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More
than a
mask is
needed
to cover
the
racism
of Tom
Eckerle
Op-Ed by
Rev. Dr.
Wendell
Anthony,
President,
Detroit
Branch
NAACP
DETROIT
–
160,000
Americans
have
died,
with
over
1,000
losing
their
lives
every
day. At
least
five
million
more are
sick
from the
disease
of
COVID-19.
Yet,
some
elected
officials
refuse
to take
the
basic
steps
necessary
to
prevent
more
deaths
and more
sickness
by
simply
wearing
a face
mask.
Leelanau
County
Road
Commissioner
Tom
Eckerle
wants to
blame
African
Americans
in
Detroit,
participating
in the
Black
Lives
Matter
Movement,
for
exacerbating
the
effects
from
COVID-19.
Republican
Road
Commissioner
Tom
Eckerle,
after
refusing
to wear
a mask
for his
safety
as well
as that
of
others,
went on
a racial
uproar
by
accusing
African
Americans
in
Detroit
of
creating
this
unnecessary
inconvenience.
Mr.
Eckerle
did not
describe
this
situation
in quite
such
polite
terms.
As a
matter
of fact,
he said,
“well
this
whole
thing is
because
of them
n…s in
Detroit.
I can
say
anything
that I
want.
Black
Lives
Matter
has
everything
to do
with
taking
the
country
away
from
us.” It
is
reported
that
Chairman
of the
Road
Commission
Bob
Joyce
heard
Mr.
Eckerle
use the
racial
slur and
called
for his
resignation.
Dr.
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.,
said
“nothing
in all
the
world is
more
dangerous
than
sincere
ignorance
and
conscientious
stupidity.”
The use
of this
term and
the
accusations
made
against
Blacks
in
Detroit
reflect
a
sincere
ignorance
on the
part of
this
elected
official.
It must
also be
conscientious
stupidity
because
when
asked if
he
regretted
having
made
these
remarks,
he told
Interlochen
Public
Radio,
“a n…r
is a n…r
is a
n…r.
That’s
not a
person
whatsoever.”
Tom
Eckerle
said he
would
not
resign
from the
Road
Commission.
Several
officials
in the
state
have
called
for Mr.
Eckerle’s
resignation.
They
include
Governor
Gretchen
Whitmer
who said
he
should
resign
immediately
and “his
comments
are
atrocious.”
The
Leelanau
County
Road
Commission
issued a
letter
calling
for Mr.
Eckerle
to
resign.
Unfortunately,
we have
not
heard
from the
Senator
representing
his
district.
Wayne
Schmidt
of Grand
Traverse.
Senator
Schmidt
does not
appear
to have
responded
to any
calls
concerning
this
incident.
While
Senator
Schmidt
is
holding
coffee
hours
with his
constituents
which
began
Friday,
August 7
at the
Thirsty
Sturgeon
in
Wolverine
and
continues
Tuesday,
August
11 at
McDonalds,
11 a.m.
-12 p.m.
in
Newberry;
and the
Front
Porch
Café in
Ellsworth,
August
14 from
10-11
a.m. His
road
commissioner
is
driving
off the
road
blinded
by the
dense
fog of
racism.
Let us
hope
Senator
Schmidt
answers
the
question
of
whether
or not
he
supports
the
calls
for the
resignation
of
Commissioner
Eckerle.
The
commissioner
has
demonstrated
his
inability
to
remain
on the
open
road
towards
respect
and
dignity
of all
people.
In
this
era,
while
suffering
from the
global
pandemic
of
COVID-19,
the last
thing we
need is
for a
racial
pandemic
to
remain
on the
scene.
Mr.
Eckerle
makes it
abundantly
clear
why
Governor
Whitmer
recently
identified
racism
as a
public
health
issue.
Many of
us have
held
this
view for
decades.
Eckerle
affirms
the fact
that our
public
health
and
well-being
is at
risk by
elected
officials
such as
himself.
He not
only has
admitted
that he
said
these
words,
he also
believes
them to
be true.
If this
is the
true
nature
of one
given
the
responsibility
of the
public’s
trust,
he must
resign
immediately.
The road
he is
traveling
is not
on the
straight
and
narrow.
Now is
not the
time for
our
communities
to be
divided.
Now is
really
the time
for our
people
to be
united.
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