This page was last updated on March 18, 2010.
Murtha broke code of silence on race; Lonzie Cox, Jr.; Beaver County Times; March 18, 2010. I am not related to Mr. Cox.
Most of Mr. Cox’s at least 50 letters since 2004 are tinged with race. This letter is not one of the exceptions.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“When the late U.S. Rep. John Murtha opposed the mindless invasion and war on Iraq, it was one of the two times he earned my respect.
“He said Iraq had not attacked us and Saddam Hussein had no part in the 9/11 attacks. Bush lied, the warmongers won the argument and we’re still wasting the lives of our soldiers and Iraqi citizens.”
[RWC] Mr. Cox needs a history refresher. In 2002, Mr. Murtha voted in favor of authorizing military force against Iraq. Mr. Murtha didn’t begin to call for removing troops until 2005.
If “we’re still wasting the lives of our soldiers and Iraqi citizens,” why hasn’t Mr. Cox written any letters demanding President Obama get us out? After all, Mr. Obama is following exactly the plan agreed to by the Bush administration and the Iraq government. Prior to Mr. Obama’s election, Mr. Cox wrote at least 12 letters from 2004 to 2008 mentioning Iraq. Since Mr. Obama’s election this is the first mention of Iraq and it’s to bash Mr. Bush. Why the different treatment? Is it simply a display of partisan politics (It’s OK for my guy but not for yours.) or is it something else?
“Then, in 2008, Murtha had a public moment of clear, honest reflection for which he was violently criticized, threatened and nearly defeated for re-election. He suggested that western Pennsylvania was one of the most bigoted and racially discriminatory areas in the country.”
[RWC] Mr. Murtha didn’t suggest anything; he quite explicitly said, “There’s no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area.” Mr. Murtha subsequently apologized.
“That wasn’t news to racial minorities, but his constituents were rabid in their reaction, not because of the implication of racial inequalities or bias, but because their own congressman had broken the code of silence on the race issue.”
[RWC] “[T]he code of silence on the race issue?” If I weren’t familiar with Mr. Cox’s letter-writing and public speaking body of work, I’d think he was joking. Barely a day goes by when some race baiter isn’t claiming someone or something is racist.
“Everyone knew Murtha was correct. Discrimination affects where people live, whether they have a job and how they receive justice, as in jury participation.”
[RWC] Mr. Cox wrote two letters about “jury participation” (here and here) during December 2009.
“In our major local institutions like hospitals, courthouses, school districts and big-box department stores, black employees are a rare sight.
“Institutional job discrimination?”
[RWC] As I noted in a critique of another race-centric letter by Mr. Cox, blacks are only about 6.3% of Beaver County’s population so - on average - blacks will be only about one in 16 employees. I tend not to take note of a person’s skin color as closely as Mr. Cox, but I haven’t noticed any scarcity of black employees. Not that it should matter, but my next-door neighbor is black and he’s a professional working at The Medical Center.
Mr. Cox appears to worry about “[i]nstitutional job discrimination,” yet the implication of his “jury participation” letters is he wants juries to be selected depending on the skin color of the defendant and the jury.
“Murtha broke the ice. Now what?”
[RWC] Are there racists in Western Pennsylvania? Of course, no area on Earth is immune and racists come in all skin colors, ethnicities, et cetera.
© 2004-2010 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.