Anaheim Observer Civic affairs in OC's largest city.
Quiz time! Who said the following last night during public comments at the Anaheim City Council: “Perhaps another riot will get their attention.”
A) a young firebrand from the Revolutionary Communist Party, or
B) the president-elect of the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association.
If you guessed A)…we’ll you should be right, but, crazily, you aren’t.
That literally incendiary statement was made by Diana Lopez, as noted the president-elect of the OC Hispanic Bar Association.
Apparently, the council majority’s ending of Cristina Talley’s tenure as city attorney warrants “the community” responding by rioting. That’s really lowering the threshold for urban rioting.
For those trying to follow the logic at work here, Ms. Talley happens to be a Latina — a fact no one talked about until her termination. The usual suspects have latched on to Talley’s ethnicity and are beating it like a rug in an attempt to inject a racial element into the matter. It’s textbook.
Is Ms. Lopez saying Talley’s ethnicity should immunize her from being replaced? If Talley were, say, Polish, what that mean rioting over her termination would not be appropriate? Is the message Lopez is communicating that she thinks the only means available for Hispanics to express themselves politically is by rioting?
This is the kind of rhetoric I would expect to hear in Oakland or Los Angeles or some polis where the civic culture is imbued by the world-view of the Left. But not in Anaheim, and let alone from an officer of the court.
This statement should be investigated by the state bar association – an officer of the court is inciting an illegal act. I hope the city presses charges after what we’ve been through since July.
How irresponsible!! I agree AnaheimFirst. She should be investigated and the Hispanic Bar of Orange County should immediately denounce her comments.
I think its worth noting that Union Bank is sponsoring her installation as the Bar’s new President, per their website. I am sure her comments must have had the PR department at Union Bank in overdrive today.
That is sick!!
This is very irresponsible!! OCHBA has several corporate sponsors. I think they should all rethink their support. You have the president of a business supported organization inciting violence in OC’s largest city. If their are riots over unfounded claims- that is bad for business. Bad for many of the businesses that support OCHBA. This is a complete embarrassment. THe credibility of this organization must be questioned as should her business at Douglas, Lopez and Rumm. Sorry, if I am hiring a lawyer, I do not want an irresponsible one. Shame on you, Ms. Lopez.
Corporations generally want to stay clear from negativity and will drop a controversial affiliate or spokesperson in a heart beat. US Bank and OCHBA’s other corporate sponsors will not want to muddy their brand with the likes of Lopez and her protesting posse.
And speaking of her posse, Galloway has yet to miss a good protest or even a bad one for that matter. You can always count on her to get the riot mindset going.
I’m with you Junior – “Sick” just about sums it up.
OK even I have to admit I was not at all comfortable reading that. I arrived at the event late and missed it so I cannot provide context, but it will be interesting to see when the video comes back how that was framed. After all, we are asked to take Natalie Meeks email in context while considering there may be different meanings in a statement. Right?
What do you mean you “have to admit” you were “not all that uncomfortable.” Really?
She called for more riots in Anaheim. Have you no moral compass?
Cynthia Ward, you being merely “not comfortable” when someone calls for violence in our city truly makes me sick.
As an appointed County Official you have reached an all-time low……
Disgusting.
Why do I come here. This is “reasonble guy?”
In your haste to condemn Cynthia, you read the OPPOSITE of what she wrote.
Personally I didn’t like hearing that comment either. I think she meant, “You guys don’t pay any attention unless there’s a riot,” but the way she phrased it sounded like a threat.
And it was also absurd – the riot of last July had nothing to do with corporate welfare, district elections, let alone Talley’s firing. Not to mention Ms Lopez isn’t exactly in the position to call a riot.
Not a fine moment.
Yes, why do you come here? And yes…. I can’t condemn Cynthia Ward and her comments fast enough.
Her refusal to condemn the comments suggesting that more riots might be needed in Anaheim is shameful. I wonder how she would feel if the riots she is “not all that comfortable with” impacted her kids. Would she still then call for more violence? Shameful.
For too long she has been getting away with bullying and making false statements about elected official she disagrees with – I guess that is her right.
As an appointed County Official, Cynthia Ward as an obligation to denounce calls for violence in our city.
Wow. And here I thought you’d at least be a little embarrassed for quoting exactly the opposite of what Cynthia said. Ah, the freedom anonymity gives one!
Vern – I think this dude thinks that CW ‘s statement was not tough enough.
He’s shifted smoothly to saying that now. But if you look above, he started out by claiming Cynthia said she was “not all that uncomfortable.” Just because he hates Cynthia so much, he imagines that she cheers on riots.
There’s actually a little irony here, which Cynthia might secretly note, as we remember the August of everybody blaming the riot on their own political opponents… Now it’s Cynthia who’s the deranged rabble-rouser!
(instead of Tait, or Galloway.)
In what context would you be comfortable with rioting as a response to firing a city employee?
Cynthia, I completely agree with you. Context is everything. Reading the story on VOC, which has been a vocal advocate of EVERYTHING Anti-Anaheim Establishment, you’d think they’d have elaborated on the comment as it was called into question. But no.
At the very least i’d expect Ms Lopez to offer a clarifying statement as well or make the full content of her statement available. But no.
So what are we left with but to assume that the statement stands on its own. As a proud member of the Hispanic community, I am troubled that there appears to be a line of thought that we have not earned our place at the table because we don’t get everything we want, when we want it and how we want it. Who will respect us if that’s how our leaders speak for us.
We should never, ever advocate violence or we risk all we have fought so hard to achieve.
Here’s one more reason no one should outright believe that anyone holds the Hispanic Community in the palm of their hands.
http://youtu.be/E3ZA7Ks58d8
According to the OC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Disneyland Resort is worthy of their 2013 Estrella Award for Corporate Citizenship.
Please stop lumping us all together.
Has anyone seen an apology or follow up? A comment like this is not something to take lightly and days are going by with silence.
To be fair to Cynthia, I’m sure if Kris Murray would have called for more riots she would also have wanted to take a step back and consider the context. Right???? Riiiigggghhhhtttt.
I said I was NOT AT ALL comfortable reading it, Reasonable Guy 2 reworded my statement to say “not all that uncomfortable” which is ironic given our discussion on context. I am used to folks here twisting my words, but going so far as to reorder them on the page and then bash me for their twisted meaning is beyond obnoxious. Reasonable Guy 2 seems anything but reasonable.
Cynthia Ward you just keep confirming what everyone on this blog is telling you. Your comments are shameful.
You think stating that you are “not at all comfortable” with more riots is appropriate? This isn’t about your level of comfort! You just don’t get it.
Let me make it simple for you. Do you condemn the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County’s elected leader’s suggestion of more riots in Anaheim?
It’s pretty simple, yes or no.
Given you are a County Official, we have a right to now if you support calls for violence in Anaheim
I expect more from my County Officials.
Readers: according the County of Orange’s website, Cynthia Ward (I assume this is the same Cynthia Ward, correct me if i am wrong) is the Chair of a County agency. http://www.occemeterydistrict.com
Oh yeah, the Great Anaheim Riot Of 2012. HA!
More aptly: a few hundred disaffected people surrounded by angry unemployed, poorly educated youth (and unsupervised). Being agitated by “community leaders” AKA political rabble rousers.
Remember Greg Diamond desperately trying to find a way into the drama, fresh off the Kelly Thomas tradgedy, Julio Perez failure and his own losing Senate race: “Look At Me…Look At Me…”!
protest march maybe…the great Anaheim Riot….me thinksnot
Vern Nelson and Jason Young clearly need full time jobs. Is there anyway to block them – no one wants to hear their insane diatribes. You would think their own blogs would keep them busy.
Of course, City Employee. If Matt wanted to he could ban me and Jason; then you all could have your own little wanking circle where you all agree with each other on everything. Would that be good for you, City Employee?
Wanking circle? You have such eloquence. The absence of your comments would only improve the quality of the content on this site. Anyone interested in what you have to say has plenty of options.
Are you serious? Several people on this blog seem incredibly ignorant and they are taking Ms. Lopez’s statement out of context. Has anyone here ever heard of a hypothetical? It appears to me that Ms. Lopez is urging the city council to act with more diligence and imperative BEFORE things even start to really get out of hand. It seems as though the city council is asleep at the wheel.
I guess I owe everyone here a measure of gratitude; after all, you’ve just reminded me as to why I’m glad I don’t live in “the OC,” where reactionary group think circle jerking still reigns supreme.
StopTheGroupThinkandJustThink- So if you do not live in OC or Anaheim, why the hell do you care? No doubt you are doing Mr. Tait’s and/or Ms. Lopez’s dirty work!