WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.Editorial: Alabama's Racist Constitution

Editorial: Alabama's Racist Constitution

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By Mark Wilder - email

  • Editorials

  • Friday, May 18 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-18 23:20:53 GMT
    If you text and drive it's a matter of WHEN and not IF you will be involved in an accident. The odds are stacked against you when your eyes and hands are more focused on your cell phone than they are
    If you text and drive it's a matter of WHEN and not IF you will be involved in an accident.  The odds are stacked against you when your eyes and hands are more focused on your cell phone than they are the other motorists on the roadways.

  • Tuesday, May 15 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-15 23:20:31 GMT
    On our editorial suggesting that the governor raise taxes to fund Medicaid, we received these comments: "If the budget is passed at this severely cut rate, the shortage of physicians, hospitals, and clinics
    On our editorial suggesting that the governor raise taxes to fund Medicaid, we received these comments:

  • Tuesday, May 1 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-01 23:20:35 GMT
    If your commute includes I-85 in the mornings I'm sure you've noticed men alongside the roadways picking up trash and road debris and thought to yourself "who would want to do that?"
    If your commute includes I-85 in the mornings I'm sure you've noticed men alongside the roadways picking up trash and road debris and thought to yourself "who would want to do that?"

  • Friday, April 20 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-04-20 23:20:42 GMT
    For the next sixty seconds I want you to give yourself permission to push pause on whatever you are doing and listen and reflect for a moment. I did this recently after reading an article titled "Top five

  • Wednesday, April 18 2012 7:27 PM EDT2012-04-18 23:27:31 GMT
    Representative Christopher John England (Tuscaloosa) has sponsored a bill in the Alabama legislature that would allow convicted felons of drug crimes to receive food stamps under certain circumstances.

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA)  Legislation to create and secure jobs is most welcome this new legislative session. Expanding incentives, expanding deductions from state taxes of health care costs by small businesses and their employees, and enacting "rolling reserve" budget reform are all positive steps to enhance the business climate. Eliminating the racist language from Alabama's constitution would be a big help as well.

Section 256 of the constitution states that "separate schools shall be provided for white and colored children and no child of either race shall be permitted to attend a school of the other race."

Clearly this is not the reality in the schools in Alabama and doesn't reflect federal law.

Senator Arthur Orr plans to introduce legislation to remove this and other racist language from the constitution. We support it heartily and expect legislators will as well. We hope voters approve it this time. A similar measure was rejected by 1,800 votes seven years ago. Without public approval, a state constitutional amendment can't take effect.

Perception is reality in our world and this change in our constitution will change some of the stereotype perceptions of our state and offer a more welcoming environment for businesses and potential employees of those businesses.

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