Racism in Texas Town Creates a Crisis

 "Outrageous" is how his attorney described the dismissal of the police chief in Jasper, Texas. What's outrageous is the look of racism in this eastern Texas town. Rodney Pearson was the first black police chief in Jasper, hired by a city council with three black members. Those three were victims of a recall and the new council, by a 4-1 vote, fired the chief.

Jasper gained international notoriety in 1998 when three white men abducted and murdered a black man by dragging him behind a truck. Since then, whites and blacks had united to build harmony in their community.

"That harmony disintegrated last summer, though, when largely opponents of Pearson's appointment launched a drive to recall three black City Council members." The effort succeeded in removing three from office. Their positions were filled with white candidates, who then fired Pearson. (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Jasper-s-first-black-police-chief-fired-3628643.php)

Jasper blacks tried unsuccessfully to recall Mayor Mike Lout, who is white.

What a shame! Most of us have grown beyond dividing the races, but obviously some haven't. If a leader still thinks like Archie Bunker, shut up and don't let on. These racists, probably on both sides, have created a crisis for their town that will never lead to any good. For the sake of Jasper, they should bury their latent prejudices and learn to get along.