Dear Source:
I'm not always right. If I was, Dow-Jones would be at 10.000 and global warming would have resulted in more natural disasters. But when it comes to the chain of events that lead up to the KKK outbursts by several Senators during Thursday's session, I have, unfortunately, been right every step of the way.
What started back in Dec. last year with a joke about a Senator's suit and later carried over to the debacle over the Omnibus bill, has left me extremely worried about what may happen next. Sociology gives you case study after case study of similar incidents from resent history. They all tell you the same story. There has to be a certain dissatisfaction lying dormant right below the surface. Next there is an incident that triggers a wakeup and a lot of anger. Then we see an escalation in rhetoric, often combined with various legal maneuverings. Finally we get to a point where the rhetoric gets personal and you cannot find words to express yourself, because they are all spent. And that is where we find ourselves here on Stx. 60 days after this chain reaction was triggered.
Although Sociology is not an exact science, it is clear that the rhetoric has peaked, and I'll say there is a good chance that we will see an act of material or physical violence in the near future. Victims are everywhere. The fundamental injustice in almost all parts of the Omnibus bill targets all those who participated in the creation and implementation of this bill. On the other side we find the many people who have been vocal against the bill and are now labeled KKK. And the thousands who signed the petitions? What about them?
On numerous occasions I have pointed out how easily it would be for our Governor to put a stop to this madness before it becomes unmanageable. He has chosen not to respond. At this point my faith in the Governor is like the Governor himself: Nowhere to be found! Twice an aide to the Gov. called Roger Morgan. The first time he promised a statement from the Gov. the same week. Never happened. The second time the aide told Roger that the Gov. would call him within minutes. Never happened.
The Democratic Party's endorsement of the implicated Senators and their passing of the Omnibus bill speaks volumes about a party that has lost it's mind. Do they really endorse this bill? Has the Democratic Party become the party of greed?
Roger Morgan now stands accused of being a member of KKK. It must be true, because 3 Senators said so right there on the Senate floor. His lovely Korean wife and all his Jewish and African American friends don't know if they should laugh or cry.
The Internet is a wonderful thing. I can actually 'prove' to you, that Ronald Russell is white. Here is how you do it: You go to one of the many thousands of obscure internet blogs and add a little notice that RR is in fact white. Now you ask anybody to punch in RR+ white on Google. Try it and see what happens.
Winners and losers: At this point I see no winners in this 'history in the making' debacle. The big loser is the Moral Fabric of our little society, and that is all of us. The Moral Fabric defines how we conduct ourselves in our everyday lives. The little kid who finds a wallet on his way home from school knows what he should do. But then he remembers an angry outburst from his dad about how the Senators stole his pension and put it in their own pockets. And guess what happen next?
In summary: A sense of injustice and unfairness, a debate turned into dangerous rhetoric going nowhere and a complete absence of leadership: A very explosive mix indeed! For 35 years STX have slowly healed and tried to forget what happened back then. If our Senators are deliberately trying to open these old wounds, they should not be allowed to speak on the Senate floor again.
Steffen Larsen
St. Croix
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