Mike Alvear's Urge & Merge

That’s how much she thinks of the gay community. The woman who couldn’t be bothered to make an official statement about the police raid, listen to a deluge of citizen complaints, respond to dozens of media inquiries or answer letters written by respected gay organizations, finally gave us her thoughts.

Near the Hand Tools department.

A reporter for Southern Voice. “Southern Voice spotted her and presumably did a Red Dog take down of the Woman Formerly Known as the City’s Leader. She told the reporter that she was unaware that the police raid had torn the gay community apart.

“Early in the media I recall that there had not been complaints, there had been complaints in the media, but not formal complaints to the Atlanta Police department, so I don’t know what the flow [of information] was.”

Right. She just didn’t know. Never mind the five local channels carried the story along with every local print and online publication, not to mention the Associated Press and United Press International. Or the press conference that police chief Pennington gave about the raid.

She didn’t know. After all, she was shopping.

“If there are any allegations about misconduct it’s our intention to investigate them and take the appropriate action,” she said. “I believe that every person who lives or visits Atlanta should be treated fairly and justly.”

Presumably she cut off her one statement on the matter because she was later for the blue light special in Hardware.

What happened to the woman that gay people voted for in droves? I understand she’s got “Senioritis” as one friend put it (seniors in high school facing the last couple of months of school can’t bear the thought of attending classes).

I even understand that as a lame duck mayor she’s got very little power. But half the power of being a mayor is that you own the bully pulpit. You are the spokesperson for the conscience of the city. How much power would it take to simply say, “This is Atlanta, the home of Martin Luther King Jr. We don’t do shit like this.”

Forgive me, Martin.

Mayor Franklin, do you really care so little that you couldn’t make a simple statement unless your cart accidentally bumped into a reporter?

Mayor, if your yawn about this city gets any bigger they’re going to name a hurricane after it.

What Really Happened the Night of the Raid.

Mark Danack was watching the football game at his favorite bar, The Eagle, when he heard somebody yell, “HIT THE GROUND!” He thought a fight had broken out. The lights switched on and up to 30 cops were yelling, screaming and ordering everyone to the ground. The police had raided the bar.

“Shut the fuck up!” a cop yelled at one of the bar patrons who asked why they were being forced to lay face down on the grubby floors.

An acquaintance saw the police shove an 80 year-old man to the ground because he was moving too slowly.

“No questions! Do what you’re told or we’ll arrest you!” The officers threatened jail time to anybody asking why they were being held against their will.

The search and seizures began. Everything in everyone’s pockets was taken away.

“None of your goddamned business! Get back on the floor and shut the hell up!” Driver’s licenses were taken and put through a laptop screening.

“I said SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Three paddy wagons were waiting outside.

Nick Koperski was enraged. He knew he had done nothing wrong. Yet there he was, lying on the floor, face down, his pockets emptied. He had it better than some of the others, like Du-wan Ray, one of the bar’s managers. He was handcuffed on the back deck.

“I hate queers,” a cop said. Other officers–some plain-clothed, some uniformed– walked around the bar demanding to know who was in the military, threatening to report them to their commanding officers.

Sixty two men and the cops didn’t find a suspended license, a criminal prior, nothing. Not even a parking ticket.

The search and seizure uncovered nothing. No drugs. Not even a joint.

Finally, the men were ordered to leave but without their cell phones, wallets and other personal belongings.

Postscript:
Eight staff members were arrested and put in jail without bond. The charge: Dancing in their underwear without a permit. If it were not for the intervention of two Atlanta City Council candidates who contacted a judge who then set bail, the men would have spent the weekend in jail.

The lawyer retained to defend the bar said:

Anatomy of a Southern Sex Panic.