Editorial: Race Relations - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: Race Relations

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  • Editorials

  • Thursday, May 23 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-23 23:20:04 GMT
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that
  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-21 23:20:08 GMT
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need
  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;

Whether choosing an Auburn football coach, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent, or President of the United States, the past year reflected both the past and the present reality in our community: issues of race color every issue. 

We are not unique in that regard, but certainly are more vocal. Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederacy. Montgomery also birthed the modern civil rights movement. 

Martin Luther King Jr. preached here, George Wallace governed here, and thousands of extraordinary citizens have accomplished much to enhance our quality of life here. 

No one feels they are racist.  Yet racism exists. We strive to be good neighbors and good students, and many attend church regularly. But our neighborhoods, schools and churches don’t typically reflect our community’s demographics as a whole. 

Dialogue almost always leads to better understanding. Our news special this week in prime time, “The Black and White of Racism Today” encourages ongoing dialogue. 

We  hope the year ahead brings all of us to live the reality that character, not color, matters most.