Annapolis Capital Punishment

The following letter, posted by an "M.Smith, Annapolis" appears on The Capital's Your Say online. http://www.hometownannapolis.com/your_say.html

"Welcome to The Jungle (Only in the Projects in Eastport will you find people walking down the middle of the street with an attitude, crack ho's selling their wares at 6:00 a.m. and wannabee gangstas posing at the bus stop. As a good friend once said - it's nothing short of the congo. -- M. Smith - Annapolis, MD)"

Perhaps by the time you read this, The Capital will have removed this letter for violating its stated policy (Their web-site says: By posting a comment, you agree that you are fully responsible for the content you provide, and you agree to follow these rules: No personal attacks or threats against other users or individuals; no libelous statements. No attacks on individuals or groups based on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity or other classification. ).

Anybody who stills thinks that racism has withered away, is flat wrong. It is patently obvious to CP that racism still plays a strong role in our daily lives and while I don't think this is any great shock to those who daily face discrimination, plenty of white people--and plenty of white Annapolitans like to think that the civil rights movement put an end to racism. NOT TRUE. While CP deplores the crowds of people walking around-and even "walking down the middle of the street with an attitude" we have got to get beyond hateful racist rhetoric and action to address these challenges. If this "M. Smith" thinks there is some kind of reductionist genetic or biological reason for ongoing inequality, poverty and despair, he must have forgotten how he and many others profited and benefited from 400 years of enslaving and oppressing others--all the while legitimizing or rationalizing it--which he seems to be doing in his letter.

Hey Annapolis--racism and inequality are what Annapolis is all about. Just look around--the wealth differential is staggering. Whether or not you think race is or is not a component in this, we can no longer deny that there are plenty of racial attitudes and discrimination. That letter is just one tiny example. When CP worked for the city's transportation department (and see how "bus stops" is used in that letter?) I became more aware of this attitude all the time. I once had a person tell me "You are not going to find me on a bus with a bunch of porch monkeys at 10 at night." This guy was from an old-moneyed, blue blooded family.