After recently publishing an editorial opinion singling out the northeast quadrant of Tallahassee for racist tendencies, the Tallahassee Democrat published a “My View” by a northeast resident supporting their position.
The “My View” was titled, “Opinion: I will no longer ignore it when Northeast Tallahassee Racists speak out.”
The article, by Jeff Caster, the president of the Killearn Lakes Homeowners Association, thanked the Tallahassee Democrat for their editorial.
Caster wrote,
Thank you, Tallahassee Democrat for calling out my community, in black and white.
Neighbors: We have a problem. Past the breaking point, no longer can I do nothing or say nothing when Northeast Tallahassee racists feel safe to speak out and act out.
Caster gave no real life examples of the problems he had ignored. However, he focused on “Northeast Tallahassee racists” and indicated that this racism has been a persistent problem when he wrote,
Express your evil in a public forum, and I’ll respond the same. Long overdue, it’s time to hold Northeast trash accountable, to clean up our side of town, to put the trash out.
Few with an opposing view ventured onto Facebook to challenge Mr. Caster.
However, some did raise questions.
Peggy Munroe asked, “What did I miss? Is a whole quadrant of town being condemned for the actions of a few stupid kids?”
And Curt Hunter questioned Mr. Caster’s premise by writing, in part,
Visit the schools and see how the kids interact with other races and ethnicity; ask the minority football players at Chiles how they feel about the coach called out for being racist, or the white students how they feel about their beloved principal. We are all sinners and live in an imperfect world. The recent events creating such a frenzy should be called what they are – isolated incidences of poor judgment or ignorance, or in one case misrepresentation of facts – and not a gross mischaracterization of an entire geographical area of Tallahassee.
The overwhelming number of the approximate 30 comments supported Caster’s position.
For example, Rebecca Weider wrote, “Thank you Jeff. I am embarrassed by my neighbors who think being an open bigot is cute. It is not. And I stand with you and call them out. One by one.”
And Amber Waves wrote, “Yes! Many people insist that the northeast is the only acceptable part of town, yet consider themselves to not be racist because they don’t openly use the “n-word.” I’ve seen moms recommend carrying a gun at San Luis park because it’s ‘sketchy’ and speculate extensively that “car hoppers” plaguing Killearn must be commuting from the south side.”
Tallahassee Democrat Continues Northeast Racism Theme added by Staff on
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To the ignorant response writers judging Mr. Caster’s character: I have known him most of my life. I have never met a man who cares more about his community or other people in general than Jeff. The funny part is that however ignorant and misguided the opinions you have about him might be, he would fight tooth and nail for your right to express them. I, on the other hand will just call you closeted racist idiots.
This is why talking about race is difficult. Not one person had anything constructive to say about all the racial incidents in that part of town. He didn’t say all white people. Only thing you guys are doing as attacking. Our community like most of America has a racial problem. And it wont get better if we don’t acknowledge it. Ok let the attacks begin.
Mr. Caster, are we to assume that because you are an overbearing, egotistical, self righteous, elitist that everybody in Killearb Lakes is too? I’m sure your neighbors, the members of your association, didn’t appreciate you calling them racists. You must not like being president of the HOA. I doubt they will forget your insult.
As a NE resident , born & brought up in the South in the depression of the ”30”s, schooled at GT & U of M., Adjunct Professor at the FSU school of business, etc, etc, I am really sick & tired of race baiters that flourish here in Leon County. Now no one says you must LOVE everybody, heck, there are people of color as well as of white Anglo Saxson heritage I can”t stand to be around, but that does not entice me to paint all in that catagory with the same brush ! Those that fuel such fires are guilty of real racism , and deserve to be condemned as such. However, certain minorities or sympathizers need not expect me to fund their lack of accomplishment in life just because I worked my you know what off to get ahead while they smoked pot out behind the school gym . That ain’t a gonna fly with this boy—!
To top it off, I heard the video of the teen punks wasn’t even shot in NE Tallahassee, but Gadsden County.
If you want real outrage, search YouTube for Tallahassee rappers. Elementary kids being taught to cuss, smoke pot, etc.
Hey Steve
Why not a story on what Skip Foster as board chair and staff at United way are doing with all the donations money – No transparency – just like the newspaper – and taking money away from agencies and using for admin costs and their own programs – but never telling the donors a thing
So this guy, who is a member of the Killearn H.O.A. in Tallahassee, willingly trashes entire quadrant of a county that he lives in, based on a few immature high school students actions / comments???
This is the classic liberal sympathizer at it’s best. Not only has he offended the neighborhood(s) that we live in but also I want to bring out the fact of how quick an extreme liberal is ready to attack an entire community of literally a few thousand homeowners who he has no right to condemn as racists! This comment below, copy and pasted from the article in question, speaks for itself
“Friday’s editorial about racist activities in Northeast Tallahassee goes on to ask if these are, “the actions of very few? Either the few offenders need to be rooted out or a culture of racial insensitivity must be addressed.” What does that say about my neighbors and me? How do we answer? Sadly, people of color, parents of various faiths, uncles and aunts who are learning to speak English, and children living in non-traditional families have the same question(s).”
Really??? No.. Seriously. REALLY??? And the Tallahassee Democrat suspended any and all comments??? WTF? He starts out with a few high school punks saying some bad words and ends with an entire community needing cultural and racial insensitivity training!!!!
I am reaching out to you all for a few “talking points” that I would like to use as I am trying to get our local paper “The Tallahassee Democrat” to let me submit a rebuttal and defend our great community that we take so much pride in.
Also, any comments received are and will be completely anonymous. No names will be referenced in the article submission that ultimately will never be viewed or published by the Tallahassee Democrap. (excuse my colorful language). LOL
Thank you in advance,
Offended, hard working, non racist community member
IF people were not racist, then they wouldn’t comment in such a disgusting way to what Jeff has witnessed and believes. Take a look at how NE Tallahassee are belittling other people in their comments, referring to how the blacks treat them and referring negatively about the south side. Perhaps black people are reciprocating the bad attitudes that you display to them, or perhaps they smell your nasty racist attitude when you look at them. I find black people quite friendly, when I speak, they speak back. Check YOUR attitudes, instead of looking to point the finger at them. Yup, Jeff is right! Great job Jeff!
I respect your right to stand up for Jeff.
After what he did to the homeowners he is charged with serving he is lucky to have someone like you willing to stand with his views on fake news racism.
Much respect to you.
Sandy, with all due respect, the above TR story clearly reports that “Caster gave no real life examples of the problems he had ignored. “ So whatever racist incidents that he personally “witnessed or believed” he either didn’t feel strongly enough to report in his limited editorial space – or he lacks any actual “incidents” to report.
As I said above, either Mr. Caster should prove such incidents with clear evidence or he should can his baseless accusations. Slandering an entire section of Tallahassee based on one’s personal opinion is a big stretch without documented proof – although gillum has done that repeatedly with his speeches in front of properly liberal audiences – it’s become his campaign cliche.
As a white guy, I’m sick of being accused of a crime I never committed – I can’t help my skin color being white any more than a black person can help their skin color. None of us can control that, but we can control what we are on the inside. We all have the choice to treat other people as we ourselves would want to be. Despite the liberal hatred-ginning to get votes, all human beings are far more alike than we are different. Decent people treat others decently, it’s just common sense, whether you’re black, white, or any other ethnic group. Only liberals wish to pursue it any farther than that.
Three words: Bo Lag Na!
Wrong again – it’s spelled “bologna”.
Mr. Caster, I defend your right to write letters to the editor in the hope of having them printed. However, I strongly object to you including reference to your position at KLHOA when you sign your letter or in the content of your letter unless you have first obtained approval from at least a majority of the dues paying KLHOA members. With such prior approval I believe your use of KLHOA is so offensive that you should resign your position and ask the Democrat to publish a notice that you were not writing in any official capacity as respects KLHOA.
Ah, yes! The piety, the rectitude, the virtue! The banal BS!
Actually, I believe that someone hijacked Caster’s e-mail account and concocted a morbidly sappy letter using his name….an obvious attempt to embarrass him
One has only to look at his twitter account to know that he is a true blue card carrying believer.
You guessed it, Blake – It must be an obvious ploy as you say. And any day now, Mr. Caster will disavow any knowledge of his “sappy letter”. Open the champagne when he does.
News Maven, I second your motion to call a special meeting and have Mr. Caster removed. I’d not tolerate any HOA official slandering my neighborhood or section of town, which in my opinion constitutes abuse of their office as an HOA rep. If not a special meeting, I’d campaign hard to have the slanderer replaced by a responsible person who fairly represents my neighborhood, rather than slimes it with their own personal assertions. What must Mr. Caster REALLY think of Killearn Lakes residents when he looks out over a meeting? He has already tagged them with a “racist” slur in print.
Mr. Caster, if you indeed have documentable, proven examples of widespread racism and obvious bigotry in Northeast Tallahassee, then produce them. Isolated incidents by immature teens do not represent the attitudes of an entire area, and you and the Democrat know that. Otherwise, you should can your personal assertions and refrain from publicizing them. Since you seem be confused regarding the difference between an Assertion and a Fact, let me explain: An Assertion is a “confidant and forceful statement of belief”, and beliefs are only that. A Fact is “a thing that is undisputably the case” – a proven and documented truth, not to be confused with a personal belief.
As a way for you to further discern the day-to-day racial circumstances of the Northeast Side, please spend several hours observing the interactions of black staffers and customers with white staff and customers at the very busy WalMart on Kerry Forest. I shop there several times a week, sometimes for an hour or more. My personal experience has been that most folks of all skin colors genuinely get along pretty well, are polite, helpful, and share laughs from time to time, myself included. Now if those very public circumstances contain the seeds of Rampant White Racism on the Northeast side, I dare you to make a documented, proven case for it.
I have to disagree with you a bit on the behavior of folks at the WalMart – which I try not to go to often, but it is convenient. As a very obvious white person, blonde hair and all, I experience very rude & dismissive behavior from most of the black employees at that store. I’m used to that since I’ve worked in Medical Records in this town which departments are also mostly blacks. I treat people the way I want to be treated, and am not a racist at all. But if you treat me rudely for no reason at all, I’m not going to bend over backwards to make up for any racist attitudes YOU have. Not good times at all in America.
And I wonder how long it’ll be before the city commissars take up a “head tax” on big business, now that Seattle has passed one 9-0:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-city-council-votes-9-0-for-scaled-down-head-tax-on-large-employers/
Bet when they do, it will be set to affect businesses making just above what the Democrap pulls in from their sheeple this year.
If my HOA president broadcast that I was living in a racist section of town (whatever that is), I’d call for a special meeting and have him removed. Immediately.
I challenge the “KKK Lakes” residents to take such an action. Immediately.
Most homeowners do not want the thankless job of volunteer HOA Officer. Avoiding that job is a normal reaction displayed by normal people.
Of course the above life fact leaves the HOA officer jobs open and waiting for wingnuts like little Jeffey in The KKK Lakes Subdivision.
So in an apathetic let someone else do that job the residents are responsable for everything Little Jeffey said about them. A definate First World problem…wonder how many HOA’s there on the entire continet of Africa?
I used to live under the tyrannical rule of the KLHOA and I am glad I am gone. To see what the KLHOA thinks of it’s residents would make me want to call to disban the KLHOA all together.
I left as a result of the forced implementation of a sub-par sewage grinder pump system which City of Tallahassee is the sole beneficiary of. It cost me $18,000 to install it and the new owners of my house will have to replace it soon. Suckers!
As others have said, the “volunteers” who are unpaid will tell you that every time you speak with them, as if they are held prisoner in that position but they LOVE to dictate various things on you and couldn’t care less when you bring something to them. For example, in my time there I had to deal with barking dogs, the smell of dog poop in my own yard as a result, unkempt yards bordering my property, stormwater issues which flooded my home, drug use at surrounding properties, trash in yards, house and building in disrepair. Of all those things I complained about they only seem to have helped with a stormwater issue which ended up being taken care of by the county. For the rest of the issues I was given the cold shoulder or their investigation turned up nothing and my complaints were “unfounded”. This guy seems like a piece of work. I sold my house last year as I couldn’t take it any longer. I should not have to do something like that but that KLHOA is useless, unless you are a City of Tallahassee or Leon politician I guess. KLHOA is not in the city, for the record, but somehow they are the ones who run the sewage system. That was after the KLHOA allowed developers to build on all of the empty lots which were not suitable for septic systems. After the health department got involved, the residents with good septic system had to foot the bill. What a crock! Thanks for nothing KLHOA, and for the poor saps who continue to live there, sorry for you.
As a Northeast resident, I was absolutely stunned reading the Democrap’s opinion piece. Which is saying a lot with that liberal rag. Nothing but virtue signalling.
I tell you what, us white males have been nothing but the problem since 2008. You folks remember what happened in 2008?
As far as Mr. Caster: as the cool kids say, “He Woke”. Whatever.
What side of town in Tallahassee are most young black men being shot and killed on a regular basis? Northeast side? I don’t think so. Yeah, sounds like race-baiting by our local newspaper. I guess if you can’t fix such a big issue, might as well point fingers elsewhere.
Jeffey Jeffey Jeffey you are such a gulliable sap for the fake news.
I’m so sure you are one of those HOA officers out there with your little tape measure anoying the crap out of your subjects when their lawn gets 2 and 1/2 inches high.
How can you be so disrespectful to your neighbors by publically taking your racist fake news inspired back stabbing stand against them and throwing the entire neighborhood under the fake news bus of racism?
Jeffey Jeffey Jeffey Little fake news beliveing Jeffey.
Still think Bob Gabordi must have sneaked in the back door of the Tallahassee Democrat.
Nope.
Because of the damage and destruction he wrought during his dictatorship, they can’t stand him either.
And the correct verb would be slither, not sneak.
Yep! Gabordi and Hohmeister turned the Democrat into a petty little social engineering newsletter. Seems that Hatfield has grasped the baton!