Center City Commission president Jeff Sanford has caused a stir with comments made yesterday decrying the "race-card politics" in Memphis.
From a luncheon at The Peabody, reporter Wayne Risher caught Sanford, a former City Councilman from 1977 to 1983, saying race-card politics, with practitioners from across the racial and political spectrum, "continue to spoil the image of Memphis from coast to coast, and among some who would otherwise do business here, some who would otherwise live here."
"And though we often speak of it obliquely in polite circles, I don't need to tell anyone in this hall today that the dangerous mixture of race and politics is still poisoning our civic discourse," Sanford said.
Sanford didn't call out Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton by name, but his comments were well timed.
Earlier that morning, Herenton was quoted by Reporter Amos Maki calling members of the City Council and Election Commission "perverts" and racists for moving ahead with plans to hold a special election.
Sanford later said a special election for city mayor could be "a special moment in time, an opportunity to begin turning the history that has divided us into a future that will finally unite us."
So, what do you think? Are Memphis politicians too casual about pulling the race card? Or, are elected officials just telling it like it is?
In Herenton's case, it could simply be called "keeping it real" ... which just so happens to be his campaign slogan for his 2010 congressional run against Rep. Steve Cohen.
Mr. Sanford is absolutely right. The first thing that pops into my mind when you mention Memphis is racism. Take care of that, and other things will follow. Do you think consolidation (or population growth or being attractive to potential business development or an educated workforce) will happen without taking care of racism first? And why are our elected officials among the worst offenders? Let's get the priorities right!
Mr. Sanford is completely on the mark. Herenton calls it racist for those he's leaving behind to make plans for his departure. How is planning to be deemed racist?
But it's been a ploy of all types the last 20 years I've called Memphis home. As soon as you bring out the R word, people scuttle like cockroaches from the light. Herenton knows this and has used this battering ram so often in his "leadership" that it's lost all weight.
If Herenton were to call me a racist, I'd consider it a compliment. It means he has no other defense and what I'm saying is probably true.
You, asked if "Memphis politicians are too casual about pulling the race card? Or, are elected officials just telling it like it is? ". My answer is, yes there is real rascism in Memphis on both sides, but the politicians also fan the flames with the race card. They should rise above it and try to unite us, black and white, city and county, for united we stand, divided we fall. We are very divided and falling fast!
Yes, politicians are much too casual about pulling the race card. Memphis does have its issues but when people in power do nothing to help and just antagonize the situation it makes it worse. They are supposed to leaders and a good example for others to follow.
Sanford hit the proverbial nail on the head.
Willie keeping it real? What a joke!
He needs to go, to
Atlanta,Detroit,Kosciusko,Mississippi,prison, wherever, but he needs to leave Memphis. We've had enough of his divisiveness and his disdain for all of us and yes, I mean all of us,black and white.
Don't kid yourself black folk, he only cares about you at election time and he cries race everytime something doesn't go his way otherwise he couldn't care less about you.
I can tell you one thing, if the 9th District elects him to take Cohen's place then the opinion of the people in the District will be greatly diminished in many people's eyes, black and white.
Dat's right King Willie "Mugabe" is keeping it real and those racist pervs on the council is keeping it wrong. just a bunch of playa haters with the stench of jealousy on da breath.
Jeff Stanford that loud mouthed, puny, hilljack aint even an elected offical. Just a leech on the back of the city. Dude needs to keep his trap shut and start keeping it real King Willie "Mugabe" style.