Poor Appointment Choice
Rod Blagojevich, Governor of Illinois, obliviously chose to appoint an official of the Nation of Islam to the Governor's Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes. While a fellow member does support her placement as appropriate, despite the commission losing four members in protest to her continued presence, that's not what gets me. She can stay or not as far as I'm concerned, and I think that this rarely used commission will continue on it's waning path just fine.
However, this is just too much:
The Democratic governor, in a recent interview with The Associated Press, said he did not realize he had appointed a Nation of Islam official until learning about it from news reports.
He nodded vigorously when asked whether his staff should have discussed the appointment and its implications with him, but would say little else about the incident.
This is the same man who unwittingly agreed to an interview on "The Daily Show," not realizing it was a comedy and that he was there to be mocked.
I don't live in Illinois, but I have to wonder how they feel about putting this man in control of their entire state! I know he's too close for my comfort.
by Mark @ 12:10 AM
6
comments
6 Comments:
Rather ironic a group that is supposed to be working to end discrimination and hate seems to not even be able to deal with it within the group.
That they decide the choice is to quit rather than to work for what the real purpose of the Commission was supposed to be. Could it have been avoided? Yes, and it seems the Governor does not have staff that is on the ball when it comes to things like that. However, now that it's been done, quitting doesn't seem to be the way to deal with it, let alone putting pressure on others to quit.
I certainly agree. There's certainly not much "tolerance" being practiced within the group. The sad part, to me, is that the governor was totally clueless. This seems to be more and more what our governments are leaning towards, "representing" us without really paying much attention to what they're doing. It seems systematic...and a Commission that's supposed to teach tolerance and diversity that isn't able to practice it amongst themselves is just another cog in the machine.
Agreed, while it's easier to quit, what kind of a message does that send. It's better for them to stick it out and perhaps convince the Nation of Islam supporter why they disagree with some of the things said. A perfect learning opportunity for both sides as they might discover not everything about either side is bad has been wasted.
I don't know if you had a chance to watch the daily show clip that I had listed, especially with your net connection but it was obvious he really had no clue that the daily show was satire.
:-)
I didn't get to watch it. Stuff like that will just have to wait until I get a newer computer--high-tech redneck here I come!
:-)
But I read a partial transcript and it was totally obvious the man didn't have a clue. Face-time with the cameras is not all good, and he didn't seem to know that.
As for Nation of Islam, not a group I particularly want to interact with, but that doesn't mean this woman is incapable of representing the Commission appropriately. Sometimes you have to look at people's words and their actions, not those with whom they associate. Before she let it slip by inviting them to the speech, nobody knew anything was amiss...which leads me to think that she might have been *gasp* doing her job.
Good points Lisa Renee, I hadn't looked at it from that perspective. For me it is a little awkward for a woman that was this close to a hateful man to be appointed to a Discrimination and Hate Crimes board.
If curbing hateful ideas weren't such an integral part of the appointment it wouldn't be such a big deal. But since it is, the situation needs to be addressed in some way.
One way or another it's a big mess that speaks to the competency of the Blagojevich Administration.
Stephanie - Two points about electing Blago. First, he won't be re-elected this year...that's a foregone conclusion. Second, Illinois is really a pretty red state. Chicago and East St. Louis really swing the entire state to the left. It's frustrating.
Sorry, 4thelittleguy, this wasn't intended as a dig against Illinois, but against the destructive capacity of an oblivious and unqualified administration. I actually get down to Illinois several times a year and like the state fairly well (besides the toll-way, don't like that). I just don't want Blago to mess up relations with my state the way he's messed up relations within his own.
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