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Come On … Let’s All Help Out Larry
By Lafe Tolliver,Esq
Guest Column
Well, after the recent Blade article exposing the fact
that Toledo City Councilman Larry Sykes did not have a front
plate on his car and he was yelling profiling for what he
considered to be an improper stop, I am still wiping coconut
cream pie off of my face.
Why? I came out with an earlier column in support of
Larry for complaining about the stop and gave some legal
advice to others who may have been similarly stopped due to
possible racial motivation by the cops.
Now, we learn that due to Larry not having a front
plate on the car – which is a minor traffic law violation –
and that they could not read his partially obscured rear
license plate tag, the councilman was pulled over.
What can I now say but in a slow monotone voice:
Larry…Larry…Larry.
So, I am trying to make the best response possible under
these trying circumstances and have come up with the
following plans to save face:
I am trying to organize a perch/whiting fish fry for
Larry so that when he must renew his plates, he will have
enough money to buy two plates, one for the front of the car
and one for the back of the car.
It will be a simple undertaking with fried fish, cup of
cole slaw, rolls with butter, baked beans or collard greens
and a grape or orange soda. Nothing fancy. Just simple tasty
food.
I figure the dinner price at $8.95 but if Larry agrees
to sign the Styrofoam carry out containers with the moniker:
Larry Sykes…aka: Mr. Driving While Black, I can sell each
signed box for $13.95. This is destined to be a collector’s
item!
But here is the problem. Everyone I call around to for a
place to host this fund raiser is not returning my calls
when I say it is a fund raiser for Larry Sykes.
I was looking for a church building since so many have
a gym or a large back yard or a paved parking lot but no
dice.
I have called large churches and small churches and when
I talk to the head deacon or pastor, they quickly tell me
that they have an incoming call and that they will get back
to me. So far, out of 29 calls… no returned calls! What is
that about?
The closest location I have secured so far for this
event is the old V.F.W. Hall in Lima, Ohio on 3481 Airline
Parkway which is next to the Lima Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
I called local venues for rental space pricing and when
they learned that the event was for Larry Sykes, their
rental prices went through the roof.
One place that normally charges $150.00 for such events,
now wants $850.00!
I also called folks who have large homes with huge
yards and asked them to donate their space for a “BUY A
PLATE FOR LARRY!” event, and even then, all of the
homeowners starting copping out about how they needed to
spray their grass for weeds or they were going to be out of
town or they were about to do some serious landscaping.
So, my next act of charity for Larry was to inquire
about an educational course that, if completed, would allow
Larry to remove this traffic charge (no front plates on a
car) from his driving record.
It is a national and well-respected course that is held
twice a year in Akron and is an intensive one-day course
with 10 hours of instruction devoted to the following
topics:
7 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.: HOW TO KNOW THAT MY CAR ONLY HAS ONE
LICENSE PLATE ON IT. (taught by the Akron Ability Center
for the Blind).
8:00 a.m. to 9 a.m. Break time and heart breaking
testimonials by other “one plate only” graduates of the
course who were ostensibly stopped due to profiling by their
local police.
9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.: HOW TO CLEAN YOUR REAR PLATE SO
THAT POLICE CAN READ IT. (plate cleaner and rags
donated by Toledo City Council). Demonstrations of various
cleaning methods done in the parking lot.
11:15 TO NOON: Pizza lunch catered in by the Akron Police
Patrolman’s League.
Noon to 2 p.m: THE TRAFFIC LAWS IN OHIO. HOW TO OBEY
THEM EVEN IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THEM.
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: IS IT PROFILING….OR MAYBE IS IT JUST
ME? (GUEST LECTURER: Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins).
4 to 5 p.m.: CLOSING CEREMONIES and award of
certificates and closing remarks by former Mayor Michael
Bell.
The course cost is $1,050.00 but it is a bargain
because it changes lives and can possibly save many a
motorist from being entangled in a no-win roadside argument
with an overzealous cop.
Part of the funds raised by this fish fry would also go
towards Larry “One Plate” Sykes attending this valuable and
educational seminar.
So, it you can donate a space for this fish fry or want
to assist in frying the fish or cooking the greens or simply
just be there to show support for Larry, call: What Now
Larry! (942-866-9527).
Show Larry that you care….Call now! Operators are
standing by 24/7.
Contact Lafe Tolliver at Tolliver@Juno.com
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