 |
| Supervisor Loren "Shorty" Crabtree |
Members of the Sacramento Sikh Temple have asked for a meeting with Modoc County Supervisor Loren “Shorty” Crabtree after he remarked that people attending a Woodland auction were “wearing rags around their heads.”
"Given recent hate crimes and attacks against Sikhs in the Sacramento area, the remarks by Chairperson Crabtree are very troubling," said Amar Shergill, attorney and board member for the Sacramento Sikh Temple in an e-mail to the Modoc County Daily News.
Hate crimes and attacks against Sikhs in the Sacramento area referred to by Shergill include the fatal shooting last November of an Elk Grove grandfather who was gunned down during his daily afternoon walk with a friend who was also struck in the gunfire and remains in critical condition. Both were wearing turbans.
Last November a Sikh taxi driver in the Sacramento area was robbed and severely beaten by two men calling him Osama Bin Laden. The taxi driver was wearing a turban because he was Sikh, according to a KTXL-TV report.
"It is important that community leaders, like Mr. Crabtree and his audience at the meeting, understand that these types of offensive remarks have serious consequences,” Shergill continued. “It is up to us to educate our neighbors that the only group that wears turbans in the United States is the Sikh Community.
“Therefore, the Sacramento Sikh Temple has invited Mr. Crabtree and the entire Modoc County Board of Supervisors for a private meeting to discuss the remarks and learn more about the Sikh faith. Mr. Crabtree accepted our invitation. We trust that all parties will take this opportunity to deal with this issue in a constructive manner."
Crabtree confirmed he would meet with Shergill and members of the Sacramento Sikh Temple at a meeting tentatively set for Thursday, and that he intended to make a statement about his “rags” comment at tomorrow’s (April 26) Board of Supervisors meeting.
“They want to hear my side of the thing and what kind of guy I am and tell me about their religion and how it works,” Crabtree said. “Their religion doesn’t bother me a bit and I don’t know anything about it and I don’t want to know anything about it. What I said was a slip of the tongue, I guess. I’m just sorry I said it and I wish I could back it off.”
Representatives of the Sacramento Sikh community complained to Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, who represents Modoc County and he reportedly acted as a mediator in setting up the meeting, according to a knowledgeable source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for Nielsen.
Nielsen’s office did not immediately respond to repeated requests for a statement regarding his involvement.
It’s unclear if Crabtree -- or any of Modoc County’s supervisors -- will meet with the Sacramento Sikh Temple members on Thursday because he is scheduled that day to hold a subcommittee meeting on the county’s budget, according to Supervisor Geri Byrne, who is also on the budget committee.
Supervisors Patricia Cantrall, Jeff Bullock and Dave Allan did not immediately respond to e-mail messages inquiring if they intended to accept the invitation from the Sacramento Sikh Temple.
“Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world,” according to attorney Shergill. “Sikhs have been living and working in Northern California for over one 100 years. There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs in the United States and about the same number in Canada. Approximately 40 percent of American Sikhs live in California. Sikhs keep their hair unshorn as part of their commitment to live in harmony with the will of God. Therefore, the turban has immense spiritual significance for all Sikhs."
-- Ray A. March
28 comments:
OMG, do NOT send that Board to the meeting. I cannot imagine the damage that they could do! Evidence is in Shorty's comment that he doesn't know anything about their religion and he doesn't want to know. PLEASE don't let that group out of the county to embarrass us any further................
County Board Chair opens mouth, inserts foot again:
“Their religion doesn’t bother me a bit and I don’t know anything about it and I don’t want to know anything about it."
If their religion doesn't "bother you" then why are you afraid to "know anything about it?"
Just another "slip of the tongue," or is the County Board Chairman speaking candidly yet again?
Some of Modoc's elected officials fear of the unknown is downright prejudicial in and of itself.
Not wanting to learn new things or question them is a big reason behind why the county is in such sad shape today.
Appears someone(s) really have it in for Shorty. In all the time the Sikhs say they've been living in Calif. I've heard of not a single Modoc resident "attacking/harming" a one of them...not in the Sacramento area, not anywhere. If their religion includes some patience, I'd suggest Shorty "share" by first instructing them in every other religion existing in Calif., then they could tell him about theirs ... something he says he has no interest in learning about. Heck, have a town hall meeting and invite everyone. Watch the eyes light upon learning how much silk/fabric goes into one of those turbans and the cost of one. Am I the only one refusing to believe the Sikhs were not prompted into complaining to Nielsen? If even a quorum of the BOS attend I suppose a posted agenda would be required showing the only order of business to be religious instruction. I'd say Nielsen should be there, too. It is my opinion that a minority of bull-stuff stirrers in Modoc are behind the whole mess. Might even be some of those who helped Modoc into its current precarious state. Why move forward when kicking the hornet's nest can complicate and draw attention from those truly responsible for the damage at hand. What better use of public money and time than to force feed unwanted religion to Shorty. Gawd!
I guess if the Modoc board of supervisors attends both events, you could title an article about their day as "Rags To Riches"...
This should truly be an interactive lesson for the entire BOS. This may be what they need to propel them into the 21st Century and awaken them to the diverse world that America has become. They hopefully will come away with an understanding other than their own and if I was Shorty I would definitely get my "homework" done this time and get prepared to cook and eat crow with a smile on my face.
SELF IMPOSED IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE.
"I don't know and I don't want to know" has been the way Modoc officials have been doing things for too long. Using ignorance as the excuse for everything. Who can forget the statements by supervisor Cantrall about the missing money "nobody told us it was not legal".
Shorty's responses in this post are worse than the original "slip of the tongue". Shorty, please be quiet.
Silence Dogood. If you are so against citizens telling elected officials what they think, then you need to spend some time in China to get your perspective adjusted. These are not personal attacks against Shorty but serious objections to the way he is representing Modoc residents as our highest public representative.
Well, Silence, you continue to try to kill the messenger (someone(s) really have it in for Shorty).
Newsflash - it was what Shorty said, not him personally.
Then you try and deflect the message (not a single Modoc resident "attacking/harming" a one of them [Sikh]),and(how much silk/fabric goes into one of those turbans and the cost of one) and (Might even be some of those who helped Modoc into its current precarious state), as if these topics are is even remotely relevant.
What Shorty said was insensitive at the very least, and your comments simply add to the perception that Modoc residents in general are ignorant and insensitive when folks try to excuse this improper behavior by trying to make themselves (Modoc) the victim, instead of taking responsibility for what was said in the first place.
"I don't know and I don't want to know". What a dumbass thing for a public servant to say. Even more dumbass when you realize he meant it.
Listened to the first few minutes of the BOS meeting today. Heard Supervisor Crabtree's response to the responses of his April 12 statement. His response seemed pretty timid compared to the attitude at the time of the incident. Supervisor Crabtree seems to be concentrating on excuses rather than "cowboying up" and volunteering something like educating himself and maybe a bit of sensitivity training.
Not a word from Supervisor Cantrall about her loudly approving laughter at Crabtree's statement.
Let this be a lesson to those choosing to vote for someone well liked rather than someone well qulified. Mr. Crabtree, by his actions, has shown himself to be unqualified for the position he holds.
Cmon Silver, let's get out of here. HI-HO-SILVER AND AWAY.
Well, it would appear the culprits are all here. This entire overblown-out-of-context-and-pretend-calamity could have well been addressed by the Sikh temple religious order penning a letter to Shorty to explain why they wear turbans and why mistakenly calling their headgear "rags" frightens and disturbs them. Too damn easy, I guess. I've never killed a messenger in my life, but I've shot down wrong way deliveries more than once. Does anyone wonder what Nielsen will get out of "mediating" between "Shorty and the Sikhs" (there's a good book title)? How about religion-based votes from alleged Calif. Sikhs constituting 40% of the alleged 500,000 in the U.S.? Do you really think Nielsen gives a darn what goes on in Modoc, or what Shorty says? Nielsen is a politician. He cares about getting elected and maintaining a power base in a District he was elected to represent, although he does not reside in it. And that's illegal. But none in power will charge him with the offense, possibly because they fear having every religious order, tea drinking, p party 'publican running them down, too. News of separation of church and state apparently has yet to reach Modoc ... the last frontier of blind ignorance. I'm not including the educated and alert Modoc'ers in that last statement, by the way. Shorty did nothing wrong in my estimation. He exercised his freedom of speech which is a guaranteed legal right in this country. Sikhs have a right to their religion, but not a right to force it on others. If their feelings are hurt and they're frightened by Shorty, they have a right to say so ... they do not have a right to force instruction in their religion on him.
It is surprising, the critisism of those that spoke up about Shorty's "rags" slip. Those are the victims speaking up. Victims because Shorty represented everyone when he was speaking at that meeting. Shorty needs to apologize to Modoc residents as well as the Sikh community.
Sorry Dogood but Shorty is not the victim here and it is not personal to voice disagreement with an elected official's conduct, it is about as American as one can get.
So now even more bifurcation when it comes to assigning blame for the misspoken words of our highest county official at a public meeting - this time assigning more responsibility for Shorty's comments to Nielson and the Sikh's rather than to the real culprit, which is our board of supervisors ignorance.
Ron ... sorry, heh, heh,heh ... but them Sikh's you're so taken with do not live in Modoc. Why should they care what an elected Modoc official has to say about rags to other Modoc'ers in Modoc? Did it take use of a cattle prod on "Nielsen and the Sikhs" (another potential book title) to get them so charged up about nothing? If you hurry and get a book written ... choose either title ... maybe a movie studio would buy the rights from you. I suggest you and the other "victims of Shorty's slip" grow some things, thicker skin, for instance. You boo-hoo babies are the real embarrassment here.
sensitivity training?????? what about there sensitvity training, I guess 9-11 was there training. This is our country and we dont need to give it away to anybody. We have a constitution that allows free speech and it does not say anything about sensitivity. If they are so hurt by shorty then they should go home to where ever it is they came from. come on you bleeding hearts,those people hate americans. Even you ones defending them. What Shorty said does not offend the majority.
Dear Silence, you continue to berate those who disagree, and blame victims for the acts of others.
Mr. Crabtree's words and deeds represent (it is a "representative government" still, yes?) the citizens of this county.
The Sikh's care because people are dying in other places, simply because of the ignorance, speech, and actions of others.
Excusing this behavior of what some call free speech ignores the responsibilities that goes with it - you may have the freedom to yell fire in a crowded theater, but the responsibility for the consequences of that act remain the speakers - not the victims.
The real embarrassment here is that we still have citizens that know how to use a computer yet cannot accept that what we say and do here has consequences elsewhere.
More puzzling still is the continued insistance by some that everyone else or something else is the culprit here, including:
1) Amazingly, the Sikh turban itself (uses too much fabric and costs too much?)
2) Impatient Sikh's forcing religion down Modocer's throats - what?!?
3) State legislators that attempt resolution (just because yo don't like him doesn't mean he's part of the initial problem)
4) Thin-skinned bloggers who disagree with the minority
5) The lack of attacks on Sikh's in Modoc
And ad-nauseum...
Wow, I have read some really ignorant postings on this blog, but I'm telling you the recent posts by Silence and the one from April 26 1:14pm have got to be the most uneducated,ignorant to date. To try to blame anyone other than Shorty for his comments or the “if they don’t like it they can go home, this is OUR country remarks are beyond ignorant, ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge...this is plain down home STUPID, and you can’t do nothing with stupid.
Respectful and professional is what we are going for here. Common courtesy and etiquette. Where is Emily Post when you need her? There is a standard of conduct expected that includes ethics and cultural competency when you are an elected official. This is a knowledge, skill and ability that our elected officials should possess along with other social traits that accompany the position.
That's very good 1:14 PM. If it doesn't offend the majority, it's OK. Sure hope I don't live where you do and be in the minority about an issue. Seems to me there was once a holiday devoted to that type of thinking. It was called Crystal Night and it was all about majority rule and minority get out of the way. Since you wish to remain anonymous, I shall do likewise.
1:14 PM post. You don't indicate your race or religion but I assume you are Native American Indian. If you were of european decent you would be expelling yourself from here and back to europe or wherever your ancestors came from. It may have been wrong to take this land from your forefathers but it is done now and things have changed. Accept it and have piece in your life. The sikhs are here for good just like the europeans.
For this "illiterate" Crab-tree and who want to remain "illiterate"... and for people like him... and later they say "India is stealing our jobs... and for comments like "rags to riches"..... Just FYI..... Sikhs are already the "Richest" community of US and Canada and Second to Jews in UK.... And their status is same in all of the countries they live in..... Reason for this: They are Peaceful and Hard Working people..... They were a Martial Race... They have a High Self Respect for themselve... They Love all and Respect all.... but it doesn't mean that they should suffer "Racial Slurs (so called slip of tongue)" or Lethal Attacks quitely on them...... They have a full right to protest against that... Mr. Crab Tree... Mind your Foul Language (tongue)... If you are Ignorant and Illeterate.... then Learn it... or may be your Single Cell Brain can't bear this much knowledge...
Shorty Says... "Folks... I am an Illiterate... and Let me tell you... This is my birth right.. to remain an Illiterate... and no one.. I repeat.. No One.. can take away my this right... Even though I speak "Whatever" being an Illiterate........." Some in the crowd yell....... "Hail Shorty..... We approve your comment and follow the same..... Hail Shorty... "
What an example for our young people. Refuse to learn if you don't want to - it's your right to remain illiterate and stupid. You can still go into politics and kick but and make a good living in Modoc. After all, everyone will understand - you're a Modocer.
to the "anonymous" poster on April 26, 2011 1:14 PM: what on earth are you talking about? what do sikhs have to do with 9/11? oh right, nothing. nothing except we were the first ones murdered in retaliation for something we had nothing to do with... saying sikhs hate america is absurd. you clearly have no idea who we are or what you're talking about. people like you and shorty seriously need some cross cultural education.
Hurray for jkaur. Don't wait around while someone else assumes to speak for you. Great to see a post frrom you. They'll never get that cross cultural education looking at the south end of a northbound cow. That is where Shorty got his advanced educational degree.
Now that Shorty will meet with the Sikh, what non-issue will Ron and crowd use next to divert attention from the real problems facing Modoc. For the one poster, Shorty is not the highest county representative (or whatever you called him). The Sheriff is the highest official in the county because he has the power of arrest. That's what I was always taught anyway. Didn't get my instruction from the county Republican Central Committee, though.
Isn't anyone listening to the non-communication from the board and administration. There are two months left in the fiscal year and why has no one asked where the county stands, the county is still broke and the transparency is gone. The county is in worse shape this year than the same time last year. Someone needs to start asking questions making them accountable
I am a Canadian Sikh, born in England and with family who originally left India in the late 1800's and went to Africa as part of the British Empire.
My great-grandfather wore a turban, so did his son, and his son, and me, and now my sons. Sadly, the greatest disservice we Sikhs do is a failure to explain WHY!
When Muslim extremists (radical Islamists)of the Mogul Empire invaded India, they set out to forcibly convert all those who were not Muslim to their religion. Basically, the choice was to convert to Islam or be killed! (But why the turban? Be patient and read on.)
"Sikhs" -- with our turbans and all -- were the people who assembled to stop this forcible conversion and mass murder of non-Muslims. Sikhs became an army of the people, in the truest sense. Sikh warriors came from virtually every religious, social, and economic background.
But WHY do we wear turbans?
In short, the Muslim rulers were hellbent on asserting their authority and they banned the right of any group to assemble, bear arms, or wear a 'crown' of royalty -- the turban. This could only be worn my Muslim royalty, they commanded.
Since then (1699), the Sikhs insisted on assembling in groups, bearing arms to protect those unable to stand up for their own religious freedom, and of course, started to wear the turban as the crown of royalty and a symbol for all to know that a Sikh was among them. And, for as long a Sikh was among the masses, the masses had nothing to fear because they knew that Sikhs would die in the defense of all around them, no matter what their religion.
You should know that Sikhs fought and died in the tens of thousands while battling the Moghuls (who provided the seed for today's modern-day Taliban). By the way, we died defending the rights of Hindus, Christians (they've been in India for 2,000 years), Jews, Buddhists, Sufis (moderate Muslim philosophers), and all other religions in India at that time.
You should know that Sikhs fought valiantly in both World Wars and were among the first to land in France --- turbans and all --- to fight Nazi Germany.
Above all, you should know that when you see a turban and are in a room with a Sikh, he (or she) will give their life in YOUR defense. Because, simply stated, this is what we have always done.
Actually 2:47 pm the Sheriff is not the highest official in the county. Statutorily the District Attorney is the "Chief Law Enforcement Officer" and a Superior Court Judge is 'higher' yet. Just think about it, a supervisor is elected only by the people in a district, while the DA, Sheriff and Judge are elected by a countywide vote. In any case the Chair of the BOS is an embarrassment to the county. Sad, but true.
Post a Comment