Much has been made about race in hotly contested Democratic battle between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Obama could become the first African-American to be nominated for president by one of the major parties. He has come under withering criticism from some quarters for statements made by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. It caused Obama to make an unprecedented address on race.
And it sparked discussion all across the country about race in America, and the need for an open, honest dialog.
Maybe we should start in Upper Darby and Lansdowne.
Two ugly incidents again remind us we still have a ways to go when it comes to race relations.
In Upper Darby, a Drexel Hill neighborhood was plastered with fliers warning of an influx of minorities, and an allegation that crime will arrive with it.
It’s ugly stuff, blatantly racist. It’s believed linked to a Philadelphia group.
It should be noted that the fliers, 268 of them, which wound up all over School Lane and Garrett Road, do not appear to be the work of anyone in those neighborhoods.
Township officials quickly denounced the fliers. Leading the charge is township Police Superintendent Mike Chitwood.
Chitwood is known for his tough stand on crime and those who commit such acts. One of his most famous quips, “Not in my town, scumbag,” found its way onto T-shirts.
He’s no fan of this kind of flier infiltrating his township, either.
Chitwood labeled them “racist and offensive,” the work of “cowards … who don’t have the guts to put their name on the piece of paper.”
Chitwood directed his officers to issue a citation for unlawfully tacking a sign on a pole. It carries a $500 fine.
Upper Darby is not the only place dealing with a racial incident.
In Lansdowne, a couple awoke last weekend to seemingly find themselves transported back to another era.
The black couple found a swastika spray-painted on their garage door.
It’s not the first time they’ve encountered such racial graffiti since moving into the diverse neighborhood on Windsor Avenue. Last March a trash can was labeled with the same equally repugnant sign.
To her credit, she’s not leaving. “I think it’s a great community, which is why I moved here,” she said.
Now if we could all just learn to get along. Maybe we can start by talking about it.
Obama could become the first African-American to be nominated for president by one of the major parties. He has come under withering criticism from some quarters for statements made by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. It caused Obama to make an unprecedented address on race.
And it sparked discussion all across the country about race in America, and the need for an open, honest dialog.
Maybe we should start in Upper Darby and Lansdowne.
Two ugly incidents again remind us we still have a ways to go when it comes to race relations.
In Upper Darby, a Drexel Hill neighborhood was plastered with fliers warning of an influx of minorities, and an allegation that crime will arrive with it.
It’s ugly stuff, blatantly racist. It’s believed linked to a Philadelphia group.
It should be noted that the fliers, 268 of them, which wound up all over School Lane and Garrett Road, do not appear to be the work of anyone in those neighborhoods.
Township officials quickly denounced the fliers. Leading the charge is township Police Superintendent Mike Chitwood.
Chitwood is known for his tough stand on crime and those who commit such acts. One of his most famous quips, “Not in my town, scumbag,” found its way onto T-shirts.
He’s no fan of this kind of flier infiltrating his township, either.
Chitwood labeled them “racist and offensive,” the work of “cowards … who don’t have the guts to put their name on the piece of paper.”
Chitwood directed his officers to issue a citation for unlawfully tacking a sign on a pole. It carries a $500 fine.
Upper Darby is not the only place dealing with a racial incident.
In Lansdowne, a couple awoke last weekend to seemingly find themselves transported back to another era.
The black couple found a swastika spray-painted on their garage door.
It’s not the first time they’ve encountered such racial graffiti since moving into the diverse neighborhood on Windsor Avenue. Last March a trash can was labeled with the same equally repugnant sign.
To her credit, she’s not leaving. “I think it’s a great community, which is why I moved here,” she said.
Now if we could all just learn to get along. Maybe we can start by talking about it.
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