1960s-era antics still cause damage

Published 12:00 am Sunday, June 10, 2007

To the Editor:

I believe “Remembering Jim Clark” is an inappropriate title for a man whose diabolical leadership caused the beating and jailing of hundreds who

demanded that all citizens be treated with human dignity.

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If a black man had treated white citizens with the same violence and human disregard, he would have been labeled as a racist terrorist.

Clark never acknowledged or repented of his racial misdeeds. The article also failed to mention Clark’s arrest and conviction of a drug crime.

In the spirit of Kingian Nonviolence, we still must forgive Clark, but the article about his demise should be no different than an article reporting the death of bin Laden or a Nazi.

If Jamie Wallace would have been a victim of Clark’s terror, I wonder if he would have been as generous with his remarks about Clark.

Side bar: In the 60s, there were no African-American police officers. The police force is now integrated, but unfortunately, the spirit of Clark still persists in a few officers, black and white, who abuse their power.

I deeply regret the recent shooting death of the security guard, but the lack of respect for Chief Martin and some police officers should be studied and analyzed.

For city officials to blame “recent public

ridicule,” is a sign for the need for new leadership in Selma.

They also blamed a law firm for increased violence because the firm merely asked for a jury instruction that stated

a citizen has a right to help defend an innocent victim of violence.

Blaming others instead of acknowledging the mistakes as well as the assets of the police department is another sign of outdated leadership.

Clark is gone and so is his era of terror, but changing the color of government alone will not get us to the “promised land.”

We must continue to organize and demand change, just as we demanded the right to vote during the “Jim Clark era.”

Sam Walker