THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 7, 1996 TAG: 9603070003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
Regarding ``3 dispute white man's run for council'' (MetroNews, March 3): Who are Norfolk City Council members Collins, Riddick and Green to say that a white man is incapable of representing blacks? I would be equally appalled if someone said a black, merely because of his skin color, is incapable of representing whites. There have been several cases of white-majority districts electing blacks to office and of black-majority districts electing whites to office.
Who are these men to say who should seek office? This is merely another example of the arrogant pomposity of politicians deciding what is and is not good for the people. .
This type of thinking is antiquated. We as a people need to put this white/ black matter behind us. We will not move to the next level until we do.
People should be judged, elected, awarded, etc., on the basis of their qualifications, not their skin color. To continue to promote racial quotas and districting harms us all. How would these three men feel if a district were drawn with the express purpose of putting a white person into office? Yet, they feel it is OK to do so in order to to elect a black person.
Is this tactic OK if the purpose is to elect an Asian? A Hispanic? Anyone in a district who feels he/she can do a good job of representing the people of that district should be able to run for office. These three men are acting like they belong to an African-American Culture Club and desire to deny membership to a white person who genuinely desires to learn their culture.
If Horace White, or anyone else for that matter, feels he can best represent Ward 7, let him run for office and let the people decide.
RANDY EVERETTE
Norfolk, March 3, 1996 by CNB