Mr. Starks' adage "the unattractive truth" definitely applies here, doesn't it? If a doctor tells his patient that he or she has terminal cancer, the first reaction is normally denial-why should reminding minority communities of their socio-economic cancer be any different. Dr. Cosby (and yours truly will provide a review of his latest literary effort shortly) has received an equally cold public response when since he too highlighted a bleak future for our nation's underclass youth. Thankfully, both men have not only remained steadfast with their assertions but also have not apologized. Public capitulation in a nutshell....sucks. When a public figure says something that really is unconscionable, he or she may be due for the appropriate tongue lashing (Ann Coulter are you listening-never let it be said that I can't criticize a fellow conservative) but why demand an apology when it is more than likely to be insincere if not forced. But if I did offend anyone with this latest entry please accept my heartfelt apology......yeah right. Check out the Byrnes story in its entirety, courtesy of Eurweb:
OVERSTOCK.COM FOUNDER TARGETED BY NAACP: Web site honcho uses controversial choice of words regarding minority high school dropouts.
(October 29, 2007)
*Overstock.com founder Patrick Byrne has refused the NAACP's demand for an apology Friday after video surfaced showing him saying that Utah minorities who don't graduate from high school might as well be burned or thrown away. [See clip below.]
The comments were made during a debate two weeks ago in Provo, where Byrne was speaking in favor of vouchers, public aid for families sending kids to private schools, according to the Associated Press.
A statewide voucher program that would grant $500 to $3,000 per child based on family income is on the Utah ballot Nov. 6.
On the video clip that appears on YouTube, Byrne says: "Right now, 40 percent of Utah minorities are not graduating from high school. You may as well burn those kids. That's the end of their life. That's the end of their ability to achieve in this society if they do not get a high school education. You might as, just throw the kids away."
Byrne said Friday that his remarks were taken out of context and he will not apologize.
"These folks have been selective in their editing," Byrne told The AP. "I very clearly said the system is throwing away 40 percent of the minority kids because they're not graduating. I'm saying that I'm against throwing kids away. People against vouchers are in favor of throwing the kids away," Byrne said.
Jeanetta Williams, a voucher opponent and president of the NAACP's Salt Lake branch, said the videotaped comments shocked her and she believes Byrne meant that minorities who don't graduate should be burned or thrown away. Williams noted that Byrne didn't mention white children who don't graduate. Utah is 83.5 percent white, 11 percent Hispanic and 1 percent black.
"It says he's not sympathetic to the minority community and he means exactly what he said," Williams said of Byrne's lack of an apology.
Byrne, chief executive of Utah-based Overstock, has long been a voucher advocate and has donated several hundred thousand dollars to the voucher movement in Utah. The NAACP is against vouchers, saying they could lead to segregated public schools. It says tuition still would be out for reach for many minority families because a voucher wouldn't cover the entire cost of private school.
No comments:
Post a Comment