Music by Kat Edmondson: Be the change you want to see in the world (click here)

David Brooks' blog (NY Times) -- Bullies Lack Compassion for Others

April 13, 2011, 12:34 pm

Thoughtless or Careless

¶Are bullies amoral or are they simply cruel? That is to say, do they bully others because they don’t know the difference between right and wrong, or simply because they don’t care about other people’s feelings? Gianluca Gini, Tiziana Pozzoli and Marc Hauser studied this question for the Journal Personality and Individual Differences. They studied 719 children between the ages of 9 and 13 and found that those who engaged in bullying had advanced moral competence. They could make sophisticated distinctions between moral and immoral conduct. They scored low on measures of compassion, though. This reinforces a growing body of research that suggests knowing right from wrong is not necessarily connected to behaving rightly or wrongly. Moral lectures don’t work well, but telling people stories designed to arouse compassion might.

Judith Seraphin's letter in Sunday's New York Times Magazine (April 17, 2011)

The first slaves in the territory that we now regard as the United States were not brought to Virginia in 1619. That happened 54 years earlier, when our nation’s oldest European-founded City, St. Augustine, Fla., was founded by Spain’s Pedro Menéndez de Avilés on September 8, 1565. Menéndez’s contract with King Phillip afforded him three years to import 500 African slaves.
Judith Seraphin
St. Augustine, Fla., e-mail

Secretary of the Interior Appoints Diverse Members to St. Augustine 450th

The Secretary of the Interior has appointed diverse members to St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission, including former UN Ambassador Andrew Young, who led non-violent civil rights activists here, resulting in passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

It was worth the wait. On July 15, 2009, I wrote Secretary of the Interior Kenneth Salazar and asked him to appoint a diverse membership as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Citing to the FACA statute and case law, I advised Secretary Salzar that "St. Augustine’s 450th Commission needs Americans with expertise in national parks, civil rights, ethnic studies, museums, geography, ecology, history, anthropology, archaeology, sociology, tourism, business, and other relevant fields."

Why? Because the Commission needs to be balanced, not a group of rich white guys who would fit in with WILLIAM B. HARRISS' golf foursomes. Why does it matter? We need a diverse committee in order to evaluate fairly the proposals for a Civil Rights Museum, an I-95 interchange for West Augustine and King Street ("here we right a wrong") and St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and Scenic Cosatal Parkway.

The City of St. Augustine had expressed the view (under then City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS) that it wanted rich and powerful people to serve on the St. Augustine 450th Anniversary Commemoration Commission -- people who were "affluent" and "politically influential." How gauche.

Was HARRISS' idea to hijack the Commission with rich white guys, thereby preventing meaningful discussion of the St. Augustine National Historical Park and Seashore and of the National Civil Rights Museum?

Last year, Mayor Joe Boles told a Jacksonville TV news program that there were "white people" in St. Augustine who opposed the Civil Rights Museum. Those unenlightened "white people" apparently include hate site operator MICHAEL GOLD f/k/a "MICHAEL TOBIN" and his secretive backers.

By federal law, the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the St. Augustine 450th Anniversary Commemoration Commission is required to have a "fairly balanced" membership. So it is written. So it was done.

I have read the bios here of the Commissioners and I am impressed.

Thank you, Secretary Kenneth Salazar, for listening to the people of St. Augustine and for complying with both the letter and spirit of FACA.

We all look forward to working with the St, Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission and its members on our St. Augustine National Civil Rights Museum, I-95 interchange for neglected West Augustine and West King Street ("here we right a wrong"") and the St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway Act. www.staugustgreen.com

Secretary of the Interior Press Release: Secretary Salazar Announces Members of St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission

Date: April 15, 2011
Contact: Hugh Vickery (202) 208 6416

Secretary Salazar Announces Members of St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the members of the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission. Founded by the Spanish in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city in the continental United States. The secretarially-appointed members of the Commission will plan and carry out programs and activities to mark the 450th anniversary of the city’s founding in 2015.

“I am pleased that these passionate and accomplished individuals have agreed to serve St. Augustine and our nation by serving on this Commission,” Secretary Salazar said. “As stewards of our nation’s great history, the Department of the Interior and the Commission will work to ensure that the story of St. Augustine and our Spanish ancestors is recognized and preserved for generations to come.”

“The story of St. Augustine is a microcosm of the story of America itself, with a tapestry weaved by Native Americans, Europeans and Africans as the city developed, changed hands in times of conflict, struggled with issues of justice and equality and eventually flourished, ” said Director of the National Park Service Jon Jarvis. “The members of the commission will ensure that the anniversary will be an opportunity to expand the understanding and appreciation of the significance of the founding and continuing history of the city.”
Congress established the Commission as part of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 and charged it with ensuring a suitable national observance of St. Augustine’s 450th anniversary by complementing the programs and activities of the State of Florida and the City of St. Augustine.
The members of the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission are:

o Joseph P. Boles, Mayor of St. Augustine
o Katharine H. Dickenson, historic preservationist
o Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney
o Dr. Michael Francis, Professor of History, University of North Florida
o Dr. Michael Gannon, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History, University of Florida
o Senator Bob Graham
o Jay Kislak, President Kislak Mortgage Corp., National Park Foundation Board
o Eduardo Padron, President of Miami Dade College
o Bruce Smathers, Former Florida Secretary of State
o Robert Stanton, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Department of the Interior
o Father Thomas S. Willis, Pastor Cathedral Parish, St. Augustine, Florida
o Gordon Wilson, Superintendent of Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monument
o Ambassador Andrew Young, former Congressman, Mayor of Atlanta, and UN Ambassador

More detailed biographies of the commissioners are available here

Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine in 1565 under a grant from King Phillip II of Spain. St. Augustine was often a site of conflict as European nations competed with each other for control of the New World, and, at various times, the flags of Spain, England and the United States have flown over the city. Union forces occupied the city in 1862. In the 1960’s, St. Augustine was on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., led efforts to end segregation and secure equal rights for African Americans.

St. Augustine is home to two National Park Service sites, the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments. The Castillo de San Marcos, a castle built by the Spanish in 1672 to protect their interests in La Florida, is located in downtown St. Augustine, Florida.

For more information on the sites, please visit http://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm

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Mosquito Control District Rejects VIVIAN BROWNING’s Latest Schemes, WrecKord Does Not Report the News

Last night, the Anastasia Mosquito Control Commission rejected Commissioner VIVIAN BROWNING s latest schemes, including cutting a contract with the St. Johns County Sheriff to operate helicopter spraying of pesticides and building a new building at I-95 and SR 16.
The St. Augustine Record’s incurious reporter (Jennifer Edwards) was there and left in plenty of time to file a story, but the WrecKord carried nothing today.
VIVIAN BROWNING ululated against free speech when I spoke about Sheriff DAVID SHOAR and his lack of trustworthiness, as exemplified by his refusal to answer Record Editor Peter Ellis' questions about his bungling an FBI investigation, and for SHOAR's stiffing Open Records Act requests retaliating for First Amendment protected activity involving hate websites operated by his campaign manager MICHAEL GOLD f/k/a “MICHAEL TOBIN, whom SHOAR promised to contact five times in writing about his spewing Lashon hora and dividing our community.
VIVIAN BROWNING did not deny that SHOAR was ethically impaired – she just didn’t want to hear it.
VIVIAN BROWNING said she trusted SHOAR, to which I replied that said a lot about her.
VIVIAN BROWNING s was the only Commissioner to complain about First Amendment protected activity regarding SHOAR.
VIVIAN BROWNING met with SHOAR without approval of Commissioners. When Commissioner John Sundeman met and wrote County officials, he was censured for it. VIVIAN BROWNING was not censured – no one made a motion to rebuke her for her ultra vires acts.
After the meeting, VIVIAN BROWNING denied that she is running for County Commission and denied that ex-Commissioner JAMES EDWARD BRYANT would be her campaign manager.

(MORE)

City of St. Augustine Press Release: Savings to City and Savings to Environment -- New Use of Common Elements at Wastewater Treatment Plant

Aerial of Wastewater Treatment Plant

The contact/post aeration basins are rectangular and located in the bottom right of the photo where the tests were performed.


Savings to City and Savings to Environment -- New Use of Common Elements at Wastewater Treatment Plant

Who would have guessed that a blend of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar could save the taxpayer's of the City of St. Augustine money and help the environment at the same time? But that’s what the recent side-by-side tests show.

According to George Lomax, Manager of the Treatment Plants, “this is the first wastewater treatment plant in the State of Florida and is probably the first in the nation to switch from chlorine/bisulfate to peracetic acid (PAA) as its primary disinfectant on a wastewater treatment plant with a five million gallon capacity.

Sewage drains throughout the city and finally empties into the wastewater treatment plant at 501 Riberia St. where it’s treated before being emptied into the Matanzas River.

Due to structures and equipment previously installed at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lomax was prepared to perform a trial test in real time using peracetic acid (mixture of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar) and the existing chlorination/dechlorination system in another. This way the results were able to be compared side-by-side in real time so that the results could be accurately compared.

The evaluation criteria were as follows: disinfection performances; aquatic toxicity; disinfection byproducts; chemical consumption and sustainability. The end result of the test was that the disinfection byproducts (DBPs) were non-existent with the PPA mixture than with the chlorination mixture which has been used for so many years.

As for when the city is going to begin using the PPA procedure, George said, “it will take some time to install the necessary equipment but we should get started by about June 1.” The program will be a 28% a year savings on the chemicals used as a disinfectant.

The story was a hit in Aprils (sic) [issue] of the Florida Water Resources Journal, a technical publication for the water treatment and wastewater treatment collection industry, with the headline that stated “Old City, New Ideas: Peracetic Acid in Wastewater Disinfection at St. Augustine.” For those interested in reading about the trial tests in more technical terms, the article can be found on the magazine’s Web site at www.fwrj.com

Lomax said “it's not often that decisions that make good business sense also help the environment. This is one of those cases.” For more information on the process contact George Lomax at 825.1045.

Does MICHAEL GOLD operating hate websites within WHETSTONE PLACE constitute a nuisance and illegal activity, violating the terms of condo agreement?

MICHAEL GOLD f/k/a "MICHAEL TOBIN" with mentor SHERIFF DAVID SHOAR

One of MICHAEL GOLD's "Anonymice" caps -- posting on GOLD's hate sites is anonymous.


HENRY M. WHETSTONE, SR.




VIRGINIA WHETSTONE and BRUCE MAGUIRE (left)



WHETSTONE PLACE office condo -- are sections 10.6 & 10.7 violated by GOLD's cyberstalking activivites directed at St. Augustine residents?


Political hatchetman and local hate website operator MICHAEL GOLD's bogus "Historic City News" has insulted civil rights hero Andrew Young, Mayor Joe Boles, and his hate websites have smeared and smeared dozens of local residents. Call it Lashon hora. See below.

The Florida Secretary of State website shows that GOLD's "HISTORIC CITY COMPANIES" is registered at 100 Whetstone Place. What do the WHETSTONES know about MICHAEL GOLD f/k/a "MICHAEL TOBIN" and his hate websites (plazabum.com and shamefulpeople.com) and when did they know it? GOLD formerly gave 1725 Lakeside Avenue as his business address-- that is a storage facility owned by the WHETSTONES.

Are the WHETSTONES giving significant encouragement, directly or indirectly, to hate speech, hate crimes and civil rights violations? Do the WHETSTONES approve of the vile obscenity, indecency, racism, misogyny, sexism, homophobia, anti-Gay, anti-progressive and hate-the-homeless bile on plazabum.com and shamefulpeople.com? Do the WHETSTONEs and BRUCE MAGUIRE share GOLD's views?

Like Sheriff DAVID SHOAR, former County COmmission Chairman BRUCE MAGUIRE (scion of a large land owning family and spouse of VIRGINIA WHETSTONE) publishes regular columns on GOLD's website, HISTORIC CITY NEWS.

The definition of misanthrophy, according to Wikipedia, is "Misanthropy is a generalized dislike, distrust, disgust, contempt, or hatred of the human species. A misanthrope is someone who harbors those views and feelings. The word's origin is from Greek words μῖσος (misos, "hatred") and ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos, "man, human being")."

Are MICHAEL GOLD f/k/a "MICHAEL TOBIN," HENRY WHETSTONE, BRUCE MAGUIRE, SHERIFF DAVID SHOAR, former City Manager WILLLIAM B. HARRISS et al. misanthropes who practice misanthropy on the Internet? Do they think it's funny to hide behind anonymity?

What do you reckon?

Does MICHAEL GOLD operating cyberstalking websites from within WHETSTONE place violate sections 10.6 and 10.7 of his condo agreement? Click on the green headline above to read the agreement online -- see bold emphasis below.

For more information, please contact:

Whetstone Properties LLC
Contact: Hank Whetstone
100 Whetstone Place, Suite 100
St. Augustine, Florida 32086
Cell 904-806-1745
Office 904-824-0888 Fax 904-824-0144

Here are the condo regulations in question:

10.6 Nuisances No nuisance shall be allowed on the Condominium Property, nor shall any use or practice which is a source of annoyance to Owners or which interferes with the peaceful possession and use of the Condominium Property be permitted. .... No Owner shall permit any use of his Unit or of the Common Elements which will increase the rate of insurance on the Condominium Property. Nothing shall be done or kept in any Unit or on or about the Common Elements which will increase the rate of, or result in cancellation of, insurance for the Condominium or any other Unit, or contents thereof, without the prior written consent of the Association....
10.7 Lawful Use. The Condominium Property may not be used for any immoral, improper, offensive or unlawful use. All applicable laws, zoning ordinances, and regulations of all governmental bodies having jurisdiction over the Condominium Property shall be observed.

Cyberstalking may constitute a crime and it is a noisome nuisance -- it should not be tolerated by other WHETSTONE place condo owners, or the WHETSTONES.

What do you reckon?

NO PLACE FOR HATE -- ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

Photo credit: City of St. Augustine


NO PLACE FOR HATE -- Kobe Bryant Fine Brings Focus on Homophobia and Racism

Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 by NBA for calling a referee a “f------ f------“.
Ironically, Kobe Bryant’s hateful remarks were the same day as NBA’s anti-homophobia Public Service Announcement.
The $100,000 NBA fine is righteous.
Homophobia is wrong.
Homophobia is as bad as racism.
Melvin Boozer, III was a Gay African-American man who was a delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention – the first openly Gay person ever to speak at a national political party convention. Melvin Boozer III told Democratic delegates from the podium “I’ve been called ‘n-----‘ and I’ve been called ‘f-----‘ and I can tell you what the difference is – NONE.”
Like racism, homophobia is a form of mental illness (and a social disease).
Here in St. Augustine, homophobia is on the decline.
Here in St. Augustine, racism is on the decline.
Once upon a time, Gay and Lesbian people were insulted by our City Commissioners, forcing us to go to federal court, where United States District Judge Henry Lee Adams, Jr. ordered the Rainbow Flags to fly from June 7-13, 2005.
Our First Amendment, in its majesty, triumphed. So did respect for Gay equality.
Dawn on June 8, 2005 came with 42 Rainbow Flags on our Bridge of Lions (and seven along the Bayfront), honoring St. Augustine’s GLBT people and their contributions to St. Augustine’s history.
The Rainbow Flags Case showed our community that GLBT people are everywhere.
While there are still KKK-style hate websites spewing vile homophobia on the Internet, their operator has no credibility (MICHAEL GOLD f/k/a “MICHAEL TOBIN” d/b/a “HISTORIC CITY COMPANIES” and “HISTORIC CITY MEDIA” and “HISTORIC CITY NEWS” and shamefulpeople.com and plazabum.com).
Pray for MICHAEL GOLD and his NICS and handful of backers to stop spewing vile hatred on the Internet – including hate speech directed at Andrew Young.
Atlanta was once called “the city too busy to hate.”
Let’s call St. Augustine “No Place for Hate,” borrowing the name of the ADL’s anti-hate campaign.
Let’s call on hate site operators to practice love, not hate, toward their fellow citizens.
Let’s adopt a human rights ordinance protecting GLBT people from discrimination.
Let’s follow in the footsteps of the Anastasia Mosquito Control Commission of St. Johns County, the first government agency in our region to adopt such a nondiscrimination policy (similar to those in hundreds of jurisdictions, which have adopted such laws and rules since February 1989, when in Denver the prestigious American Bar Association House of Delegates adopted our Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section’s resolution calling for nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing and public accommodations).
I was proud to be in Denver at the ABA House of Delegates that day, helping then-DOL Chief Judge Nahum Litt and other members of the ABA House of Delegates and staff to craft a floor amendment that carried the day.
I am prouder still to live in St. Augustine today -- where we will dedicate commencement of work on a new Riberia Street on April 18, the Footsoldiers Civil Rights Monument on our Slave Market Square on May 14 and the Andrew Young Crossing Memorial on June 11, 2011.
Our community is uniting behind the able leadership of City Manager John Regan, Mayor Joe Boles, Vice Mayor Leeana Freeman and Commissioners Errol Jones, Nancy-Sikes-Kline and William Leary.
We're looking forward to the National Civil Rights Museum and St. Augustine National Historical Park, Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway Act. www.staugustgreen.com
Keep hope alive!