Open Letter to the Buffalo News

Dear Buffalo News,
I assume that the intent of your article “Private party led to City Grill shootings, police say” was an attempt to establish some sort of motive for the senseless act of violence that took place last week. Indeed the concerned citizens of Buffalo would like answers, yet your article seems to provide anything but. Instead, you’ve distributed a racially charged article based solely on opinion, insulting and infuriating many law abiding citizens within Buffalo’s minority community. In your article you allow personal accounts from the Buffalo Police Department and the Buffalo Entertainment Group to portray private parties that “target the black community” as “gangster parties”. In addition, you allude to the notion that private parties are a breeding ground for “gangsters”, “drug dealers”, and “violence”.
As a former citizen of Buffalo, I rely on the news to keep me informed about my hometown. I expect to read facts and truth about what goes on in the community. After reading your article, I was left truly disappointed. If your intent was to establish a motive for the murders, you have completely failed. As opposed to slandering the name of Marlando Brannon, a young black entrepreneur who has positively influenced the community, why not search for real answers and stick to the facts?
Allow me to share a few facts with you that may better help you in establishing a motive for Buffalo’s violent crime statistics, and provide a more accurate account of the kind of people who attend Mr. Brannon’s parties. The facts are that I have patronized several of his parties whenever I come home to visit my family. I am an alumna of City Honors School, I have an undergraduate degree, and I am currently pursuing my Master’s level degree. Most importantly, I am not a “gangster” or “drug dealer”, I have no affiliation to anyone of such description, and I have no criminal background. While patronizing these parties, I have encountered a MAJORTIY of peers with similar backgrounds. People who come from loving families, are educated, community involved, LEGALLY employed, and are NOT criminals. The facts are that many law abiding citizens within the black community patronize Brannon’s parties because of the positive connotation associated with his name and True Life Entertainment. Personally, I have always felt safe while attending any of his parties and have never witnessed anything similar to the events that took place outside of City Grill last week.
Although this heinous act of violence is extremely disheartening and tragic, it is unfair to attempt to classify Brannon’s parties as “gangster parties” that are responsible for the City Grill shootings. Perhaps there may have been gang members and or criminals present at the party last week, as there are ALL kinds of people who attend parties. However, to label Brannon’s parties as gangster parties is a reckless, unfounded generalization. If the Buffalo News wants to determine a motive for the murders, why not go back to the Buffalo Police Department and anonymous “law enforcement officials” and ask the right questions? Question’s such as why the presence of police on Chippewa far exceeds the presence of police at “private parties that target the black community”? Why local political officials state that crime in Buffalo is statistically down when the number of murders from 2008 until now have significantly increased, including the 60 lives that were taken last year? Why tax payer money is being wasted on putting surveillance cameras throughout the city, yet most of the crimes in areas with these cameras remain unsolved? And IF the police have so much knowledge of the “private gangster parties”, why did four more people have to lose their lives before such parties were investigated? Most importantly, when can the citizen’s of Buffalo expect to see an arrest made of the person(s) TRULY responsible for the City Grill murders?
At best, your article is a ridiculous attempt to divert the attention from the real issues at hand. At worst, you have slandered the name of an innocent young black entrepreneur, insulted several members of the black community, and allowed the Buffalo Police Department to waste time that could be spent on solving this crime by speculating and making biased statements. It doesn’t take “gang associates who like to show off how much money they have” to want to celebrate with friends by spending $100 to $200 on bottles of alcohol. Nor does it require “gangster parties” for violent criminals to commit such brazen crimes on the streets of Buffalo. Perhaps, the police should focus on getting a handle on the spiraling crime that is seemingly spreading like wildfire throughout the city. Maybe this would send a message to criminals that their crimes won’t go unpunished, and discourage them from committing them in the first place. The Buffalo News, as providers of NEWS, should probably focus on gathering facts instead of distributing blog-style, offensive material. Buffalo News, I must say that you seem to have something in common with the Buffalo Police Department when it comes to this case…you’ve got the wrong guy.
Sincerely,
Mechelle Verse