Here we go again. First, let me say to you Mr. Jennings and others who are concerned/confused/angry about my party affiliation. First and foremost I am a Christian, a pastor, a father, grandfather, a community leader, a democratic city council and all are by choice. I am also proud of our future President (Obama) and Vice President (Biden) of the United States of America. If anybody tells you they expected this result, they’re not being honest. My choice of candidates or my voting preference is also my choice. I am so proud that we live in a time in history where we can make such choices without the fear of being imprisoned or killed.
For that, I am thankful and excited. In my young life, I have not felt such excitement during a presidential election since the JFK days. I am excited when I look back in history and reminisce about the many men and women of all races whose sacrifices paved the way so that you and I as American citizens could enjoy and experience freedom and justice. It’s exciting to know that Mississippi leads the nation in total number of African Americans elected officials and Alabama has the highest percentage of African Americans officeholders in the United States, according to the annual Black Elected Officials: A National Roster, published by the Joint Center for Political Studies.
So Mr. Jennings when you say that it is a “democratic mess,” I can only say, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” and I view the glass as half full, not half empty. Mr. Jennings, you may consider the Democratic Party a mess, but I see it just the opposite my friend.
Furthermore, I am excited to know that the Democratic Party was very instrumental in registering over 70,000 new voters in the State of Mississippi and an estimated 2,500 new voters were registered in Meridian leading up to the 2008 Presidential Elections. These amounts may have set a record number of newly registered voters in Mississippi during any Presidential election year.
Moreover, I had read several of your articles in the past. It seemed evident that you may have numerous personal issues with the City of Meridian; the Meridian Public School System, and with the NAACP. If you did not have a few personal issues with these organizations, you would not have written such a disgraceful article.
As an educational representative and a member (as I) of such a historical civil rights organization such as the NAACP and an educator, I am disappointed that you choose to use such a venue to vent your issues.
Now, in your article you made several statements such as, “John Harris decided, he realized and he saw." The question that I want to ask you is how did you arrive at, “what I decided, realized and saw” sir? If you want to write, “What I decided, realized and saw," please try asking me first.
As you are aware, I ran for the office of Ward Five City Councilman on the democratic ticket in 2005. The people, democrats and republican, black and white elected me because they believed that I would represent them fairly. They elected me not as just a democrat, but as an elected official who would represent them in a nonpartisan or biased way when it came down to making decisions based on what’s best for the people. I never asked anybody to be for me because I was black. I asked people to be for me because I thought I was the best candidate. I never asked anybody to give me anything because I was black. I asked people to give me a chance because I thought I was the best. I’m proud I received the votes of the majority of the African-American community and a great amount of the vote from the white community.
Therefore Mr. Jennings, I don’t know what my fellow colleagues reasons are for why or how they serve the people, but I represent all people. I not only support the black, but I support the white, privileged and non-privilege, the haves and the have nots, the rich and the poor. I serve the people of Meridian, because we all need a voice. For that sir, I am not apologetic, nor am I afraid to make tuff decisions. I am not afraid to voice my opinions to the Mayor and my fellow Council members on ANY issues, however, I have only one vote.
As a city legislator responsible for governing a city isn’t about race, there’s no black or white way to fill a pothole. And yet, it’s also true that in any given American city there are likely to be more potholes in black neighborhoods than in white ones — along with more violence, more unemployment and more illiteracy.
Mr. Jennings, I am well aware that while the decisions I make as a city councilman have no racial antecedents, rarely do they affect the races equally. I know that I have the challenge of never forgetting where I came from. So, yes, I am quite well aware of, and raise on a regular basis, the fact that the majority of people who are killed in Meridian are African-American, that the overwhelming majority of people who have health-care challenges are African-American, that education has tremendous disparity gaps. Unemployment, incarceration, poverty, homelessness, housing — all affect the African-American community at a disproportionate level as opposed to everyone else.
However, I believe as Obama in my local government stance. As a candidate, Obama has outlined an agenda for “civil rights and criminal justice,” aimed primarily at urban African-Americans. His platform includes refocusing the Justice Department on hate crimes, banning racial profiling by federal law-enforcement agencies and reforming mandatory minimum sentences (which disproportionately affect black men, especially those convicted on crack-cocaine charges). Obama’s African American advisers caution, however, that no one should expect him to behave like a civil rights leader. There have been wounds in all the communities, not just in the black community. There are plenty of wounds to go around.
Finally, it’s not good enough for me to have the reaction that you had in your article Mr. Jennings, which is an expectation not only to be a city councilman, but also to fill the traditional role of the black politician that of spokesman, minister and conduit to the white establishment.
I don’t have to be the black oracle. But sir, all I have to be is as good a human being and as good a city councilman as I can be and the rest will take care of itself. I will always seek to put, “People, Service, Progress” as my goal. Mr. Jennings, I close with a message of unity. Remember, that if people of other races, colors and creeds felt the way you feel, then Senator Obama would not have been elected as the first African American Democratic Presidential nominee. Nor would he be on the road to becoming the President of the United States of American. May God bless America, especially Meridian and Lauderdale County.
John C. Harris
Ward 5 Councilman
Meridian
