Monday, January 26, 2009

NAACP: Time for a change!

Change your police chief, that is, to match "demographics":
The West Metro NAACP is protesting the alleged use of excessive force by Douglasville [Ga.] Police during a recent arrest at a duplex on Duncan Street.
The NAACP's allegations stem from the arrest of Khiry Hodge, 19, on a charge of obstruction. The group alleges that Hodge was beaten by police at the time of his arrest. . . .
Police Chief Joe Whisenant, who was present at the time of Hodge's arrest, said the SWAT team was at the residence to serve a warrant to [20-year-old Daniel ] Perry on drug-related charges.
The SWAT team served the warrant as a precautionary measure because police had reason to believe there were weapons inside the home, Whisenant said. . . .
Kimberley Alexander, president of the West Metro NAACP, said Friday at an NAACP press conference at the Duncan Street duplex that "neither suspect resisted arrest" prior to the alleged beating of Hodge. . . .
Alexander went on to say that Whisenant should resign as police chief in light of the incident.
"The demographics in this county are changing, so after 25 years, it's a good time to retire … it’s a good time to move on," Alexander said.
Whisenant responded by saying he has no plans to move up his planned retirement date.
"I hope to stay four more years if I serve at the pleasure of the mayor and council," Whisenant said.
Interesting. Douglas County (a suburb of Atlanta) is 63% white, but because it's 33% black, the NAACP boss implies that "demographics" requires the dismissal of the veteran police chief, who happens to be white. And why? Because a guy arrested on dope charges says he was roughed up during the arrest.

Even if the suspect is telling the truth, the NAACP's argument supposes that (a) no drug suspects are ever roughed up in communities where the police chief is black, and (b) roughing up a drug suspect is automatically a "racial incident." But I imagine more people will be outraged by the implicit argument that no white man can be a police chief in any community that is 33% black.

Thanks for the tip from reader Sylvia, who says: "First rule of the hopeychangey 'post-racial' era: Fire the white guy."

No comments:

Post a Comment