Newscoma

I’ve watched the events unfold over the past couple of days regarding Sen. Diane Black’s legislative staffer Sherri Goforth. I’m not going to expound on this any further as people all across the country are steadily talking about it now. The image hit a nerve nationally and is yet another example that every time we think we’ve taken five steps forward, in actuality, we’ve taken six steps back.

I am hoping there is a lesson here about how words and actions do matter. Ms. Goforth obviously didn’t feel there would be a chain of events from sending the e-mail in question. It was racist, there is no doubt, and I’ve said that. Both democrats and republicans have let her know they did not find this acceptable. Despite our political allegiances, we are still human beings at the end of the day.

I guess she knows now. This e-mail is just a symptom of the problems regarding all kinds of discrimination.

Have you ever read The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss? It’s sad how close that children’s book is to our day-to-day lives.

Can we change this?

Hopefully some good can come out of this incident. May lessons be learned so our state won’t be lambasted again nationally. One can only hope. One can only think we might learn from this.

Let’s also take a moment to see what’s beneath the waves of our state’s political ocean. Overlooked in this whirlwind is a budget that needs passing and a legislative session that has been mind-boggling. Our elected officials of both parties, in my opinion, need to show they are leaders on and off the floor of the house and senate. It isn’t a game and they need to stop acting like it is.

People across this state are left to deal with the real results of the actions of those sitting in the legislature, those who were elected and those who assist them. It’s not a frivolous party for folks just trying to get from one day to the next.

It’s not a game.

There is much to do on a variety of levels.