Northeast News
January 7, 2014

Dear Bunny,

The first read through of your op-ed pushed buttons. A second read brought about this letter to the editor and some feedback for Bunny, the newshound.

Name calling has no place in the news, especially not from a reporter, even in an op-ed piece. It is the stuff of tabloids. While I agree that Reverend Al Sharpton and Reverend Jesse Jackson are at times opportunists, they have done more good than harm over the long haul. The Michael Brown case not one of them, but that is for another letter. Also, there is no need to place quotation marks around the titles they hold. They are factual.

For anyone, even you Bunny, to suggest that a conversation about race in this country has no validity is alarming. While the United States is relatively young compared to other countries, it with ridiculous irony that we champion human and racial equality in other countries, but refuse to acknowledge the imbalance that even a blind man can sense that goes on in this country.

While Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson can be accused of trying to keep themselves relevant, they are no different from Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senator Mitch McConnell. Daily these two have done more to incite the American people with flat out lies about healthcare, even to the point that millions who now have it, may most likely lose if they have their way. The difference between them is that Jackson and Sharpton appeal to a group of people who take to the streets and wreak havoc. Boehner and McConnell appeal to a group of people who take to the polls and wreak havoc. Both groups have caused destruction in their own way because of lies and misinformation.

These are the primary examples of why nothing will change, not even having a president that looks like 13% of the population for the first time ever, unless both sides of this do four things:

1. Both groups have to acknowledge as fact wrongdoings and actions and take responsibility.

2. They must then decide how to remove the pot stirrers and liars from their ranks and put out front meaningful truth tellers. Of course this might not make for palatable news.

3. They must acknowledge that one side holds visible power and uses it in ways that are detrimental to those it is to be used to protect and that the other side believes it holds no power. The side with power must acknowledge and act on the responsibility of sharing power and teaching how to use that power to move forward. The side without power needs to acknowledge it had a duty and a responsibility to insure they share that power.

4. Both sides must consciously decide that removal of race begins within their own ranks and must call it out when they see it, but when an actual racial issue arises, it must be dealt with swiftly and decisively.

Only when these four things happen do a people, a country understands that ALL lives matter. South Africa anyone? When all lives matter, racism diminishes. It is the conversation this country desperately needs and it is one that communities like Kansas City needs to have. It isn’t pleasant, but meaningful change rarely is. It won’t happen as long as we have non-elected leaders with an axe to grind, elected leaders who see title as a pen to legislate under the guise of morality and newshounds who sit in media chairs of power shouting “Enough of that”, as if that alone will be enough to erase or eradication entrenched hotbed issues. Something of this magnitude requires meaningful words, meaningful conversation, meaningful work and considering the seat of power such as yours you should have a better, understanding of that as a media hound. This article does hold a generally good pulse, but you tread very dangerously on this ice here.

Sincerely,

Eric Norman

Kansas City, Missouri