“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from the “I Have a Dream” speech August 1963
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Four years ago the NAACP and their minions in Fayette County came here and took Dr. King’s “dream,” twisted and distorted it into the exact opposite of that great dream. They did it purely for the sake of political power.
They came in here not investigating the character of our elections but twisted the issue Dr. King so valiantly fought and died to try and avoid … by only looking at “the color of their skin.”
They accused you, me, your neighbors, and everyone in this county of being racist because the NAACP didn’t see a certain skin color on the county Board of Commissioners and the county School Board. No matter they didn’t produce a single shred of credible evidence to support their spurious and racist charge. This is despicable.
Let’s be clear here. This lawsuit is not about district voting, voices not being heard, taxation without representation, the Chamber of Commerce worried whether businesses will come to the county, or money on legal fees better spent elsewhere.
These are all smoke screens for the real issue against the citizens of Fayette County: to get political power they can’t get through open, free, and fair elections.
Instead they accuse us, the citizens of Fayette County, of racism to get their way. The evidence they use in their lawsuit: no black had ever been elected to the County Commission or Board of Education. So that’s racism.
Really? Are you kidding? Statistically more non-green cars are in auto accidents than green cars. Therefore, if you have more green cars on the road, you will have fewer accidents. That’s the same logic the NAACP used and just as ridiculous as this example. How stupid do they think the people of this county are?
But people are buying it, including apparently the Chamber of Commerce. Rather than stand up for the character of this county, the Chamber would rather surrender. You know what surrendering to this lawsuit means: that you accept the fact the citizens of this county, your neighbors and my neighbors, are indeed racist. That’s what surrender means. They are not and I will never surrender.
Show me one election where anyone was denied the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice or prevented from going to polling places which are open sometimes weeks in advance giving everyone ample opportunity to make their voice heard. Show me any candidate for office who ran a racist campaign. Show me any person who was denied the opportunity to run for office in this county because of race.
You can’t because it never happened. The NAACP, their minions and outside money made it up for one reason only … to get Democrats elected. Period.
When the NAACP and their minions say they see people discrimination in this county, they need look no further than in the mirror.
If you want to discuss district voting, let’s have it, but take skin color out of it and have an open and honest debate on the merits. This county, for the most part, has been very well run. There’s no area of this county that has been short-changed because of race.
County-wide voting insures the best candidates for the whole county get elected. District voting will Balkanize the county into fiefdoms, dividing neighborhood against neighborhood as well as the distinct chance of getting incompetent elected officials entrenched in a district and not being able get them out. Already we see the beginnings of this starting to happen.
If you want to get Democrats elected, let’s have an open and honest debate on the political positions and present your case, but keep skin color out of it.
In a 65 percent-plus Republican county, it better be pretty persuasive. If race is the real issue, then choose a good qualified candidate and vote Republican. And by the way, the head of the Republican Party in Fayette County is black.
After district voting was used the Democrat elected to the school board is white. Now tell me this really wasn’t about getting Democrats elected.
Other arguments I’ve heard from my fellow neighbors at county meetings included blanket statements that the county is racist, but without presenting a single example.
Charges of taxation without representation of which district voting is the epitome of just that; not having any say on who will be elected to spend your county tax dollars from other districts. Questioning voter I.D. laws although studies show that voter I.D. has actually enhanced minority voter turnout and without doubt does suppress massive voter fraud in areas that don’t have it. That voices haven’t been heard unless those words were uttered from a black elected official.
Skin color should play absolutely no part in an election. If you voted, your voice was heard and in elections, your candidate may not always win. Arguments that county taxpayer money could be spent better elsewhere rather than defending the character of the citizens of Fayette County against this bogus lawsuit. All the NAACP and their minions have to do is withdraw this despicable lawsuit and the financial bleeding will stop. The county didn’t start this fight, the NAACP did.
I say to the county commissioners and members of the Board of Education, all those who have an input in deciding whether to defend the character of Fayette County: I stand four-square with Dr. King and his dream.
I too have a dream for this county, that we will be united in electing the best, most qualified people from a very talented and capable citizenry. And those candidates be elected based on the power of their message and proven ability to accomplish the difficult tasks Fayette County faces.
As Martin Luther King said, “Where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Amen, Dr. King, amen.
Dennis D. Benson
Captain, USN ret.
Peachtree City, Ga.
