Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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Invest In Advertising Opportunities We can show you how to market your business! 910.484.6200 www.upandcomingweekly.com To all our Listeners and Advertisers: The Executive Sales Team, Administrative Staff, DJ���s, On-Air Personalities and our Management would like to personally Thank You for your continued support. We look forward to serving you and our community in 2013. 8 UCW DEC. 26, 2012 - JAN 1, 2013 OPINION One of the Finalists for FPD Chief Is Black; So What? by KARL MERRITT Fayetteville is in the process of hiring a pro���ling issue. When I failed to toethe-line regarding allegations of racial police chief. The need for doing so was pro���ling and contended that Chief brought on by the retirement of Chief Tom Bergamine. There is no doubt in my Bergamine and the Fayetteville Police Department were being treated unfairly mind his decision to retire was the result in how the allegations were handled, one of well over a year of allegations of racial leader in that cause asked me, ���How pro���ling (also referred to as ���Driving can you be black and say the things you While Black���) directed at the Fayetteville say?��� If the new black chief yields to this Police Department. Although various pressure without clear and substantiated reports showed that roughly three times reason for doing so, he or she will lose as many black motorists were stopped the respect and trust of many department and searched as whites, no concrete personnel and of many citizens. It does evidence of racial pro���ling was ever presented and Bergamine stood strong in not take tremendous insight to see the resulting condition of the Fayetteville defense of his personnel. Police Department/the citizens and what As is my routine, I walked to the street that resulting condition would mean to and picked up the Dec. 13 copy of The this city. Fayetteville Observer newspaper. With Third, in the racially tense and racially my wife standing in the garage door, I opened the paper to look at headlines. In divided atmosphere of this city, how will citizens who were never comfortable the Local & State section, there it was: ���1 police chief ���nalist is black.��� I literally with the handling of the racial-pro���ling allegations against the police department screamed, ���So what?��� react to the selection of a black person My reaction grew out of what I see as chief of police? The conversations I as the perilous condition in Fayetteville. have had with people around the city and We are a city divided by race. I am responses to my written comments on convinced that if this were not the case, the racial pro���ling matter indicate that The Fayetteville Observer would not have this group is sizeable. My suspicion is deemed it appropriate or necessary to that if we did not have this racial divide print this headline. and were without the debilitating racial It was stated by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 12:25, ���Every kingdom divided tension, the selection would be accepted and even applauded by these citizens. against itself is brought to desolation, However, that is not our circumstance. and every city or house divided against Very likely most who questioned itself will not stand.��� This quote is from the New King James version of the Bible. the handling of the racial pro���ling allegations would see such a selection Let me walk through just some of as political expediency. That is, seeking the destructive consequences that to please and calm a vocal segment are possible, even probable, from this without due consideration of the whole police chief selection process due to our of this city. This view would conclude racial divide and tension. First, given that the selection was not made based the obvious push from some sectors on quali���cations, but on skin color. of the city for a black police chief and That conclusion would only further considering the tremendous racial racially divide this city and insure the tension that has brought us to this point, decline that comes to a divided city. I cannot believe that Ted Voorhees, the Jesus spoke truth. recently hired city manager, can feel safe In the midst of what I have presented in making a selection based solely on as a very disturbing condition of our quali���cations if doing so does not result city, there is a bit of encouragement, a in the selection of the black candidate. glimmer of hope. The article by Andrew In light of Fayetteville���s unenviable Barksdale reports that Jimmy Buxton, record regarding forcing city managers president of the local NAACP, said having to resign, this cannot bode well for a black police chief would be historic, high morale among city employees but color is not his concern. Then he or for attracting and retaining quality quotes Buxton directly as saying, ���My employees. main concern is quali���cation, more Second, if the black candidate is than anything else.��� This is from a man selected, he will be expected to, as who was at the center of pressing the Attorney Allen Rogers is quoted in the allegations of racial pro���ling against the article as saying in an email: ���The fact Fayetteville Police Department. that an African-American is one of My prayer is that all the citizens two ���nalist is extremely encouraging. of Fayetteville will have reason to The potential selection could offer a believe that the selection of the next minority perspective in the way justice is Fayetteville Chief of Police was made administered and could improve biased based on quali���cations and understand perceptions that would be bene���cial that this is as it should be. Without to the continued progress of this this result, I fear that what seems to be community.��� Given my experience in this town, that Fayetteville���s march translates as he or she would be expected toward self-destruction to agree that there is racial pro���ling, take will continue. action to correct the perceived resulting KARL MERRITT, Contributing injustices and toe-the-line regarding any other complaints/allegations raised Writer, COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com by those who have pressed the racial WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM