When I announced my plans to move to Alabama to complete and advanced degree in education, I was met with a fair amount of ribbing from my professional educator colleagues. The obvious ones came first, such as the line that “they really don’t believe in education in Alabama,” and “the math scores in Alabama dropped because they started making the children wear shoes.” Ok, I can take good spirited jest. But other friends gave sincere looks and asked if I had a Mother Theresa complex, as if pursuing education in Alabama was akin to laboring in the slums of Calcutta. They pointed to news stories about potential governor candidates idiotically seeking to ban the use of any language other than English on drivers’ exams and license applications, despite the fact that doing so would forfeit millions in federal highway funds. In summary, they pointed out that they were willing to give George Wallace a pass because of the passage of time, “but what has Alabama done lately?” Well, of course they did win the NCAA Football Championship, but that is hardly a testament to intellect or a socially progressive environment. I took the ribbing in stride, mustered hope and convinced myself that if my belief in improving the quality of education was strong and true, what better place to apply my labors than areas that appeared to have the greatest need.
Today, an article hit the news that would try the patience and faith of the most stalwart:
CBS News) -- Alabama Republican Governor Robert Bentley said in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day message Monday that he does not consider Americans who do not accept Jesus Christ as their savior to be his brothers and sisters. ------------And in a brilliant rhetorical flourish, he declared: -------- "Now I will have to say that, if we don't have the same daddy, we're not brothers and sisters," he continued. "So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother." http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=118271
Now I have no problem with a man of faith taking on the challenges of public service in a democratic society. The demands of such office no doubt require courage and a bit of divine inspiration, particularly in these financially troubled and morally challenging times. The “fly” in the veritable ointment is that there just happens to be a substantial segment of the citizenry of Alabama who are not fundamentalist Christians; and the oath of office, as well as the Constitutions of the United States and Alabama call upon elected officials to apply and enforce the laws giving equal protection to ALL people in the State.
The American Atheists president and the Jewish Anti-Defamation League representative expressed dismay over the new Governor’s remarks. After all, the Establishment Clause of the Constitution should give pause to a reasonably intelligent person in such office seeking to use the Governor’s “bully pulpit” to proselytize a particular brand of religion. But perhaps, as was the case with Ms. O’Donnell who unsuccessfully ran for the US Senate, the new Alabama Governor never took the time to actually read the document that he has sworn to uphold. Fair enough, a little on the job training may be in order. A bright guy ought to be able to pick it up as he goes, right?
But then the new Governor was asked about his duty to represent all the people of Alabama. His odd response lines up with the likes of “some of my best friends are colored people” as he asserts that he will be “color blind.” After all, no one had raised the race issue in the questioning. So why did the Governor feel the need to assure people that he would not discriminate on the basis of color? And did he not even register that the immediate problem with his remarks was about religious intolerance and not race? Makes one kinda wonder what gears were creaking in his head, doesn’t it?
So I guess all I can now say is….Roll up my sleeves, and move over Mother Theresa, we’ve got a LOT of mess to clean up around here. Let’s just hope this brain eating virus disease is not contagious!
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