The Racial Slurs are Getting Old. Can We Try Something New?
It was revealed in the Daily News today that the athletic director, Jim Donato, and the superintendent, Richard Como, of the Coatesville Area resigned from their posts in August due to a nasty string of racially charged texts that were discovered. These demeaning messages, part of a longer string of vile statements were found during the transfer of phone services. They referred to African Americans and women in unflattering terms. Mr. Como had worked for the school district for over 20 years. I wonder if he openly expressed these opinions during his daily interactions with students.
The population of the Coatesville School District is 42% African American. The local NAACP was celebrating its 75th Anniversary as the news of the scandal was breaking. I wonder why these gentlemen didn't use personal phones to express their discontent with the racial makeup of the school district? I had a city cell phone at one time. When my vending business began to grow, I obtained a separate cell phone to conduct personal business. Many of us have personal prejudices but to express them on tools that are used to conduct official business is stupid and worthy of termination.
This summer provided an example of why racial harmony is still being sought in this country. Riley Cooper, a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, took two days off of practice after a video surfaced of him using the N word while referring to an African American female security guard. Riley was going to go all in and take on every N in the place. I really hate to use the word in my blog. Riley's statements became national news and ESPN covered it extensively. He apologized to his team but was able to keep his job. He had a brief dust up with Cornerback Cary Williams that some would say was a result of the outburst.
Another puzzling manifestation of the use of the N word was when Hugh Douglas, a former Philadelphia Eagle, got caught up in the heat of the moment. Hugh called his co-host on Numbers Never Lie, Michael Smith, a House N during an argument. These television personalities were at a party during a National Association of Black Journalists convention in August in Orlando. Unfortunately, Hugh Douglas lost his job as a result of his statements. I was a little upset because Hugh had started locally on WIP and had progressed pretty rapidly to a national sports talk show. What caused him, besides the alcohol, to refer to another African American co-host with the overused term is beyond me.
There is also a resurgence of people in our area who are deciding to fly the Confederate Flag. The Civil War was a devastating event in our country and the major cause was the Northern states decision to control the growth of the use of slaves as our country was growing. Black people, and the Southern way of life, were the cause of this racially divisive war. Even after slaves were supposedly freed due to the Confederates losing the war, the Ku Klux Klan, and its reign of terror, made racial harmony a fleeting goal. A recent Cheerios commercial featuring a biracial child and mixed couple caused resentment among the racially pure in our society.
I am less concerned about the use of racial slurs anymore. The tragic shootings at the Washington Navy Yard reflect that we need to be concerned about minority mass murderers now. The persecution that Christians are facing in Pakistan, Egypt and Kenya also reflect that religious extremism is another world ill that needs to be addressed. People were murdered in the recent mall attack for being non-Muslim. Harmony among fellow human beings is a goal that I aspire to. The use of the N word should cease as we realize the larger unrest in the world.
P.S. Matt Barnes, Charles Barkley and Michael Wilbon all seem to be comfortable using the N word among themselves. Why do African Americans get so offended when other people use the word?
The population of the Coatesville School District is 42% African American. The local NAACP was celebrating its 75th Anniversary as the news of the scandal was breaking. I wonder why these gentlemen didn't use personal phones to express their discontent with the racial makeup of the school district? I had a city cell phone at one time. When my vending business began to grow, I obtained a separate cell phone to conduct personal business. Many of us have personal prejudices but to express them on tools that are used to conduct official business is stupid and worthy of termination.
This summer provided an example of why racial harmony is still being sought in this country. Riley Cooper, a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, took two days off of practice after a video surfaced of him using the N word while referring to an African American female security guard. Riley was going to go all in and take on every N in the place. I really hate to use the word in my blog. Riley's statements became national news and ESPN covered it extensively. He apologized to his team but was able to keep his job. He had a brief dust up with Cornerback Cary Williams that some would say was a result of the outburst.
Another puzzling manifestation of the use of the N word was when Hugh Douglas, a former Philadelphia Eagle, got caught up in the heat of the moment. Hugh called his co-host on Numbers Never Lie, Michael Smith, a House N during an argument. These television personalities were at a party during a National Association of Black Journalists convention in August in Orlando. Unfortunately, Hugh Douglas lost his job as a result of his statements. I was a little upset because Hugh had started locally on WIP and had progressed pretty rapidly to a national sports talk show. What caused him, besides the alcohol, to refer to another African American co-host with the overused term is beyond me.
There is also a resurgence of people in our area who are deciding to fly the Confederate Flag. The Civil War was a devastating event in our country and the major cause was the Northern states decision to control the growth of the use of slaves as our country was growing. Black people, and the Southern way of life, were the cause of this racially divisive war. Even after slaves were supposedly freed due to the Confederates losing the war, the Ku Klux Klan, and its reign of terror, made racial harmony a fleeting goal. A recent Cheerios commercial featuring a biracial child and mixed couple caused resentment among the racially pure in our society.
I am less concerned about the use of racial slurs anymore. The tragic shootings at the Washington Navy Yard reflect that we need to be concerned about minority mass murderers now. The persecution that Christians are facing in Pakistan, Egypt and Kenya also reflect that religious extremism is another world ill that needs to be addressed. People were murdered in the recent mall attack for being non-Muslim. Harmony among fellow human beings is a goal that I aspire to. The use of the N word should cease as we realize the larger unrest in the world.
P.S. Matt Barnes, Charles Barkley and Michael Wilbon all seem to be comfortable using the N word among themselves. Why do African Americans get so offended when other people use the word?
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