As our racially diverse city, county and state gets blanketed in white, I'd like to ask if Jamie Benoit feels it is so incumbent upon himself to cast his vote solely on the color of one's skin, perhaps he should step aside specifically so we can get a person to take his seat based solely on skin color. Of course I am only basing this on media reports, but I don't like what I am reading. I know Ferrar and Benoit and don't know either Miller or Jones, but how would you like it if you knew you got voted in or selected because you were a token? (Or if you knew your council member got selected for that reason???) Is that not what Benoit is really asking we do? And, how different is it really from some of the stuff we just saw in our city elections? And why did anyone need to be reminded of someone's skin color? Uhh, is that not, uhh, well obvious? And is our goal to get beyond basing things on that....so why remind us? It's 2010...any day now. Can we get beyond this already? Otherwise, the next thing you know, someone will make another racially insensitive or downright ignorant and awful comment such as "So and so should be elected because he's White and not Black"....and then...oh...uh oh...
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6 Comments:
I attended the selection meeting and its not at all accurate to say that Jamie Benoit argued that Mike Miller should be selected "solely" because of his skin color.
Jamie actually made an impassioned argument that Miller was the most qualified.
When I heard Benoit explain his vote, and ask other Council members to vote for Miller based primarily on his skin color, my jaw dropped.
I can only imagine the uproar if Vitale or Johnson had said the same thing about Ferrar.
When will we stop playing the race card?
OKay. I was hesitant to accept the media reports, as I indicated, but I qualified that by saying that what I read was disturbing. If Councilman Benoit wishes to clarify, I will be pleased to publish his response. Thanks.
Thanks. That's my point. (For disclosure, Mr Landis and Councilman Ferrar are close friends)
Paul:
I was just made aware of your most recent blog post. I’d like to take you up on your offer to respond.
On Thursday, we had a passionate and somewhat heated debate on which candidate is best qualified to represent the Sixth Council District. During most of that debate, Ron Dillon and I supported Mike Miller while the remaining Councilmembers supported Chuck Ferrar. Ultimately, Ferrar was appointed with my support.
You and your readers should know that Chuck Ferrar is my good friend. When my wife opened her wine store in 2006, I turned to Chuck for help because he runs one of the most successful packaged goods stores in the State of Maryland. Chuck was instrumental in the success of my wife’s wine store through both his advice and his help. Chuck and I have remained friends, talk often and will continue to be friends notwithstanding my support of Michael Miller. Chuck is unquestionably qualified to serve on the Anne Arundel County Council and I look forward to serving with him.
Michael Miller is eminently qualified to serve on the Council. His resume reads better than that of any Councilmember ever to serve, including my own. Had he been selected, he would have been the first ivy league-educated person to serve our Council having graduated from Yale in the 1970’s. He received an MBA from University of North Carolina and has served as a key financial officer in several large companies and would have brought an astonishing intellect to our County government. He was educated in the District of Columbia public school system and his personal story is simply inspiring. I also had an opportunity to witness his leadership skills when Mike and I co-chaired the Anne Arundel County Obama for President campaign.
Had he been chosen, he would have been a master of our budget, would have been the Council’s intellectual leader and would have served as a once-in-a-lifetime role model for young men and women in Annapolis’ challenged communities. Also, having grown up in an inner-city environment, he would have been invaluable counsel to me in my official capacity, as minority families heavily populate the Fourth District, which I represent.
So our debate was indeed about his qualifications and my view that Mike Miller brought the “total package” to our County government.
Based on your post, however, it appears you are more interested in the discussion we had about race; Namely, Mr. Miller’s race. Again, Mr. Miller is uniquely qualified to hold the Sixth District seat. While Mr. Miller’s race was the least important factor in my deliberations, my response to your larger point is that to me, race matters. Period.
Your post, and some comments to it rely on the false assumption that racial discrimination has ended and that our equal opportunity is here. Whenever I have this discussion, I often ask critics of my opinion (who are almost always white) whether they would change the color of their skin if they could. Never has a white person answered my question in the affirmative. Why not? Because that person would sharply diminish his or her prospects of achieving financial success, of achieving a quality education or getting selected to serve in elective office.
Race matters Paul because racism and discrimination matter. That I engaged in the discussion on the record and was rebuked for it simply bolsters my point.
When I racism is gone so to will my pointed discussions of race will be gone with it.
We stood on the precipice of history last week. We could have selected the first ivy-league educated person ever to serve our council. We could have selected the most accomplished financial mind ever to serve in our ranks. We could have selected the third-ever African American to serve on the Council and opened a new chapter of increased diversity in County Government. To me, that would have been really great.
Keep up the good work. And thanks for letting me respond.
Best,
Jamie
Dear Jamie Thanks for your response which I am pleased to publish here. But, a few things are in order. One, I agree with you that race matters, to borrow your expression and that of Cornell West. I have never denied that and in fact, many posts here and comments I have made in public clearly show that I believe racism still exists AND MUST BE OPPOSED!. I DO NOT rely on any false assumptions that discrimination has ended. That was a false assumption on your part.
I also don't think the council on which you served stood on the pecipice of history. That's hyperbole for sure. What it has stood on is the precipice of a cliff by not being able to come to a decision on many things.
However, the deep issue as to whether a person's race should enter into the discussion of their qualification on anything is serious. Well, should it? If we are still trying to create, as I thought was our goal, a color-blind society, why must we bring it up all the time in siutations where if the shoe were on the other foot so to speak, the subject would be considered racist? In other words, why is it okay to say choose a Black person because he is Black, but never okay to say choose a White person because he is White? SO having said all that, if you beleive Mr Miller was the most qualified candidate, then support him as such--as the most qualified candidate. Period. Ignore and don't mention race, as you did.
That's my point. In plain old Black and White.
Thanks PMF aka CP
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