May 15, 2008 — At Wednesday's hearing of the Senate Committee on Education, Culture and Youth, several senators denounced Constitutional Convention Delegate Adelbert Bryan's recent racist verbal assault on a Source reporter, which took place last week during a plenary session of the Constitutional Convention.
"There was this incident of a member of the Constitutional Convention spewing hate," Sen. Louis Patrick Hill said. "There is hate spewing on the radio every day …. Is this who we are? The members of the Constitutional Convention ought to have the courage to say publicly they reject this behavior of one of their members. In this community, how can we accept a document prepared by this bunch when one or several members of this body are insulting and denigrating members of this community?"
Sen. Liston A. Davis said he agreed, if what was reported on the incident is accurate. (See "Deadline Extension Sought for Constitution.")
"My colleague is correct," Davis said. "When something is wrong, it is wrong. I wasn't there, but if what was reported to have been said, if there is any accuracy to it, it is wrong."
Sen. Terrence "Positive" Nelson said people can believe whatever they like, including white supremacists and other racists.
"It is when they interfere with the rights of other individuals, that is when it becomes a problem," he said.
Nelson said he personally was against denigrating any member of the community for their ethnic background.
"We cannot hold anyone responsible today for the actions of their ancestors," he said.
Nelson also publicly denounced Bryan's racist assault at the opening of a committee hearing on St. Croix the day after the incident.
Discussion of the incident occupied a brief portion of a hearing on wide-ranging issues relating to the promotion and preservation of V.I. culture. The three senators quoted above were the only ones in attendance at the time.
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