8 shot in Durham in less than 24hrs

Everyone has their take and opinion. Mine don’t count much because I ain’t no worldly intellect.. you know the kind. They can dunk. They can score (on field and other places). They can hit home runs. They hit 3’s. There are also the ones that sing (Babs and Bette come to mind), act (craftily lie on camera), do rap videos with backup’s performing simulated sex acts, pontificate and blackmail corporations to give my Rainbow Push coalition $$....etc

BUT, to me....the Durham situation is almost as out of control as in Mexico or Brazil or Venezuela. I travelled a lot to Brasil. 95% of the population would never go to Rio as most of the city was drug lord controlled and the police weren’t allowed in.

The shootings were gang related. Initiation or revenge. Those resulted in deaths. The others were merely subterfuge. They were either staged to make it look random or an “in your face” event to establish who is REALLY in charge.

There will be votive candles lit....and I am sorry for the families of the victims... There will be hand wringing. There will be political soap box speeches as to HOW the folks that pay taxes need to pay more to hep the folks that don’t work or don’t have the niceties of life. Wonder how many Gang Member are toting an OSP (Obama Smart Phone)?

I go to Duke hospital maybe 3 times per year... I do it in daylight. I would NOT allow a friend to go there if there was a chance of hospitalization....because it would be unsafe to visit after dark.

Rarely watch OTA TV. Turned on WRAL this morning for weather as I was doing my morning PT. Their News Tracker 5 was on the scene. Jim Goodmon probably called and told the reporters to go back to Raleigh and report on how fabulous Dix Hill Central Park was gonna be. Capitol Broadcasting and Jim boy have millions invested in Durham with the Bulls and the restoration. He does NOT want the public to know how dangerous Durham has become..

Out of control? How dangerous Durham has become?? Would not let a friend go to Duke if he/she needs hospitalization (because YOU are afraid to go there after dark)???

Painting with some broad, uneducated and naive strokes there, aren't you?

@Curmudgeon , I can't ever tell if Schewel is smart and just a stupid liberal, or just really an idiot.
 
Out of control? How dangerous Durham has become?? Would not let a friend go to Duke if he/she needs hospitalization (because YOU are afraid to go there after dark)???

Painting with some broad, uneducated and naive strokes there, aren't you?

@Curmudgeon , I can't ever tell if Schewel is smart and just a stupid liberal, or just really an idiot.
Maybe....but my "news reporting broad brush approach" pales in comparison to what the MSM does about certain events that involve innocents which they hold a political bias against.

I WILL report that this morning.....the following happened....according to WRAL....who's parent company has a BIG time investment in DT Durham.

"Civic and Religious Leaders SPEAK OUT AND DENOUNCE the Violence in Durham"....of the past few days.

Citizens were quoted (those in their 60's) that Durham has become UNINHABITAL.....due to the GANG and DRUG and CRIMINAL violence. They interviewed many at the Votive Candle Service.

Civic Leaders say that THEY will allocate funds for "Programs that offer underprivileged individuals" an ALTERNATIVE to gang violence, drug peddling, deplorable behavior, ad infinitum.

The above was the gist of the story. Having driven in Durham a lot....and I avoid it....it can happen anywhere. I was picking up some wire racking for our church that I purchased on CL. It was in a fairly well secured Warehouse complex. So, we drove in. While selecting and loading our purchase (maybe 45 minutes), we could not get back out. The street was closed with Crime Tape. 3:45 PM on Thursday. I DID feel well protected as I was coming back from a full day of banging at my wife's farm and was armed heavily in the back had had protection within easy reach...

THAT was maybe 2 years ago.

SO....I report and Folks DECIDE...
 
I have had some good experiences in Durham. Never felt unsafe in the downtown area while going to and from ballgames. I will say that the 5 years I worked in Durham I got to the ending to a home invasion and high speed chase after a bank robbery.
 
@TomGCherry there are sections that are, um, "significantly less desirable" than others (see my post above regarding the Lawson Street and Liberty Street areas). But by and large, aside from those areas, there's honestly not much of a problem. Totally agree regarding bias with WRAL and its' owner's financial investment. Weird with that, that WTVD will be broadcasting Raleigh's Christmas parade.

I also agree that Durham's "leadership" (both county and city, but mostly city) is a large part of the problem that will in effect make Durham less safe.

You seem like a seasoned fella; look at the crime stats (all of them) of Durham now versus, say, 20, 25 years ago. Nowhere even remotely close. I think ('think' because I can't prove it) it's because of the urban gentrification and massive investment downtown; it's pushing violent crime east and south of downtown. The gang- and drug-related criminals, they have little to do with the people downtown who are content with paying $300K for a 1,000-square-foot condo and buying $20 cocktails and $25 food enroute to a $120/ticket show at the DPAC.
 
Anyone know of any good flea market gun sales happening this weekend? :confused:

Not in NC, however; when I lived in KY you can regularly buy/sell/trade long guns and hand guns at yard sales. There is an event (2x a year) called "Court Days" that was a genuine cornucopia of things that go bang!

Right in the street!

It was amazing!!!!
 
Here's a good one:

Mayor Steve Schewel told reporters Wednesday that more police officers are not the answer -- gun laws are. "Friends, I just want to tell you this. We are not going to stop gun violence in Durham until we stop guns in Durham," he said. "If we don't have common sense gun laws in North Carolina, like universal background checks and restrictions on flea market sales, if we're not able to do that then we are not going to stop this gun violence. And anyone that is telling you different is not telling the truth."

So homey with a record won't be able to get a gun becasue he can't pass the universal background check and the gun dealer at the flea market has to deny him a sale. Yeah, that'll work perfectly,

Anyone know of any good flea market gun sales happening this weekend? :confused:

That guy is a complete moron. He should be careful, his agenda is showing.

He says that it's a few lawless individuals that are responsible for the shootings, but more gun laws should solve all the problems. Um.... If it wouldn't interfere with his agenda I'd suggest he google "lawless".
 
That guy is a complete moron. He should be careful, his agenda is showing.

He says that it's a few lawless individuals that are responsible for the shootings, but more gun laws should solve all the problems. Um.... If it wouldn't interfere with his agenda I'd suggest he google "lawless".

Mayor is all over the place, blaming everyone but himself, the town council, and the voters that put those idiots in place. He blames those that don't obey laws, but wants more laws placed on the lawful. And the mayor said the city is working on a long-term plan to tackle the root causes of crime, by concentrating on mental health and drug addiction programs, and bringing affordable housing and more jobs to the city. Yea, that's why people are shooting each other. Not enough jobs or affordable housing.
 
That guy is a complete moron. He should be careful, his agenda is showing.

He says that it's a few lawless individuals that are responsible for the shootings, but more gun laws should solve all the problems. Um.... If it wouldn't interfere with his agenda I'd suggest he google "lawless".
Mayhaps we all out to bombard the idiotic mayor and tell him to chit chat with the snippy DA and her staff and to PROSECUTE the gun crimes. Then mayhaps he ought to sit down with the Lady COP and tell HER to go back to TARGETTING high crime neighborhoods.....as Toby Keith might have said in Whiskey for my MEN....Beer for their Hosses..." Then, TRY THEM. Clutter up the COURTS....the Public Defenders will love it. Get some Hard ASS Judges that have Grandkids in Durham....

We need some common sense and morality....OPPS....I FORGOT who (party and otherwise) was in CONTROL in Durham....

Round up all them bad boys and arrest them in the street
For all the people to see
 
Mayor is all over the place, blaming everyone but himself, the town council, and the voters that put those idiots in place. He blames those that don't obey laws, but wants more laws placed on the lawful. And the mayor said the city is working on a long-term plan to tackle the root causes of crime, by concentrating on mental health and drug addiction programs, and bringing affordable housing and more jobs to the city. Yea, that's why people are shooting each other. Not enough jobs or affordable housing.
One SHOULD note that there have been MANY scandals of corruption, bribery (drug, sex, $$) in the various "agencies" that were SUPPOSED to help the destitute....and that the elected officials put in their buddies, lovers, relatives, folks that had pictures of them, etc. THEN they skimmed off the TOP. That was a page out of the Clinton Foundation Playbook for administering "AID to Hurricane Victims"....or maybe it was Earthquake...
 
They mayor is kind of right, police do not stop or prevent crime, they are the after action force. The police chase people after the crime has already happened. We have had the US supreme court rule the police have no duty to protect.
 
They mayor is kind of right, police do not stop or prevent crime, they are the after action force. The police chase people after the crime has already happened. We have had the US supreme court rule the police have no duty to protect.
Maybe....and I am NOT the active commentor that you are. BUT, if you follow that logic, then any "DUI Check Point" would be illegal. I know that Rudy's practices in NYC were eventually ruled "illegal" in that there was active enforcement of gun laws and also weapons and such. BUT, it cleaned up NYC quickly and the idiot there....who is disliked MORE than Trump is (purportedly) has undone all of that and focused on Soda Straws and Big Gulps.

Seattle and SF and such can crack down on soda straws and idling and God only knows WHAT other crimes again the environment.....as well as ban their employees from traveling to NC among several other states that are NOT Pro LBGTQX per some "formula". BUT, the needles on the street. The defacating on the street. The camping on the street. THAT, they CAN NOT control. OK...I got it....the inmates are FINALLY in charge of the institution...

Durham may be a lost cause. The only thing it has going for it is do gooders that live in the burbs and work in the RTP....but the government is as inept, and corrupt, as a lot of the poor counties in NC. Vance comes to mind. If you followed the downfall of Vance, it started when they decided that ONLY Equal Opportunity candidates were going to be considered. The school board was classic. They fired more superintendents than Trump has had Chiefs of Staff. Some sued. OTHER were being sued. On Superintendent had the hots for one of her underlings and sexually harrassed him. The county settled for about 5 X her salary. The list goes on. Same for the local Commissioners. Crime is rampant.

Factoid for you....85% of the Single Family Housing in Henderson (County Seat of Vance) is RENTALS. Let that sink in. MOST of it is owned by "connected individuals" who are "Minorty Run" and protected from building inspections by the Commissioners who get free trips and free booze and free nookie from their buddies who leveraged and bought all the buildings.

It is unreal....
 
Maybe....and I am NOT the active commentor that you are. BUT, if you follow that logic, then any "DUI Check Point" would be illegal. I know that Rudy's practices in NYC were eventually ruled "illegal" in that there was active enforcement of gun laws and also weapons and such. BUT, it cleaned up NYC quickly and the idiot there....who is disliked MORE than Trump is (purportedly) has undone all of that and focused on Soda Straws and Big Gulps.

Seattle and SF and such can crack down on soda straws and idling and God only knows WHAT other crimes again the environment.....as well as ban their employees from traveling to NC among several other states that are NOT Pro LBGTQX per some "formula". BUT, the needles on the street. The defacating on the street. The camping on the street. THAT, they CAN NOT control. OK...I got it....the inmates are FINALLY in charge of the institution...

Durham may be a lost cause. The only thing it has going for it is do gooders that live in the burbs and work in the RTP....but the government is as inept, and corrupt, as a lot of the poor counties in NC. Vance comes to mind. If you followed the downfall of Vance, it started when they decided that ONLY Equal Opportunity candidates were going to be considered. The school board was classic. They fired more superintendents than Trump has had Chiefs of Staff. Some sued. OTHER were being sued. On Superintendent had the hots for one of her underlings and sexually harrassed him. The county settled for about 5 X her salary. The list goes on. Same for the local Commissioners. Crime is rampant.

Factoid for you....85% of the Single Family Housing in Henderson (County Seat of Vance) is RENTALS. Let that sink in. MOST of it is owned by "connected individuals" who are "Minorty Run" and protected from building inspections by the Commissioners who get free trips and free booze and free nookie from their buddies who leveraged and bought all the buildings.

It is unreal....

DUI check points are a joke and should be illegal. If the police and/or government wanted to target drunk drivers, just have the cops set up in a bunch of bar/nighclub parking lots, that would be active police work.
 
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Maybe....but my "news reporting broad brush approach" pales in comparison to what the MSM does about certain events that involve innocents which they hold a political bias against.

I WILL report that this morning.....the following happened....according to WRAL....who's parent company has a BIG time investment in DT Durham.

"Civic and Religious Leaders SPEAK OUT AND DENOUNCE the Violence in Durham"....of the past few days.

Citizens were quoted (those in their 60's) that Durham has become UNINHABITAL.....due to the GANG and DRUG and CRIMINAL violence. They interviewed many at the Votive Candle Service.

Civic Leaders say that THEY will allocate funds for "Programs that offer underprivileged individuals" an ALTERNATIVE to gang violence, drug peddling, deplorable behavior, ad infinitum.

The above was the gist of the story. Having driven in Durham a lot....and I avoid it....it can happen anywhere.

I did a quick search on WRAL.com and quickly grew tired of right-clicking links for recent stories about Durham's violence this week. Here are just a few that I found after oh, about 15 seconds of looking:

https://www.wral.com/teen-fatally-shot-as-violence-grips-durham/18731493/
https://www.wral.com/durham-police-...-shooting-sends-two-men-to-hospital/18731562/
https://www.wral.com/four-shootings-in-less-than-24-hours-has-durham-residents-on-edge/18731886/
https://www.wral.com/durham-mayor-speaking-about-recent-shootings/18732935/
https://www.wral.com/durham-city-leaders-speak-out-on-recent-deadly-violence/18733582/
https://www.wral.com/durham-city-leaders-seek-solutions-after-bloody-violent-24-hours/18733553/
https://www.wral.com/durham-leaders-grapple-with-response-to-violence/18733990/

There are plenty more, if you'd like to read/watch them. You won't find a news media fan in me, but I don't think WRAL is hiding anything or trying to cover up anything.
 


No offense to your comments sir, but is I didn't know better, based on your stats, you could be a MOLE for Capitol Broadcasting. As an EX WRAL'er, back in the late 1960's, who while at NCSU, worked many years for WRAL and their miniconglomerate....and then have friend who stayed more many more years and left when Jim Goodmon took over the reins, I can provide a little factual insight as well as commentary. I ran Audio for Jesse Helms when he did is editorials. I knew AJ and Fred and a few others like Virgil Duncan, the Chief Engineer. They were really very nice people. SMART....YES....and tended to be for the rights of the common man. That was the intent of the editorials. Mr. Helms was totally sincere. I talked a little politics and policies with him from time to time. He always had time for folks to stop in.

Back then, we had a VP in charge of Bumper Stickers. He would patrol the parking lot and IF any WRAL employee had a Political Sticker, then he would write down the plate and we would run it at the DMV. YES...the DMV gave us FULL access to their databases. I once saw a strange car at my GF's home and ran the plate and asked her about that. There were a few perks. SO, Mr. Policeman would call in the offending employee. Remind them of the NO POLITICAL STICKERS rule and they would remove them.

That is a FAR cry from what is going on today. I can give you a FEW examples...

When the Tobacco Trail in Durham was the hot spot for muggers and an occasional "sexual predator", WRAL ran NOTHING. It was NOT until WTVD ran the stories and THEN WTVD moved their main studio to downtown Raleigh that the REAL news about Durham started to leak out. Eventually, WRAL DID start to run a few stories. The N&O and the Durham Rag were all over it. Jim Goodmon, and CBC are the OWNERS of the Durham Bulls. They hold MOST of the downtown real estate. They are in it for the $$$$, not the community.

Fast forward a little. Do you remember the Hoopla over Dix Hill property in Raleigh. Pat McCrory small dunked Bev Perdue's little midnight shuffle to GIVE away the property to the city. OPPS. That did not HAPPEN. What DID happen was Jim Goodmon launched an "ad campaign" to get the property for FREE and accused McCrory of trying to HOLD UP the citizens of Raleigh. Now wait a minute....didn't the STATE own the property. So, the citizens of Transylvania county were supposed to just "GIVE IT" away to Raleigh because Jim Goodmon wanted it. Dig deeper. If you do some property searches and look at the LLC and LLP that now own ALL the property (or have options or leases) within about 3/4 mile....then go to the Secretary of State's data base and pull the annual reports and also the list of "Agents" and then do some cross referencing. HMMMMMM... Seems like Mr. Goodmon, who went to ALL the PUBLIC MEETINGS....and always PREFACED his remarks...."As a PRIVATE citizen I support....blah blah....GAG". Seems like some of Mr. Goodmon's close friends and sometimes business partners....as well as his son, Jimmy, had formed LLP and LLC and BOUGHT up all the surrounding property for development. I guess that did NOT impact Mr. Goodmon's judgement or bias his remarks.

Meanwhile....back at the ranch....it seems that Mr. Goodmon was not always as "Left Liberal" as he is now. He married a nice lady....who makes Barbara Streisand look like a MAGA hat wearer. She went back to Meredith....whilst my daughter was there. I have a little insight because my daughter had a Fletcher Scholarship. Seems that Mrs. Goodmon started to rehabilitate her hubby.....get rid of all the RIGHT WING stuff that Jesse preached. YES, I knew Jim Goodmon when he first came to WRAL. His job was to develop an automation system to get RID OF HIGHLY PAID CONTROL ROOM OPERATORS. Hmmm....such a humanitarian now. The downfall of that system was when the punch tape reader and the control CPU's clocks got out of sync and it shut down the TV station one afternoon. The final slide was "The Preceeding was brought to you by the Baptist State Convention". The electronic implosion blew every 5, 10 and 15 amp Buss fuse in every piece of equipment tied to it. We had to go to the various electronic places (Southeastern was BIG) and purchase ALL their fuses. The station finally got back on the air and the Audio-Video Lock "device" was fried. They flew in a new one. BUT, all the kings men and all the kings horses had to MANUALLY plug and unplug the Video and the Audio directly to the Main Control Room for several days. We had hand and verbal signals.....that was Mr. Goodmon's contributions.

OPPS....you are a person that likes FIREARMS. Well now, GUESS which Local TV STATION, under the FOIA, got ALL the Concealed Cary Permit names and addresses from all 100 counties and the various municipalities. Then they paid for an INTERACTIVE data base to be ONLINE....via WRAL (surprise....surprise). So, you could go in....put in your address and find out that three of your neighbors down the street ALSO had CCW permits. You did NOT see the addresses....but they were in there and there was a LOT of hacking going on by various unsavory sorts to get the data....go figure the rest.

YES....WRAL reports. BUT, they do NOT chasitse the GANG or their Members. They merely play on the heart strings....for the human interest STORY. There have been MANY people that have had good ideas or expressed their outrage at how the Durham City Council, City Manager, Mayor, COP, etc. have FAILED to react. They have attended council meeting and made reasonable pleas for going back to "ENFORCE the Laws.....we have enough of them.....let the COURTS do their JOB". Funny thing, I can read about their presentations elsewhere...but they NEVER make the WRAL news.

OK....that is it for me. I have said my piece. I KNOW that you are a fine person and I should not have called you a MOLE....but if you have the history of WRAL and how they suppress the facts and color or bias their reporting....then you would understand. They could teach CNN and MSNBC a few tricks along those lines.

Final POINT. McCrory was elected. THAT is when they set up their "Capitol Reporting TEAM". Hired some really smart and capable people....JUST FOR THE SAKE of destroying the McCrory administration. WHERE were these folks when Jim Black was on the take? Where were they when the lottery was passed and the KEY board members were NOT OF McCRORY's Party. How did WRAL get to do the LOTTERY drawing. My neighbor goes over there most nights. They have a SMALL closet sized room with the balls and such. The RENT or the "FEED" revenue is unbelievable....as it is controlled by CBC.

EOR....thanks for listening to my rebuttal.....all of which is fact....from 1964 on....
 
I was making the point that Durham seems to always be in the news for its shootings but you don't see that in amount of reported shootings in Raleigh with twice the population
 
No offense to your comments sir, but is I didn't know better, based on your stats, you could be a MOLE for Capitol Broadcasting. As an EX WRAL'er, back in the late 1960's, who while at NCSU, worked many years for WRAL and their miniconglomerate....and then have friend who stayed more many more years and left when Jim Goodmon took over the reins, I can provide a little factual insight as well as commentary. I ran Audio for Jesse Helms when he did is editorials. I knew AJ and Fred and a few others like Virgil Duncan, the Chief Engineer. They were really very nice people. SMART....YES....and tended to be for the rights of the common man. That was the intent of the editorials. Mr. Helms was totally sincere. I talked a little politics and policies with him from time to time. He always had time for folks to stop in.

Back then, we had a VP in charge of Bumper Stickers. He would patrol the parking lot and IF any WRAL employee had a Political Sticker, then he would write down the plate and we would run it at the DMV. YES...the DMV gave us FULL access to their databases. I once saw a strange car at my GF's home and ran the plate and asked her about that. There were a few perks. SO, Mr. Policeman would call in the offending employee. Remind them of the NO POLITICAL STICKERS rule and they would remove them.

That is a FAR cry from what is going on today. I can give you a FEW examples...

When the Tobacco Trail in Durham was the hot spot for muggers and an occasional "sexual predator", WRAL ran NOTHING. It was NOT until WTVD ran the stories and THEN WTVD moved their main studio to downtown Raleigh that the REAL news about Durham started to leak out. Eventually, WRAL DID start to run a few stories. The N&O and the Durham Rag were all over it. Jim Goodmon, and CBC are the OWNERS of the Durham Bulls. They hold MOST of the downtown real estate. They are in it for the $$$$, not the community.

Fast forward a little. Do you remember the Hoopla over Dix Hill property in Raleigh. Pat McCrory small dunked Bev Perdue's little midnight shuffle to GIVE away the property to the city. OPPS. That did not HAPPEN. What DID happen was Jim Goodmon launched an "ad campaign" to get the property for FREE and accused McCrory of trying to HOLD UP the citizens of Raleigh. Now wait a minute....didn't the STATE own the property. So, the citizens of Transylvania county were supposed to just "GIVE IT" away to Raleigh because Jim Goodmon wanted it. Dig deeper. If you do some property searches and look at the LLC and LLP that now own ALL the property (or have options or leases) within about 3/4 mile....then go to the Secretary of State's data base and pull the annual reports and also the list of "Agents" and then do some cross referencing. HMMMMMM... Seems like Mr. Goodmon, who went to ALL the PUBLIC MEETINGS....and always PREFACED his remarks...."As a PRIVATE citizen I support....blah blah....GAG". Seems like some of Mr. Goodmon's close friends and sometimes business partners....as well as his son, Jimmy, had formed LLP and LLC and BOUGHT up all the surrounding property for development. I guess that did NOT impact Mr. Goodmon's judgement or bias his remarks.

Meanwhile....back at the ranch....it seems that Mr. Goodmon was not always as "Left Liberal" as he is now. He married a nice lady....who makes Barbara Streisand look like a MAGA hat wearer. She went back to Meredith....whilst my daughter was there. I have a little insight because my daughter had a Fletcher Scholarship. Seems that Mrs. Goodmon started to rehabilitate her hubby.....get rid of all the RIGHT WING stuff that Jesse preached. YES, I knew Jim Goodmon when he first came to WRAL. His job was to develop an automation system to get RID OF HIGHLY PAID CONTROL ROOM OPERATORS. Hmmm....such a humanitarian now. The downfall of that system was when the punch tape reader and the control CPU's clocks got out of sync and it shut down the TV station one afternoon. The final slide was "The Preceeding was brought to you by the Baptist State Convention". The electronic implosion blew every 5, 10 and 15 amp Buss fuse in every piece of equipment tied to it. We had to go to the various electronic places (Southeastern was BIG) and purchase ALL their fuses. The station finally got back on the air and the Audio-Video Lock "device" was fried. They flew in a new one. BUT, all the kings men and all the kings horses had to MANUALLY plug and unplug the Video and the Audio directly to the Main Control Room for several days. We had hand and verbal signals.....that was Mr. Goodmon's contributions.

OPPS....you are a person that likes FIREARMS. Well now, GUESS which Local TV STATION, under the FOIA, got ALL the Concealed Cary Permit names and addresses from all 100 counties and the various municipalities. Then they paid for an INTERACTIVE data base to be ONLINE....via WRAL (surprise....surprise). So, you could go in....put in your address and find out that three of your neighbors down the street ALSO had CCW permits. You did NOT see the addresses....but they were in there and there was a LOT of hacking going on by various unsavory sorts to get the data....go figure the rest.

YES....WRAL reports. BUT, they do NOT chasitse the GANG or their Members. They merely play on the heart strings....for the human interest STORY. There have been MANY people that have had good ideas or expressed their outrage at how the Durham City Council, City Manager, Mayor, COP, etc. have FAILED to react. They have attended council meeting and made reasonable pleas for going back to "ENFORCE the Laws.....we have enough of them.....let the COURTS do their JOB". Funny thing, I can read about their presentations elsewhere...but they NEVER make the WRAL news.

OK....that is it for me. I have said my piece. I KNOW that you are a fine person and I should not have called you a MOLE....but if you have the history of WRAL and how they suppress the facts and color or bias their reporting....then you would understand. They could teach CNN and MSNBC a few tricks along those lines.

Final POINT. McCrory was elected. THAT is when they set up their "Capitol Reporting TEAM". Hired some really smart and capable people....JUST FOR THE SAKE of destroying the McCrory administration. WHERE were these folks when Jim Black was on the take? Where were they when the lottery was passed and the KEY board members were NOT OF McCRORY's Party. How did WRAL get to do the LOTTERY drawing. My neighbor goes over there most nights. They have a SMALL closet sized room with the balls and such. The RENT or the "FEED" revenue is unbelievable....as it is controlled by CBC.

EOR....thanks for listening to my rebuttal.....all of which is fact....from 1964 on....

No offense taken, but you'll have to forgive me for ignoring much of your great wall of text. Not sure what "stats" you are referencing but no mole here, for what it's worth. That would be a mighty long con to join this fine community (by invitation no less) pretty much on day #1 of its existence, then pay money to support said existence (which active members such as yourself are always encouraged to consider doing), all while racking up a few thousand posts, a few good friends, and spending a few thousand dollars buying guns and other 2A accoutrements in our classifieds. That's a lot of dirty work for a Capitol Broadcasting spy. BUT, full disclosure ... I did love Bulls games when I lived in Durham. And I loved Durham, too.

Again, the mainstream media sucks. We agree on that. And Durham has a disproportionate amount of crime and violence for its size. Most of us agree on that as well. However, all I'm saying is that I haven't seen any shortage of reporting on it from WRAL, regardless of its various Bull City interests.

Cheers.
 
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As a long 20 year resident of Durham, I'll suggest that Durham take a page from East Palo Alto, Ca Red team concept, of which I was a member of for several years. Hard times call for hard actions. But, we won the streets back..
Enjoy the weekend all.
 
Demo a few more ghetto neighborhoods and continue raising property and cost of living prices and push all the poor blacks out of Durham. Problem solved... Just like Raleigh did 20 years ago...

Make it someone else's problem and claim victory...
 
Demo a few more ghetto neighborhoods and continue raising property and cost of living prices and push all the poor blacks out of Durham. Problem solved... Just like Raleigh did 20 years ago...

Make it someone else's problem and claim victory...

I’m not sure we can fix the above problems, but the city of Durham can damn sure start to fix the problem of not enforcing the law and start putting and end to some of the lawless behavior. Cowards all. I want the decent “blue-collar” city I moved to 20+ years ago back.
 
I’m not sure we can fix the above problems, but the city of Durham can damn sure start to fix the problem of not enforcing the law and start putting and end to some of the lawless behavior. Cowards all. I want the decent “blue-collar” city I moved to 20+ years ago back.

I was being sarcastic, sort of... That is pretty much what Raleigh did with its minority crime problem though. Push/spread them out. Instead of a few bad neighborhoods they're spread around the surrounding suburban towns where there's a remnant of affordable housing. They're working on large scale busing operations out to Wendell now where they just quietly bought huge tracts of land for low income high density housing. More liberal "not in my backyard" thinking in action...
 
bigfelipe, I understood your comments but, they were/are the easy way to solve a problem. Yet, I'm tired of trying to be part of the solution when those in need (?) refuse to help themselves, and only expect/demand more.
 
bigfelipe, I understood your comments but, they were/are the easy way to solve a problem. Yet, I'm tired of trying to be part of the solution when those in need (?) refuse to help themselves, and only expect/demand more.

Agreed... While it's not a real fix, it's the only way Durham will turn it around... Sad really...
 
90% of the violent crime occurs within a specific 10 block radius
:starts writing response. looks up to see what forum this is in. deletes response to avoid the panty twisting of cultural marxist indoctrinated members and pissing off the B team for said panty twisting derailing* thread. writes PC response instead:

We must teach boys that crime is wrong. And we must confront the white male patriarchy that fosters this crime.

:retreats back to the dungeon:
 
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Agreed... While it's not a real fix, it's the only way Durham will turn it around... Sad really...

That, or when Caucasian millennials with Connecticut and Colorado license plates, who pay $2,000 a month for studio apartments in One City Center and $50 for haircuts right across the street, start getting shot. When that happens, developers will begin to think twice about spending millions on lofts and poké restaurants. Until then, it'll continue to be nothing but lip service, virtue signalling, and ass patting from City Council and Durham PD/SO/DA, because the vast majority of violent crime only targets a small minority of residents. Otherwise, it's primarily Subaru drivers in PAC3 neighborhoods encouraging folks on Nextdoor to leave their car doors unlocked, so dirtbags don't have to smash windows to get at all that treasured spare change.
 
No offense to your comments sir, but is I didn't know better, based on your stats, you could be a MOLE for Capitol Broadcasting. As an EX WRAL'er, back in the late 1960's, who while at NCSU, worked many years for WRAL and their miniconglomerate....and then have friend who stayed more many more years and left when Jim Goodmon took over the reins, I can provide a little factual insight as well as commentary. I ran Audio for Jesse Helms when he did is editorials. I knew AJ and Fred and a few others like Virgil Duncan, the Chief Engineer. They were really very nice people. SMART....YES....and tended to be for the rights of the common man. That was the intent of the editorials. Mr. Helms was totally sincere. I talked a little politics and policies with him from time to time. He always had time for folks to stop in.

Back then, we had a VP in charge of Bumper Stickers. He would patrol the parking lot and IF any WRAL employee had a Political Sticker, then he would write down the plate and we would run it at the DMV. YES...the DMV gave us FULL access to their databases. I once saw a strange car at my GF's home and ran the plate and asked her about that. There were a few perks. SO, Mr. Policeman would call in the offending employee. Remind them of the NO POLITICAL STICKERS rule and they would remove them.

That is a FAR cry from what is going on today. I can give you a FEW examples...

When the Tobacco Trail in Durham was the hot spot for muggers and an occasional "sexual predator", WRAL ran NOTHING. It was NOT until WTVD ran the stories and THEN WTVD moved their main studio to downtown Raleigh that the REAL news about Durham started to leak out. Eventually, WRAL DID start to run a few stories. The N&O and the Durham Rag were all over it. Jim Goodmon, and CBC are the OWNERS of the Durham Bulls. They hold MOST of the downtown real estate. They are in it for the $$$$, not the community.

Fast forward a little. Do you remember the Hoopla over Dix Hill property in Raleigh. Pat McCrory small dunked Bev Perdue's little midnight shuffle to GIVE away the property to the city. OPPS. That did not HAPPEN. What DID happen was Jim Goodmon launched an "ad campaign" to get the property for FREE and accused McCrory of trying to HOLD UP the citizens of Raleigh. Now wait a minute....didn't the STATE own the property. So, the citizens of Transylvania county were supposed to just "GIVE IT" away to Raleigh because Jim Goodmon wanted it. Dig deeper. If you do some property searches and look at the LLC and LLP that now own ALL the property (or have options or leases) within about 3/4 mile....then go to the Secretary of State's data base and pull the annual reports and also the list of "Agents" and then do some cross referencing. HMMMMMM... Seems like Mr. Goodmon, who went to ALL the PUBLIC MEETINGS....and always PREFACED his remarks...."As a PRIVATE citizen I support....blah blah....GAG". Seems like some of Mr. Goodmon's close friends and sometimes business partners....as well as his son, Jimmy, had formed LLP and LLC and BOUGHT up all the surrounding property for development. I guess that did NOT impact Mr. Goodmon's judgement or bias his remarks.

Meanwhile....back at the ranch....it seems that Mr. Goodmon was not always as "Left Liberal" as he is now. He married a nice lady....who makes Barbara Streisand look like a MAGA hat wearer. She went back to Meredith....whilst my daughter was there. I have a little insight because my daughter had a Fletcher Scholarship. Seems that Mrs. Goodmon started to rehabilitate her hubby.....get rid of all the RIGHT WING stuff that Jesse preached. YES, I knew Jim Goodmon when he first came to WRAL. His job was to develop an automation system to get RID OF HIGHLY PAID CONTROL ROOM OPERATORS. Hmmm....such a humanitarian now. The downfall of that system was when the punch tape reader and the control CPU's clocks got out of sync and it shut down the TV station one afternoon. The final slide was "The Preceeding was brought to you by the Baptist State Convention". The electronic implosion blew every 5, 10 and 15 amp Buss fuse in every piece of equipment tied to it. We had to go to the various electronic places (Southeastern was BIG) and purchase ALL their fuses. The station finally got back on the air and the Audio-Video Lock "device" was fried. They flew in a new one. BUT, all the kings men and all the kings horses had to MANUALLY plug and unplug the Video and the Audio directly to the Main Control Room for several days. We had hand and verbal signals.....that was Mr. Goodmon's contributions.

OPPS....you are a person that likes FIREARMS. Well now, GUESS which Local TV STATION, under the FOIA, got ALL the Concealed Cary Permit names and addresses from all 100 counties and the various municipalities. Then they paid for an INTERACTIVE data base to be ONLINE....via WRAL (surprise....surprise). So, you could go in....put in your address and find out that three of your neighbors down the street ALSO had CCW permits. You did NOT see the addresses....but they were in there and there was a LOT of hacking going on by various unsavory sorts to get the data....go figure the rest.

YES....WRAL reports. BUT, they do NOT chasitse the GANG or their Members. They merely play on the heart strings....for the human interest STORY. There have been MANY people that have had good ideas or expressed their outrage at how the Durham City Council, City Manager, Mayor, COP, etc. have FAILED to react. They have attended council meeting and made reasonable pleas for going back to "ENFORCE the Laws.....we have enough of them.....let the COURTS do their JOB". Funny thing, I can read about their presentations elsewhere...but they NEVER make the WRAL news.

OK....that is it for me. I have said my piece. I KNOW that you are a fine person and I should not have called you a MOLE....but if you have the history of WRAL and how they suppress the facts and color or bias their reporting....then you would understand. They could teach CNN and MSNBC a few tricks along those lines.

Final POINT. McCrory was elected. THAT is when they set up their "Capitol Reporting TEAM". Hired some really smart and capable people....JUST FOR THE SAKE of destroying the McCrory administration. WHERE were these folks when Jim Black was on the take? Where were they when the lottery was passed and the KEY board members were NOT OF McCRORY's Party. How did WRAL get to do the LOTTERY drawing. My neighbor goes over there most nights. They have a SMALL closet sized room with the balls and such. The RENT or the "FEED" revenue is unbelievable....as it is controlled by CBC.

EOR....thanks for listening to my rebuttal.....all of which is fact....from 1964 on....


Not to thread jack but I found this interesting to read. Any more experiences or examples (even if you have to create a separate thread)? I remember when WRAL use to be decent. Other than my wife likes to watch the weather on that channel, I've don't like to watch base on my perceived bias. I knew they went to the left but didn't know why.
 
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Not to thread jack but I found this interesting to read. Any more experiences or examples (even if you have to create a separate thread)? I remember when WRAL use to be decent. Other than my wife likes to watch the weather on that channel, I've don't like to watch base on my perceived bias. I knew they went to the left but didn't know why.
The WRAL Post did not seem to be relevant to some. Others, Maybe....

To give you the Reader's Digest version of what I wrote....hastily.....and some subsequent thoughts....

WRAL transitioned from being rather mainstream to ultraliberal. AJ Fletcher and Fred Fletcher were astute businessmen and did it the OLD FASHIONED WAY....they BUILT IT. WRAL in the 60's owned Montlawn Perpetual Care Cemetery on South Saunder's street or 70/401 South. YES....they owned the whole shooting match.. It was a money maker of the highest level. NOW....they also owned the adjoining property. One was called...."Par Golf". It was a 3 Hole Pitch and Putt. I played there many times in College with my wife....for FREE. WRAL employees and spouse were allowed one FREE round daily. We were poor college students and it was a nice way to break the monotony of studying. On the OTHER SIDE (further South), they owned "Happy Trails Riding Academy". Now....that was also FREE to employees. I may have the two, geographically reversed....but read on ..... it doesn't matter

From a business model perspective, they kept them as three separate "subsidiaries". So, Montlawn property was taxed by Raleigh and Wake County at a much higher rate than "semi-developed" raw land (Happy Trails and Par Golf). As the need to expand the cemetery grew....they just did a little "relandscaping" and then "sold" property from either one to Montlawn. It was a brilliant plan. Well thought out and well executed. NOW, the TV Station was STILL the cash cow.....but suffice it to say that their heirs would be OK with that perpetual care cemetery as "spending money".

WRAL also owned Woody Hayes Music. It was an "elevator" or Musac service. A business would pay a monthly rental for a specially tuned FM Receiver. There were TWO Channels. Elevator (restful for restaurants or whatever) and Upbeat (faster or quicker tempo for assembly line plants). They actually SHUT DOWN WRAL FM. In that, WRAL-FM was automated. There were NO....I repeat NO "Disk Jockeys". Everything was on tape. There were "tones" that signaled another tape machine. So, the staion breaks were controlled by a "Clock". I worked for a while in TV Production running Audio and Camera. I helped video tape Jesse Helms' Editorials. I also did Wrestling and Teenage Frolics (Remote Black Band Stand show with J D Lewis). I needed a full time job over the summer that would let me go to Summer School. I was moved to a WRAL-FM Control Operator. My job was to play the various "Farm News Shows". They had about 15 of them. Ray Wilkinson and someone else would take the audio from their TV newscasts plus all the "Cutting Floor" stuff and turn it into "Plantin' Time" or "Tobacco Talk" or "Some Fertilizer and Seed Company Show". I forget all the names. But from 4:30 until 9:00 every weekday morning, I had a air log and had to play each of the various shows (some were often repeated) at exactly the SECOND. I had to PUSH the magic button. That was an ALERT Tone that went out to ALL the "Tobacco Radio Network" stations. Every AM radio station into Southern Virginia and Upper SC and the FAR EASTERN NC counties were in the Network. These were FILL IN shows for them. WRAL (Ray Wilkinson and his assistants) produced the shows....the AM radio (and a few FM) paid for them....and WRAL got a cut from the advertising. It was a money maker of the first ORDER.

BTW....WRAL partnered with an FM Station in Winston Salem....so the shows were available in the High Point Triad area and "Fed" from that FM Station. It was BRILLIANT. Pay a college kid minimum wage for 5 hours or so.....5 days per week. They also, back then, owned WRAL-AM. It was a smaller competitor to the BIG GUY....WPTF. But it did OK. The morning Jocks would do the News....and it was then phone line fed to WRAL-FM and I played or aired the local NEWS....which was "NC Specific".

Fast paced and you had to be on the second (you could potty while Ray was interviewing Farmer Jones). When Ray Wilkinson did his TV interviews, he OFTEN used the peoples names..... SO he could use the Audio on his own little empire. He often shot 3X the video that he needed....because he new that he could use the "Fluff" stuff on his radio shows. He literally had 5 separate "Agricultural News" shows....each running about 5 minutes. When he was in the area, it was like a circus. All the farmers were there to be interviewed. He would drive around eastern NC and stop when he saw a guy on a tractor or pull into a large farm. The locals LOVED IT. They watched TV and told their families and neighbors that THEY would be on TV and RADIO.

WAY TOO CONFUSING....so, lets ADD to that. WRAL-FM was the ONLY local FM station that was NOT stereo. WHY? The "Combined Mono Signal" was what was aired on WRAL-FM. OK...I was an EE...so it made sense. To get Stereo, you have to broadcast a Sub Carrier FM Signal. It was a Multiplexed Frequency of the original FM Frequency (there WILL be a Pop Quiz). BUT, WRAL, used TWO Sub Carriers. Instead of it being the "LEFT Channel" like everyone else....they spit it and had TWO subcarrier signals. So, that was what broadcast the TWO Woodie Hayes Music Channels.

WRAL-FM put out the cash cow Tobacco Radio New or Network signals....much like a Football game is broadcast on the HOME station, but picked up, via FM, in the far corners of the state. WRAL's Subcarrier bands were the Woodie Hayes Music. SO, they HAD to keep WRAL-FM ON THE AIR....to make money.

THAT is the background.....

To your question. The Fletcher's supported the local "ARTS" programs. That enamored them with the Lawyers and Politicians and the Liberal Democratic community. Jesse Helms was the CONSERVATIVE. He brought in the OTHER side....

PERFECT. THEN....Fred's heir's were not "chosen" to take over the reins. The apple had fallen too far from the tree....so to speak. I had classes with one of the heirs and he was not gonna be the next GM of Capitol Broadcasting. AJ had a daughter. She married well and sired a son from a Mr. Goodmon. He was the apple of AJ's Eye.... He went to Duke (never graduated) in EE. He joined the Navy and then was married and due to the family connections was hired in broadcasting. He had LEARNED a lot from following his grand daddy around as a kid. He became the HEIR APPARENT. He came to WRAL in the early 60's and was the Automation KID....he shut down the TV station and was moved from Engineering to "Marketing"

Somewhere in his life, he had a LIFE CHANGING experience. As one friend, who's wife was a high level Administrative Assistant told me (he filled in a few gaps after I graduated)....Mrs. Goodmon began to "remold" Mr. Goodmon. The station started to drift to the LEFT....and it kept going.

Now, to Mr. Goodmon's credit. He IS a very astute business man. He learned at the feet of his Grand Daddy, AJ. I stand in awe of what he did, from a family and business standpoint, to grow the family wealth. BUT, he chose the Dark Side That was by design as he did not like it when he was "literally and figuratively" thrown out of his bedroom. There is a rumor that he had an apartment built in the basement and often spent the night there....but I can NOT confirm or deny that....as I was NOT there. BUT folks knew things were shaky at home.

SO....somewhere, he got with the program. Marital Bliss. His wife as a social shining star. He figured out HOW to capitalize on his new "personna"....the rest is history....

BTW....the recent "resignations" of two old time WRAL-TV personalities was a direct result....I am told....of certain "you MUST say this" mindset pressure. One had dire consequences and the other just said NO....I ain't gonna think like you and I will make a living in the industry on my own.

There you have it....
 
Not to thread jack but I found this interesting to read. Any more experiences or examples (even if you have to create a separate thread)? I remember when WRAL use to be decent. Other than my wife likes to watch the weather on that channel, I've don't like to watch base on my perceived bias. I knew they went to the left but didn't know why.

IMO none of these news outlets were ever decent. We just have the more open flow of information now via the internet. So now we are mostly wiser and better informed. The news people have been biased, lying toads since the 1st Presidential race. Nothing has changed. Go back to Soviet Russia when all the presstitutes were fawning over Stalin and saying there are no camps. Everything is utopia. They have always been liars. Turn them all off.
 
The news people have been biased, lying toads since the 1st Presidential race. Nothing has changed. Go back to Soviet Russia when all the presstitutes were fawning over Stalin and saying there are no camps. Everything is utopia. They have always been liars. Turn them all off.
One thing that changed was the infusion of marxists into America in the early 1900s, and especially in the lead up to, and during, WW2.

They then proceeded to take over the institutions, including the press.
 
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Interesting observation from the article:

A woman at the event asked why people were resorting to gun violence.

"You don't just put a gun in your hand and pick up a gun for no reason," said Charlitta Burruss, who lives in Durham. We need to "find out where these guns are coming from. These guns are not cheap."

They are cheap. Often times, they are free. The guns are coming from folks a few miles away in Hope Valley, Woodcroft, and similar hoods, who leave firearms in their unlocked vehicles at home. When I lived in PAC3, I received the regular e-newsletter and attended PAC meetings. Every month, it seemed like at least five handguns were stolen from unlocked cars. Durham police implored residents in nearly every communication not to leave their guns in their cars.

This fact, along with the fact that Durham leaders keep dismissing gun charges and releasing offenders (https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article234173622.html), helps answer your question, Charlitta.
 
Yes, seems like there is something illegal, certainly immoral about only prosecuting slam dunk firearm felonies especially in a jurisdiction that has a epidemic of gun violence.
 
BTW....the recent "resignations" of two old time WRAL-TV personalities was a direct result....I am told....of certain "you MUST say this" mindset pressure. One had dire consequences and the other just said NO....I ain't gonna think like you and I will make a living in the industry on my own.There you have it....

Fishel and Crabtree?
 
You guys talk about WRAL but how many remember the late 60’s (under the Capital Broadcasting Corp) editorials by the ultra-right Jessie Helms prior to his migration to DC?
ME....

I worked there. I could go in and talk to Jesse Helms (which I called Mr. Helms). I was almost T-boned by an elderly driver. I asked him about taking on a quest for "Re-Examination" of elderly drivers. He laughed.... He said, Tom....do you think that AJ would let me say that? All of his friends and our advertisers would take offense at that. AJ reviews and approves or discusses my "copy" before you tape me. "Laughing....a rarity for him" -- He said....I agree with you....but i have bigger fish to fry and this one would blow up. BUT....stop in anytime. I like feedback for young ( was 20) folks like you.

SO... YES...I know....and have discussed the transformation with many of the old timers (even SOME are STILL THERE....) as well as those that only have been there for 25 or 30 years. IT was a gradual thing.....like gaining weight. BUT, one day, they said, they got up and listened to what was being aired and it hit them. Many of them said that they had a drink before going to work. They are almost gone....and the ones that are there are buried deep in the organization....but know the facts.

I don't have any issue with good reporting or investigative reporting or digging into the truth. I have concern about reporting it like WRAL was a little CNN. And THAT is what it has turned into.

I DID watch the weather last night. The lead story was about the vigils in Durham. They did exactly as I described before. Interview the relatives. Interview the neighbors. THEN espouse the GUN CONTROL (er GUN SAFETY) and the need for "Intervention" programs and MORE resources....the politicians get MORE air time than do the folks at the vigils and the older folks are asking for MORE police presence and cleaning up of the streets and the gangs.

BUT, the City Manager, COP, Mayor, Council Persons, etc..... THAT WOULD BE PROFILING and TARGETTING....we need MORE laws to get the GUNS off the street. Get the GUNS off the streets and the violence will go away. ONE city (Baltimore), wanted to install cameras and microphones all over the city so they would KNOW where the shootings are quickly. UH....DUH....what good is that going to do? Turned out that one of their buddies was peddling the systems...

THAT is the problem....

EOR...
 
Durham mayor ("universal background checks will stop all this gun violence") was re-elected by a landslide last I heard. I guess the people of Durham will get the mayor they deserve. Unbelievable.
 
Jimmy J. I early voted this year and I don't remember the mayor being on the ballot, did I miss something?
 
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