This Week's Attitude
Barron's Bigotry Makes Him Unworthy Of BP Post
By Neil S. Friedman

As the 2008 presidential race plods along, some political analysts have pondered whether the country is ready for a woman (Sen. Hillary Clinton) president and whether a black man (Sen. Barack Obama) could be elected president? And let's not forget Latino New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. But he's a dark horse who'll probably drop out before next year's Democratic primaries get serious.

Closer to home, the question is not whether a black man could be the next borough president, but should it be City Councilman Charles Barron?

The response should be a resounding "No!" - though Barron's race has no bearing on that conclusion. It's his characteristically biased, bigoted, inflammatory words and arrogant demeanor that make him undeserving to serve as Brooklyn's ambassador. When he's on one of his divisive rants he often sounds like he entertains utter revulsion for anyone who is not of African-American heritage. No one who harbors such thoughts should ever hold public office, despite this nation's long history of electing bigots to every level of public office.

His intolerance for whites was front and center when he formally announced he was a candidate at a press conference on the steps of City Hall on July 22nd and pledged to "unapologetically" do whatever he can solely for the county's black residents. Though blacks make up the majority of Brooklyn's nearly 2.5 million residents, the remaining ethnic groups should not be overlooked.

Isn't neglect and exclusion what the civil rights movement struggled against for over a century?

Barron attempted to clarify his subjective rhetoric when he noted that though blacks and Latinos comprise most communities in the borough, he would also "be there for white and Asian communities as well."

How patronizing!

He then went on to attack Mayor Bloomberg for being "a mayor for rich, white males."

Guess the councilman's narrow-mindedness ignores polls that have given Bloomberg overall, overwhelming approval ratings for many years, though it is commonly lowest in the black community.

As a city councilman, whose district includes portions of Canarsie, Barron's constituency is mainly black. However, if he runs a campaign of race baiting, he's likely to alienate non-blacks and Asians, as well as African-Americans with a sense of decency, which should hinder his election to Borough Hall, even though it is primarily a ceremonial post.

Alas, too many voters cast ballots for candidates simply because they share cultural and religious backgrounds rather than their stance on critical issues. In a democracy there are no guidelines about whom to vote for. Nevertheless, conscientious citizens should educate themselves about candidates before making the ultimate choice on Election Day - even though that pick sometimes turns out to be a regrettable dud.

Barron's racial rabble-rousing was spotlighted several months ago when he proposed legislation to name a street in his district for Sonny Carson. Like Barron, Carson was a former member of the Black Panthers, the revolutionary group that called for social change and armed resistance to societal oppression in the interest of African Americans, often using militaristic and confrontational tactics. After the organization disbanded, Carson, who died four years ago, remained an activist in the black nationalist community.

When the debate over the Brooklyn street renaming came up in the City Council, Barron's chief of staff, Viola Plummer, screamed a tirade of anti-white slurs and threatened to politically "assassinate" Queens Councilman Leroy Comrie for voting against the measure. Incidentally, Comrie is black.

Because of that outburst, Council Speaker Christine Quinn fired Plummer, who has contested the ruling in court. While a federal court has yet to rule, Plummer is banned from the Council chamber floor, but it didn't stop her from making an appearance last week. Quinn had her removed by armed guards, so Plummer and Barron equated Quinn to a white supremacist and the eviction to the removal of civil rights protesters decades ago.

As a responsible elected official, who serves by law, Barron should wait for the court's ruling - and live with it if it concurs with Quinn's decree. But, if he is displeased with the ruling, he's likely to waste time and take it all the way to the Supreme Court. The longer he focuses on Plummer's reinstatement, the less chance he'll have of winning any election outside his district.

Whatever happens, the Brooklyn borough president has minimal executive powers, no legislative function and a paltry budget of less than $2 per resident. There's not much a BP can do with those meager funds. The BP's duties were reduced to mostly advisory functions in 1989 when the city government was restructured and the Board of Estimate eliminated. The borough president also has a hand in examining and recommending contracts for the county, as well as making a host of appointments, including local community and school board members.

Therefore, while Barron promises to champion causes for Brooklyn's black citizens, he will wield little power to see them realized.

Lame duck Marty Markowitz, who will exit in less than two years due to term limits, has probably been one of the most visible borough presidents in recent years. But his major responsibilities have essentially been showing up at numerous minor events and ceremonies hosted by various civic and other groups across the borough.

When I took part in one of Markowitz's "Lighten Up Brooklyn" walking events several years ago, he told me his waistline had grown mostly because he is obligated to attend dozens of dinners year round.

Following Barron's polarizing remarks at his City Hall announcement, Councilman Lew Fidler said it best, "…this is a lot sadder than funny."

Sadder because there can never be positive results from Barron's reverse bigotry and preferential treatment for one group in a diverse community. Hopefully sensible Brooklynites will agree and reject Barron at the polls come primary time in 2009.

Barron's longstanding anti-white attitude seems based on this nation's egregious history of slavery and discrimination. Yet, he has chosen a course of hate and provocation, instead of emulating the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King and other civil rights activists, who carved a path for equality that still needs development.