City and county leaders to discuss race relations, unity Monday evening
Dubois County radio stations WITZ, WQKZ and JUAN will host a panel discussion Monday night with city and community leaders to discuss how we can unite our county in the wake of COVID-19, unemployment, racial injustice and the civil unrest that followed.
The panel will be comprised of: Mayor Dean Vonderheide (Jasper), Mayor Denny Spinner (Huntingburg), Jodi Richardson from Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health, Eber Menjivar from ALASI, Dubois County Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter and Anna Grant from One Dubois County.
The discussion will be moderated by WITZ news director David Shepherd and broadcast live from the City Council Chambers at Jasper City Hall over the three stations and on social media.
“While we understand we will not solve the issue of race relations in one evening, the participants want to get the conversation started,” explained general manager Gene Kuntz. “We feel, as a community-focused radio station, it is not only the right thing to do for our community to have this conversation, but it is our responsibility to ensure we are creating a safe space to discuss these vital issues.”
There will be no live audience for this discussion.
The discussion will occur Monday, June 22, 2020 From 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Maybe next we could have everyone meet to talk about what to do about mean corrupt cops, corrupt prosecutors and corrupt judges in and around dubois county treating certain people like dirt for the past 40 years. Maybe we could have victims of this abuse come forward to tell their stories of abuse at the hands of those in power in and around dubois county in a public forum free from fear of reprisals. Who knows maybe we could have a display at the dubois county museum to expose the corrupt abusers and remember their victims. I bet that discussion won’t be taking place anytime soon.
Am assuming there might be a follow-up or update story on the discussion issues, results, etc. There were some major audio issues on the WITZ station for the first half-hour or so – at least where I was and on my radio, if not the best, and not sure if was the same on the others or how long it lasted – had to give up and didn’t hear/listen to any more. Was glad to hear some parts near the beginning about security issues – my take, at least – and that many older people are concerned with, that police will be firm with establishing law and order in preventing/thwarting anything of vandalism and damage by rioting “protesters” if, God forbid, it ever comes to that here – nothing of the insane inaction by mayors and police like in the big cities. Peaceful and law-abiding, yes – violent and criminal, NO.