By Adonica Jones-Parks

On Feb. 24, 2002, The Cincinnati Enquirer outlined the lengthy list of demands placed on the city by the Black United Front, the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati and Stonewall Cincinnati.

Almost a year later, I have blown the dust off this article so I can review what the boycott groups want, because it is no longer clear what each faction is demanding.

In theory, I have supported the boycott and have honored it, because some of their issues are very valid, particularly when it comes to egregious misconduct by the police.

However, several of the demands just don't seem attainable. Here are four of them to ponder:

• Re-try Officer Robert "Blaine" Jorg in the death of Roger Owensby Jr.

Two reports show that Officer Jorg took the life of an unarmed citizen, Owensby. Prosecutor Mike Allen refuses to try him again in spite of the hung jury in his first trial. Law enforcement agencies protect their own.

• Increase the percentage of African-American police officers to reflect the demographics of the city.

The city actively recruits candidates for the police department. If the African-American community wants more officers that look like them, it should encourage young people to pursue the profession.

• Adopt better psychological screening for police recruits to reject candidates who can't control racist, homophobic or violent tendencies. Test manipulation is real, and a better psychological screening will not filter out all such individuals, especially if they are adept at playing psychological games.

• Increase spending to reduce poverty, improve health care and reduce the infant-mortality rate among African-Americans.

How will more money reduce poverty? Being educated beyond high school, having employable skills that result in jobs above an entry-level position, and reducing teen pregnancy are needed to reduce poverty in the black community.

The city is not forcing anyone to have children he or she cannot afford. And why is the black community waiting on the city to take of problems that it should be taking care of? Where are the churches? The sororities and fraternities? The civil rights organizations? This demand is simply unreasonable.

So what do the boycott groups really want? What does the city want? There are three boycott groups, a long list of demands - some of which are not feasible - and city leadership that refuses to talk with some groups. All this equals a mess.

Adonica Jones-Parks, Northside, teaches English in the Cincinnati Public Schools.