.1 FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE MIAMI, FLORIDA (305) 653-6164 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1� 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Officer Guttierez, a Cuban white fellow, told me that he was going to cut my testicles when I have not done anything. Before that on October 16, 1990 I was arrested for speaking-- campaigning for Senator Chiles for the governorship. I was arrested by Officer Chacon, another Cuban. And he mistreated me. I also had racial and derogatory remarks from sergeant Steven (unaudible), racial slurs for being a Puerto Rican. I went to the Office of Professional Compliance, the commissioners of the City of Miami, the Office of Internal Affairs and got my case with deposition and everything. And my dear friends, they have not done a thing and, -what they have done is cover up. They claim that I am crazy. I was even- they asked the State Attorney's office not to do anything. And Janet Reno's office ordered my psychiatric evaluation, which I okayed.' I have to admit that with these harassment from the police I might not to be okay today-,,. Submitted into the public record in connection vY ith item 3 on Natty Hirai 9 2 - 2 41.1 City Clerk FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE 4 0 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 v- 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 body knows I have this organization and they want to control it and they hate my guts. I have been told that by Cuban policemen, okay. I am going to fight them. I am also say to City Hall plead with them to take a thorough examination of the names of my case because if that thing happens to me it can happen to anybody else especially blacks and Haitains and I am white. And Mr. Suarez and all the other commissioners know I come from a well-to-do family. I have ' to admit I was born with a silver spoon. Yet the Cuban white policemen, this macho policemen, when you have a gun, stick and handcuff all these Kuban policemen are macho. And I have told over and over again that the City Commissioners are all -a bunch of And not only that, .it' s not only police brutality, dear. friends, just to give you an idea. I will stick to what have been done to this fellow. My brother it is a crime what. they can do with theSj1BridALsd ir'o yh pu,b.urt you emotionally some mic record in connection with item 4' 3 on 4 - • q �. Matty Hirai 9 2- 2 4 1- 1 City Clerk M MIAMI FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE FLORIDA (305) 65376164 . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 WRI times more than with a stick. And I am accusing the policemen. Mr . Suarez is a lot of crap. And the Cubans, generally speaking, hate the blacks. And they think that they are important because they were educated in Cuba. Also the Community Relation Board is bunch of crap. I have told the Commissioners of the City of Miami. The only way that I know how to react is by fire because the blacks put this community on fire. The Puerto Ricans have to go on fire if that's the only way they know how to react. I was going to insight people to burn city hall. Mayor Suarez threatened me with the police. He knows me very well. It has been constantly harassment because of this organization. I am not blaming the chief of police Mr. Calvin Ross for a particular reason. I have had a meeting with him. I have to give him a chance but unless those eight criminals who murdered that -- Killed Mercado are thrown out of the police, I will fight the police until the last blood that is in my bod y . Submitted into the public No t on 1 y th a t. record in connection with item &4on 4' - 3 -t� Dlatty Hirai City Clerk 92- 241-1 MI M FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE FLORIDA (305) 6 5 3 - 6 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2,1 22 23 CHAIRMAN GRAVELY: One more minute. MR. GONZALEZ-GOENAGA: Police brutality has to end no matter what happens. And the best solution is to fire them because that is one thing they came to trial in Federal court. But you know there is a big difference between legality and justice and that all these lawyers are a bunch of manipulators. They convert. They are trained to convert the truth into a lie and a lie into the truth but everybody knows that those eight policemen murdered a human being. CHAIRMAN GRAVELY: Thank you, Mr. JGoenaga. (whereupon, other participants made their. presentations) Submitted into the public record in connection with item u 3 on 4• s .4 Z Matty Hirai City Clerk 92-- 241-1 FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE MIAM1, FLORIDA (305) 653-6164 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 r-� - At, Mr. HAYES: Mr. Goenaga, What do you mean when you call the police off icers "macho officers"? MR. GONZALEZ-GOENAGA: Well, I mean that these are Cuban white policemen who are accustomed to the old ways in Cuba and they — because they act like soliders. In other words, they treat even their own community like soliders. And there are a few of them that don' t but I have declared war against the police. And I want to specify here that I have never have any problem whatsoever with any black of f icer . My only problems have been with the Cuban macho and I may have said in the City of Miami Commission meeting that these Cuban machos if they are, so much of a macho they should go back to Cuba and try to kill Fidel Castro. You see. And I have also said that likeI did not come to this country running away from communism. Yes, all these Cubans left Cuba -when they should have fought Fidel from within. Submitted into tl9b PXb3j9 e macho m e n a r e t h e ones w h o record in connection with item 4 3 on Matty Hirai 9 2_ 2 1. City ('IeTk FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE MIAMI, FLORIDA (305) 653-6164 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 are abusing not only Puerto Ricans, and I understand that you heard Mrs. Rondon last night and the Haitian community, which I am proud of them because there is a Cuban police mafia within the police department. MR. HAYES: So you feel that a -- MR, GONZALEZ-GOENAGA: No, I don't feel that. I am sure. MR. HAYES: Let me ask my question. Do you feel there is a cultural background — MR. GONZALEZ-GOENAGA: Definitely. MR. HAYES: -- to the attitudes — MR. GONZALEZ-GOENAGA: Definitely. MR. HAYES -- that some Cuban officers-- MR. GONZALEZ-GOENAGA: Definitely. Yes. Because the Cubans think that they are the super Cubans. That they on top of all the Latin nations. And let me tell you something. I was educated in Cuba; so I know the Cubans too well and Submitted into the public they cannot fool me. You see. record in connection with item-8-3— on _ 4.1 • Q ."t A'Tatty Hirai 241-1 City Clerk FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE MIAMI, FLORIDA _ ___�__ _ _A3_05�653-6.1.64 a. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 And I always said like yesterday's election in Puerto Rico we were taught by Luis Munoz Marin, who taught the Puerto Ricans that you never sell your vote. You lend the vote. And these Cuban mafia-- I am talking now the Cuban American National Foundation financed Mr. Victor DeYurre. He purchased the black vote and he went to the Puerto Rican community to purchase the Puerto Rican vote. Let me tell you something these Cubans and I went today to all the radio stations, the Spanish-speaking stations that are not present here. And they are also, these Spanish-speaking stations are a bunch of cowards and they live only for the albitron because they are only worried about I money. CHAIRMAN GRAVELY;. Okay, thank you, very much Mr. Gonzalez. (whereupon, other participants were interviewed) Submitted into the public record in connection, with item - L 3 on 4 -.2 - 91. Mailty H'rai C_ty clerk 92- 241-1 FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE - —.. MIAMI-, FLORIDA_.._ (305 ) 653-6164 MIAMI, FLORIDA ��® 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 CERTIFICATE ,STATE OF FLORIDA ) I ss COUNTY OF DA DE ) I, STEPHANIE BUTLER, Court Reporter and Notary Public for the State of Florida hereby certify that I was authorized to report the foregoing proceedings; that said witness, was duly sworn; that the foregoing pages constitute a true and correct record of the,testimony. I further certify that I am not an attorney of any of the parties, nor a relative or employee of any attorney connected with this cause and I am not financially interested in the outcome of this matter. WITNESS my hand in the City of Miami, County of Dade, State of Florida, this 16thday of March , 199 2. GIA FOSTER rt eporter and Notary Public MY CO;MISS ON EXPIRES: March 16, 1992 Submitted into the public record in connection with item - y a on 4�- 4 Z Matty Hirai. 9 2 - 2 4 1.1 City Clerk FLORIDA REGIONAL REPORTING SERVICE MIAMI, FLORIDA (305) 653-6164 General Douglas McArthur, Commander, United Nations Forces had this to say about the fighting 65th in Seoul, South Korea in 1951: "The Puerto Ricans forming the ranks of the gallant 65th Infantry on the battlefields of Korea by valor, determination and a resolute will to victory, give daily -I testament to their invincible to al ? Y tY to the United States and the fervor of their devotion to those immutable standards of human relations to which the Americans and Puerto Ricans are in common dedicated. They are writing a brilliant record of achievement in battle and I am proud indeed to have them in this command. I wish we might have many more like them." �a l� 92-- 241•t anion o discussion of the issue of defamation can take place without a rudimentary under- standing of the First Amendment of the United States Consti- tution. Similarly, no dis- cussion of the relationship between the media and an exile group can shed much light without an understanding of the way the media uses this constitutional right in order to shield themselves from criticism when they misstate facts, slant news and opinion, omit important aspects of a matter while giving promi- nence to the trivial, and tarnish unduly the individual and collective good name of an ethnic group. The pertinent part of the First Amend- ment states: "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..." From that simple declaration, and from a whole body of Supreme Court opinions interpreting it, the media has concocted a set of hallowed tenets which they would like all the rest of us to accept as saved and around which they permit us to tread only so lightly before they accuse us of intolerance, lawless- ness, ignorance of what they deem the most fundamental of all human rights. HELPING The Mayor of Miami has some ideas regarding the media. They may suprise you BY XAVIER SUAREZ In fact, the corresponding rights to be informed truthfully about public events (a collective right) and to have one's name respected (an individual right) are just as important as the freedom of the press. When the media carelessly tarnishes the good name of an individual Cuban, or of all Cubans, it violates those basic rights. Some redress must be found for those violations, and some reform must be implemented to prevent —or at least reduce —future violations when it is evi- dent that they are part of a systematic attack on those rights. In this effort, the law of defamation has a glaring deficiency: it does not per- mit a lawsuit for libel to be filed by a large aggrieved party, such as an entire ethnic or national -origin group. Cubans as a whole --or even Cuban -Americans -- cannot file suit when a newspaper ridic- ules our image. When that happens, it is incumbent to explore other avenues of redress, including the simple but com- pelling tactic of a public critique (a con- demnation) of the medium committing the transgression. That is perhaps the single most im- portant reason for the creation of the Cu- ban Anti -Defamation Committee. It seeks to analyze the generalized perception of bias and inaccuracy in the media's cover- age of Cuba and Cubans. It seeks to alle- viate that problem, if it is found to be a reality and not just a perception. And it seeks to open channels o communication between Cubans and the f t � e Submittec, Lo the Public record ill coil JACc lo`.1 with item t-t oil media, so that they can cover better our activities, views, etc... and we can under- stand better their mechanism of dissemi- nation of news and opinion. This last point should be doubly emphasized. In 'what can only be termed an arrogant lack of awareness for the world around them, the media in this country have come to believe that their strange system of publishing is the only one around. They seem blissfully igno- rant of the journalistic culture of other nations, including the predominant one in this hemisphere. They thus cannot eas- ily comprehend the consternation caused in the minds and hearts of immigrants when they find that the media here cares not one whit if the coverage tends to promote good will, ennoble the values of Matty Hirai sc eJJJt3qdtunderstanding among various groups. They are puzzled when the media seeks out controversy, spends immeasurable resources to uncover per- sonal transgressions and by prominent members of society, gives more promi- nence to a bankruptcy than to an enter- prise's first million dollars in profit. Al Neuharth, who founded U.S.A. Today, calls that sort of journalism the journalism of despair. He argues that it permeates in a special way newspapers like The New York Times, The Wasb- ington Post and The Miami Herald. He contrasts it to the journalism of hope which he tries to instill into his own pub- lications. An exile community can survive only with strong doses of hope. The cynicism of the media, the despair that it breeds compounds the hopelessness of an exile which is not in its fourth decade. Through its work, the Committee hopes to contribute to the journalistic culture of this country by injecting not only its news perspective but its mood and hope and triumph over the evil of tyranny. In the process, it might just help revive an institution (the American media) which has become mired in the muck of its own Manichean view of man, a view which paralyzes what could oth- erwise be the most enlightened civiliza- tion in history. Xavier Sudrex is Mayor of the City of Miami. Diva SI AL XITO SU ULTIMA CREAC16N Un Curso de Etiqueta b1sica en Video Cassette. ISea la anfltriona perfectal ZSabe usted qud vino servir con cads coauda, qu6 cops usar, c6mo quedar bien ante una situad6n embarazosa, como preparar un buffet, una cena formal, etcetera? LA CONDESA DI PERSIA OFRECE SEMINARIOS Y CLASES DE ETIQUETA ASI COMO CONSULTORIA PARA BODAS Y FIESTAS SIENTA LA SEGURIDAD DE SABER COMPORTARSE CORRECTAMENTE PARA MAS INFORMACION LLAMAR : 1-800-544-8197 1-305-442-4679 NOMBRE• DIRECCION: CIUDAD. EaTADO: -- . Adjurdo: Money order ( 1 Check I 1 VJ- I 1 MntorCerd ( 1 Ametim Expose I 1 FIRMA: NOMERO DE TARJETA: m�a H.Y6 pan w da maMpriad6n Y harquao Un tohl do i�4.Y0 f• awtro r aala aaraanaa ia►a raolbk w anvlo a9mWeaw N w F1wW&, &wow 0% do IraPeaala aohre N Wai MUMMARM - w C1wwf1M[ Dernocracy,_#W Free Elections, V 4-4 �i the Seriousness and the Honesty of the Governments . The seriousness and honesty of the governments is of paramount importance for the prevalence and respect of the democratic institutions.Very important is to keep this in mind, inasmuch as many believe that the prestige of democracy lies solely on free elections. c� Free elections are, without any doubt, one of the '~ basic elements of democracy. But do not necessarily imply, by that alone, the decorum and prestige of the democratic institutions. A government that does not act with the dignity that the circumstances require, maybe the product of free elections, but in the exercise r- of power it means no prestige for the democratic CJ o system. cc .m ldl When there is lack of sense of responsibility in the ... governments of democratic origin, this respresents not only a detriment to the good progress of the public times i administration but also for the already several 1= mentioned prestige of democracy. There may not be corruption in the management of the public funds or in o the granting of undue concessions, but still there is Cl harm involved for the democratic institutions. Q Of course, more serious is the corruption in itself, ME because that constitutes a criminal action done not by mistake but rather intentionally. It is an immorality even when in some cases artificial adjustments are done with respect to the law. There are many things that are legal but could be immoral. It is possible to maintain civil content when the peo- ple see that the government is the product of free elec- tions and, besides, the public trust is managed by that government with indispensable cleanliness in the sen- se of honesty and with indispensable sensibility in what pertains the sincere pursuit of correctness. Naturally, the democratic foundation of a regime, its good judgment and morality do not constitute, in an absolute sense, a sort of vaccine that prevents mis- takes. Human nature is not perfect and no matter how good intentioned a government might be, it can com- mit errors. But in those instances the people can see 9 2 — 240 through that the government did what it reasonably could to do things right and to manage the public trust with honesty. DernocrOrMe- - rtrs, the Serioushess and the Honesty of the Governments , The seriousness and honesty of the governments is of J paramount importance for the prevalence and respect of the democratic institutions.Very important is to keep -believe Uthis in mind, inasmuch as many that the • ;� prestige of democracy lies solely on free elections. `i :E: U Free elections are, without any doubt, one of the oo basic elements of democracy. But do not necessarily imply, by that alone, the decorum and prestige of the r, U democratic institutions. A government that does not n 63 a act with the dignity that the circumstances require, • maybe the product of free elections, but in the exercise ` of power it means no prestige for the democratic p g system. a� W m When there is lack of sense of responsibility in the governments of democratic origin, this respresents not only a detriment to the good progress of the public �' administration but also for the already several times Co mentioned prestige of democracy. There may not be 4 M corruption in the management of the public funds or in � J o the granting of undue concessions, but still there is CM harm involved for the democratic institutions. OE Of course, more serious is the corruption in itself, because that constitutes a criminal action done not by ® mistake but rather intentionally. It is an immorality even when in some cases artificial adjustments are done with respect to the law. There are many things that are legal but could be immoral. It is possible to maintain civil content when the peo- ple see that the government is the product of free elec- tions and, besides, the public trust is managed by that government with indispensable cleanliness in the sen- se of honesty and with indispensable sensibility in what pertains the sincere pursuit of correctness. Naturally, the democratic foundation of a regime, its good judgment and morality do not constitute, in an absolute sense, a sort of vaccine that prevents mis- takes. Human nature is not perfect and no matter how good intentioned a government might be, it can com- 9 2 - 241, mit errors. But in those instances the people can see through that the government did hat itreasonably could to do things right and to manage the public trust with honesty.