Starting a new conversation about race
Published December 23, 2014
by Patrick Gannon, The Insider, December 22, 2014.
"We North Carolinians don't have a sterling track record in race relations -- fact of life. We need to confront that directly, honestly. We need to look behind the curtain and address a fundamental cause and fundamental solutions."
Those words didn't come from an African-American. They didn't come from a Democrat.
They were spoken by 70-year-old state Rep. Craig Horn, a Union County Republican, U.S. Army veteran and retired food broker. Horn, who is white, was the only Republican lawmaker to attend a recent news conference at the Legislative Building as black lawmakers and their supporters unveiled a bill aimed at curbing racial profiling by law enforcement, requiring training for police about discriminatory profiling and setting up citizen review boards to investigate cases of alleged police misconduct.
Rep. Rodney Moore, a Charlotte Democrat, plans to file the bill when the General Assembly gets back to work early next year.
The fact that the quote above came from Horn should provide hope for those pursuing the legislation, including African-American lawmakers, church leaders and community activists. While other Republicans may have listened to the news conference on their computers, Horn was in the room. He said the next day that issues of black and white in North Carolina have long concerned him.
"We desperately need a good, frank, candid, reasonable conversation," Horn said.
Horn also is a fairly high-ranking House Republican. As such, he may be in a position to help Moore and others get traction on legislation – or at least dialogue – around race relations.
Horn said some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want to talk about race and possibly consider legislation, although he's not convinced new laws are the answer. He said he hopes Moore involves everyone – Republicans and Democrats and people of all colors – in the crafting of his bill.
But what he said next stood out the most. Issues of race, Horn said, are easily demagogued. "We need to talk about it and talk reasonably about it, and no finger-shaking, finger-pointing, no making anybody the bad guy," he said. "That's critically important to this state."
Horn said he sensed a tone in the news conference that he "didn't particularly like." One speaker referred to African-Americans as "an endangered species." Another passionately recalled times in his life where he said he experienced racial profiling personally.
Horn suggested that he's not interested in fiery rhetoric or placing blame or providing platforms for politicians, but rather in "supporting our law enforcement and making them better, more diverse, more responsive to the community."
"I'm interested in results," he added. "What are we going to do to raise the bar for North Carolina and to get by this?"
Moore said he wants to start to build communication and "an environment of trust between law enforcement and communities of color." "We must do all we can to bridge that gap that has so long existed in our communities," he said.
If that's going to happen, Republicans and Democrats must bridge their own gaps first.
December 23, 2014 at 10:17 am
Norm Kelly says:
The crux of this post appears to be SURPRISE that a REPUBLICAN would be concerned about race relations. Interesting take on a situation. As I recall, historically, it's been the Demoncrats standing in the way of equal rights. It was the Republicans who pushed through NATIONAL LEGISLATION in the 60s. With GREAT opposition from DemoCRATs, including the Gore family. Yet, somehow, the demons have managed to change history and convince libs in the media and blacks in general, that it was demons supporting, FIGHTING FOR, equal rights and it was those racist, hate-filled, woman-hating, Republicans who were the racists.
What's the biggest difference between conservative plans and socialist plans for dealing with race relations? Well, first we need to understand what the libs want and actually do to help with race relations. The crap flows down hill from the office of POTUS, who is a major racist and calls white cops stupid while admitting he doesn't know all the facts. Then there's the black head of DOJ that has shown his racist 'tendencies' repeatedly. What have they done to improve race relations in the past 6-7 years? Nothing. They've set us back 50 years, to use a catch phrase of the libs. What do the libs in Congress want to do to improve race relations? Buy off black voters, and pay for new black/minority voters. Increase tax 'incentives' for blacks. Increase social give-away programs for blacks. Claim that blacks are incapable without the help of Demoncrats. But do anything USEFUL? Nope. Doesn't exist on the left!
So, why the surprise in this post that a Republican believes we should be able to do something about improving race relations?
One thing I know is that it can't be mandatory to profile every police/private citizen interaction. If we start setting limits on police, then everyone loses. For instance, if stats are to be kept comparing the number of vehicles stopped by cops to make sure blacks aren't being targeted, everyone suffers. Whites will be penalized just to keep the stats in line. Or blacks will not be pulled cuz the stats are off this month. Or some other such nonsense. But the only way libs have to claim equality is to use stats. Kinda like the way they claim there aren't hiring requirements for blacks/minorities. Except without stats, ratios of hires vs. population, how do libs claim equal hiring practices. So there is racial profiling in hiring, firing, and promoting. Will the same thing happen in law-enforcement when the libs are done with their schemes?
Do we need to be 'fair' when it comes to law enforcement? Yes. But be careful how fair is defined. When someone is caught breaking a window on a business, walking in and stealing a TV, race is irrelevant and MUST not be considered. Profiling, and 'sensitivity' could eliminate the equality and fairness. Do we need to have a level playing field when it comes to law enforcement? Yes. But a real level playing field! Not one of those made up, skewed, out-of-control, illogical, level playing fields always promoted by socialists. Not the way mixing politics and religion is handled in black churches. You know, where white churches aren't allowed to even mention the word 'politics' but demon pols are routinely invited to speak at black churches. That's the standard 'level playing field' for the socialist party. I'm talking about an actual level playing field when it comes to law enforcement. Real, not imaginary. Real, not demoncrat based.
December 23, 2014 at 10:24 am
Norm Kelly says:
'If that's going to happen, Republicans and Democrats must bridge their own gaps first'. Couldn't resist posting more after reading the rest of this article.
Yes, it takes Demons and Republicans working together. Are demons willing to do this? Are demons willing to COMPROMISE? In the real world, compromise means each side gives a little and gets a little. In the world of the media and other lib interests, including lib pols, 'compromise' means that Republicans/conservatives give up and accept the schemes of the socialist party. We don't need any more of that type of compromise. Libs lost! Big time lost! It's time they understand that it's their POLICIES that have been rejected, and the majority of VOTERS want conservatives to start governing.
So, yes, it's important that both sides work together. Are the Democrats able to do this? If so, are they willing to? They first must show they are able to. They haven't shown this ability since at least the turn of the century. What's changed for them that we should expect they are capable of compromising now? Will we see editorials in local papers praising lib pols for compromising with the majority in the NC legislature? Or will we see libs in media and lib pols excoriating Republicans for not giving in to the demands of the socialist party? We will be watching!
