Coalition condemns bomb threat

The Concerned Citizens Coalition, which has been protesting at the real estate office of District 5 City Director Rick Ramick, on Saturday condemned a bomb threat at the business on Friday while continuing to attack the director's residency.

The coalition's spokesman, Cliff Jackson, said in an email to The Sentinel-Record on Saturday that it was "outraged" by what he termed the "totally baseless, false, defamatory" allegations Ramick made in Saturday's edition of the newspaper.

Ramick, a managing broker for Crye-Leike Realtors at 1420 Central Ave., said he was teaching a continuing education class to six students when the bomb threat was called in around 10:45 a.m.

"When have you ever heard of a real estate office getting a bomb threat?" Ramick told reporter David Showers on Friday. "It's ironic that they've been picketing quite a bit, but they didn't show up today. They usually show up around 10:30. That's when the call came in. I don't understand how people can be this cruel."

"Members of our group engage in lawful and peaceful protests against the unethical and illegal actions of an elected official who places himself above the law," Jackson said. "We do so peaceably."

Jackson said the coalition will "continue to exercise our First Amendment rights to peacefully assemble, petition and free speech until Rick Ramick's lawless conduct ceases and he either resigns or moves back into the city."

Ramick has been under pressure to resign from the city board since August over questions concerning his residency qualification. Ramick owns property in District 5 and Enclave Study Area B, which the Hot Springs Board of Directors annexed in January 2016.

The area was scheduled to come under city authority last April, but litigation has prevented the city from executing the annexation ordinance.

Ramick said Friday that the tactics of his detractors are beyond the pale.

"They've done everything they can to harass me, my family and my employees, and none of them deserves this," he said. "They've harassed me at every point they can. They've attacked me at city board meetings, approached me at work, made comments and stuck signs in my face.

"I hope the citizens of Hot Springs realize what a small group of people is doing to the city. They're trying to harass me and embarrass me, but it's not working."

"Sadly, when a public official places himself above the law, he foments a lawless atmosphere of disrespect for the law in which unbalanced people may feel justified in vigilante justice," Jackson said Saturday.

"However, let us be clear: illegal action, unlawful threats, and vigilante justice have no place in a civilized society.

"This coalition unequivocally condemns violence or threats of violence, and it protests via peaceful means only," Jackson said.

The statement said the coalition hopes and encourages law enforcement agencies to "quickly conclude investigations and expose the person who made the alleged bomb threat."

"In the meantime, as a public official, Director Ramick should know that it is best not to point fingers until the person responsible is identified. Or at least until there is some evidence," Jackson said.

"Why? Answer: Because it could be either a crazy opposed to Rick Ramick or someone trying to generate sympathy for him or someone else entirely."

Jackson said the coalition asks that everyone "please refrain from snap judgments. People on all sides should condemn this cowardly action in no uncertain terms."

"Bomb threats have no place in a political dispute. However, in all fairness, need we point out that a motive for someone to call in a bomb threat would be to vilify the protesters and provide an excuse to remove them? This is an equally plausible theory," he said.

"However, yes, it could be some crazy sympathetic with protesters. Or the opposite. Or be unrelated, a juvenile prank, for example, or a person upset at a failed real estate sale. Or a disgruntled renter. Or someone not connected to Ramick at all.

"What we object to is Rick Ramick callously exploiting the issue, 'playing the victim,' and (without a scintilla of evidence) jumping to a conclusion as if it is the only possible one. It is not. And to do so is irresponsible," Jackson said.

Local on 04/23/2017

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