Thorns and Roses: The Worst, Best and Most Absurd (7/29)

We all should share the pain | Thorn

Gov. Andy has shut bars and cut restaurant dining-in capacity to 25% as a reaction to a coronavirus case spike. But the Kentucky State Fair, Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Kingdom continue on. Fair? As Seviche owner and chef Anthony Lamas told The Courier Journal: “It’s easy to point the finger, but we’re all in this together. It’s not a restaurant virus. It’s a community virus.”

Taylor case judge talks | Absurd

In what appears to be the first public comment from the judge who signed the five search warrants that prefaced Breonna Taylor’s death, Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Mary Shaw told CNN she could not discuss the case because she was “restrained in my ability to comment on ongoing legal matters.” But she said Taylor’s death “will stay with me forever.” And she told CNN she took more than 30 minutes to review the warrant applications and “made the probable cause determination required of me by law.” On June 10, The CJ reported: “Jefferson Circuit Judge Mary Shaw signed all five within 12 minutes.”  Which is it?

But Nulu Fest closes streets… | Rose

The latest stop for protesters was NuLu, where activists closed off Market Street, saying businesses are beachheads for gentrification and do not reflect and accept the Black population. The unannounced occupation of NuLu was done with wit and whimsy — a trampoline, art displays and a dining table so displaced residents had a seat at the table. The cops didn’t play along: 76 arrests were made. Jecorey Arthur, whose Metro Council District 4 primary victory just about makes him NuLu’s councilman, had a message for businesses there: “ … If you are that concerned about your business, then put boards up. But don’t be naive enough to believe that those boards are going to hide the fact that you don’t hire Black people. Those boards aren’t going to hide the fact that you don’t carry Black products. Those boards don’t hide the fact that you aren’t very welcoming to Black people in your business. You can put boards up all day long but they do not hide racism. Your board’s going to protect your glass, but it won’t protect your…”  Later, Arthur posted: “We’re not a threat to your business. We’re a threat to your system.”

You say shot, but I say not | Absurd

John “Grandmaster Jay” Johnson, head of the Not Fucking Around Coalition, said about the three people accidentally shot during the Black militia’s march here: “One person got hit in the leg. One dude got hit right here in the shoulder. The other girl got hit in the arm,” Johnson said. “That’s it. Nobody got shot.”

This article appears in July 29, 2020.