As a plaintiff in the NAACP lawsuit against the Fayette County Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education, the article written by the chairman of the Fayette County Republican Party, Mr. Fabricius, more than justifies the lawsuit, which we WON.
The comments of Mr. Fabricius shows the inherent racism that has been practiced by Fayette County politicians and voters for decades. It is obvious by his tirade about the “travesty” of district voting, simply because African Americans want and demand the right to have full participation in county politics.
It amazes me as to why politicians and the Republican Party in Fayette County are so afraid to have an African American serve on the BOC and BOE?
Under the at-large voting system, it was almost impossible for an African American to be elected in Fayette County. The fact we have had only ONE African American elected county-wide is proof of that. And Mr. Floyd was appointed and then ran as an incumbent.
It has been said that we need to run qualified candidates. We have had attorneys, CPAs, business people and educators run for office. I dare anyone to say they weren’t qualified. They were more qualified than a mechanic who ran “to preserve our heritage,” got elected and reelected, was arrested on a drug charge and still remained a commissioner! Talk about qualifications. Please!
With district voting, any candidates who lives in the district, be they black or white, can run for election. That is what democracy is all about. The point of district voting is that whoever runs and wins will do so because the citizens of the district voted them into office because it was felt they represented the interests of those citizens, not someone they do not know anything about.
It is always interesting that Republicans are always holding up people like Clarence Thomas, Dr. Ben Carson and Condelezza Rice as great role models for black folks. While we may respect these people, we may not agree with their political views.
But, for some reason, you don’t seem to think we can think for ourselves, that we need a Republican to think for us. Why don’t you ever hold up Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Julian Bond, Dr. Joseph Lowery and people like them as our role models?
Mr. Fabricius, district voting may be a “travesty” to you and your party, but, one day it may prove to be your salvation.
Dan Lowry
Fayetteville, Ga.
