A good-cause initiative takes an unwarranted swipe at the Lebanese capital:
There’s a new push to help volunteers who want to help mentor African-American young people. A national volunteer initiative kicked off in Oakland [California] where the response was overwhelming, but the work can be tough and this new program will attempt to keep volunteers from getting discouraged.
[…]
[Don] Dunbar is a little nervous about being a mentor; it’s his first time to try it, but when he saw the reaction in the streets after the verdict in Oscar Grant’s death, he knew he had to do something.
“I’m coming from the gym and I come off the freeway and run right into the cars burning. I’m like, ‘This looks like Beirut with all the violence.’ And I said, ‘What is wrong? They have nothing to look up to,'” says Dunbar.
Well Don Dunbar, I’ve tried to come up with your address but unfortunately, I don’t have much to go on. Nevertheless, I do have a certificate with your name on it, and let me say that I believe its well deserved.
The video below shows Don making that comment (at 01:32):
On a related note, for everyone interested, I’ve created a page containing all the responses I have received from my “Looks Like Beirut” certificate. Thanks to Rabih Dagher for the suggestion.