The Black Kingdom

Not long after the windows on the Westin were replaced, a brand new storm of fury whipped through Downtown Atlanta

A memo had been released. The AJC reported friday that "The memo notes that for the first time since 1974, “African Americans could lose the mayoral seat in Atlanta, Georgia, especially if there is a runoff;" Worse, "a Norwood (white) mayoral candidacy" might replace Shirley Franklin (hold that thought.) "Time is of the essence..." and "and the key is a significant black turnout in the general election..." Of course, all three black mayoral candidates have distanced themselves from the memo.

Even incumbent mayor Shirley Franklin was offended by this memo, calling it "bigoted" and "multiple variations on the word."

But notice, in the actual quote (before AJC applied qualifiers) the adjective was "Norwood," a neighborhood of Atlanta that is somewhat, well, suburbanish. But it's still part of the city, and it's citizens are still allowed to run for high office if they so choose.

There are really two threads to this memo. One of them, the outrageous one, is the racial overtones, the idea that black people "must be" represented against all other groups (White, Asian & Hispanic) in the city, at least two of those (White & Hispanic) about even in number with Blacks. The other, and the one that really says more about what Atlanta is, is the one that attacks Norwood. Why is it that Norwood people aren't Atlantans?

What is Atlanta exactly? You look at a map, and you see this odd conglomeration and butchered, twisted, tortured line advancing across the landscape, bending here, curving in there, shooting in and then shooting out, a mess, a mess of many locales over vast distances. Downtown is a place of tall towers, fancy restaurants, and constant activity, while sleepy Norwood, Home Park, and much of Buckhead and Collier Hills are single family houses with large lawns that don't have crowds, don't have action, don't have the city. They also have money and in some of these places (Norwood especially, and also much of Collier Hills) don't have to see homeless people.

When Aaron Turpeau, the author of the article, responded to the response, he said: "Everybody has an agenda. The developers have an agenda, downtown business has an agenda, the gays have an agenda, the Hispanics have an agenda." And he was trying to draft the black version. Included in his vision was "Economic equality, access to City Hall, and respect for those displaced by development." In other words, welfare/socialized taxation, controls on development (Norwood), and preferential treatment for his people (not Norwood).

On a level, these ends are loving. He has lots of friends who have little (unlike Norwood), he sees people driven out of what they have by the rising prices that always accompany development (and Norwood), and his friends, of course, he wants them at the front of the line (ahead of Norwood.)

But someone has to be at the back of the line, sir, and there is someone you don't know who you are pushing back. Further that same development that you so hate creates jobs, stable taxation for educational development in places unlike Norwood, and the abillity to take care of more people with the same land and resources. Not only does this help Atlanta, HIS FRIENDS, and blacks, but it helps the entire country, by taking pressures off places that simply cannot support the same level of development.

If you push Norwood out, just like the last time wealthier folk were pushed out of Atlanta, the taxation base for the kind of government services that Turpeau wants will wither away and the books will be dipped in red ink. By forcing Norwood to be second-class against the rest of Atlanta, effectively what folks like Turpeau lead to, you are encouraging a city to secede from Atlanta to break the heavy burden placed on its back.

Further, Norwood is governed by Atlanta and thus has every right to be represented in it. So are those Whites (outside of Norwood) and Hispanics. Until the day when Norwood leaves this city, they have a right to vote and to engage with City Hall every bit as much as Grant Park and Downtown.

In short, he's not seeing the big picture. And instead of aiding Atlanta & America away from this narrow thinking, this kleptocracy of taking from one group and giving to another, he wants to discourage justice and harmony to avoid the risks of a few years without power. He has, by way of his own cynicism and narrow-mindedness, become an enemy of justice.

What about all those Hispanics? They're not well off either. Now, you can say that what benefits your people will benefit theres, but the minute that's no longer true, they're out in the cold. Why are blacks so much more deserving then hispanics? Why should Blacks put themselves one step ahead in the line and trample on Lations whenever convenient?

In fact, let's go even further. Why should blacks be ahead of whites? Why do you think that creating more injustice and more social violence and more hate and more theft to balance out the injustice before is going to settle people's hearts and put them at peace? And how will it benefit blacks to resegregate society from the human heart outwards? People's actions are, after all, the fruit of their heart, and hearts that see themselves as anything other then human will take no compassion towards those whom they do not see as their kin.

We need to see people for who they are, not the color of the skin or what club they belong to. For as long as we continue this exclusive club way of handling our politics and society, we will always empower those who hate and push down those who wish for progress.