Published: October 22, 2008 06:57 pm      

WISMAN: Racist comments apall democrat

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” for me, as a Democrat. This opening quote from Dickens’ book, “A Tale of Two Cities,” best describes the 2008 presidential election.

I have been a part of what will be remembered as one of the most historic elections in America. It is something that I will be proud to sit and tell my grandchildren about; the year we (the Democrats) had a female and a black man running in the primary. The year that we set records on voter registration and actual number of voters at the polls.

However, it is also the year that I have seen the absolute worst side of people come out. It is the year the monster of racism and bigotry came out of the darkness, into the light, and threatened to divide, not just our party, but the nation. This division has been eating at me. I lie awake at night and wonder what I can do to make this right? As the chairwoman of the local Democratic Party, how can I eradicate this monster from my little part of the nation?

I have worried myself to the point that I can no longer contain my anger and my frustration with the individuals, especially those in my own party, who think it is OK to say, “I'm not voting for Sen. Obama because he is black.”

My friends and loved ones have told me to let it go, that I can't change stupidity, that it is a generational thing. But I can no longer make excuses for people like David Ward, who owns an antique store in New Albany at the corner of Bank and Main and had no problem telling a reporter from the Chicago Tribune that he is a “Democrat,” but he is “voting for McCain, because he isn't black.”

Mr. Ward, shame on you! Also, to those of you who think it is acceptable to tell me that you will not vote for Obama because “he is a N--,” what makes you think this is all right? Is it because I am white like you?

If so, I may be white, but I am nothing like you. That word is disgusting, ugly and hurtful and it will no longer be tolerated in my presence.

I found a quote from Robert Kennedy that I want all of you to think about. He said, “But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?”

Mr. Ward and all of you like him, how do you justify your racism?

To those of you who claim you are Democrats, but say you can't vote for Obama because he is a black man, are you sure you are Democrats?

If you look up the platform of the National Democratic Party under the issue of Civil Rights it says, “We believe in the essential American ideal that we are not constrained by the circumstances of birth, but can make of our lives what we will.

“Unfortunately, for too many, that ideal is not a reality. We have more work to do. Democrats will fight to end discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and disability in every corner of our country, because that's the America we believe in.”

I want everyone to know the Floyd County Democratic Party does not condone racism. In fact, we hold firm to the Democratic platform that we “will fight to end discrimination.” Therefore, Mr. Ward and others like him, as members of the Democratic Party, you are called to fight the ignorance of discrimination, not perpetuate the hatred that has been taught to you and are no doubt teaching to your children.

I struggled with whether or not I should write this letter knowing that I will anger many people in my community. And again I was reminded of a quote of Robert Kennedy who said, “It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” I realized, that despite what backlash I might face for expressing my feelings on this issue and calling out Mr. Ward and others like him, it is important to let the people who read the story in the Chicago Tribune know that his comments do not represent the beliefs of the people or the Floyd County Democratic Party.

I know that I may not be able to change the hearts and minds of racists, but I can hope that by openly expressing my condemnation of racism, I will send out a ripple that will give others the courage to stand up and they too will say, “I will not stand for this anymore.” I will continue to fight to see that the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is fully realized because I, too, want to “live in a world where a man is not judged by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.”

In this world that I and other like-minded Democrats dream of Mr. Ward, you and others like you have been judged and found to lack the character of a true Democrat.



Marcey J. Wisman is chairwoman of the Floyd County Democratic Central Committee, New Albany.