BLOOMINGTON, IL. (ECWd) –
During the Mayor’s open house last week, Bloomington, Illinois Mayor Tari Renner stated that [U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas] “sure does not behave like someone who is African American.”
That comment caught me by surprise, and made me wonder how Mayor Renner thinks African Americans should “behave.”
So I sent an email to Renner and all of the Bloomington Councilmen, asking two questions:
- Mayor Renner, In light of your comment caught on video during a recent Open House: “[Clarence Thomas] sure does not behave like someone who is African American.” I invite you to please explain, in your own words, exactly how African Americans should behave.
- City Council Members, I invite you to comment whether or not you agree with your Mayor, and if you believe there is a certain way that African Americans should behave, and how you think they should behave.
Only one person answered my request for comment, and it really wasn’t an answer at all:
Hi John,
We all have unique behaviors. I try to live my life by the Golden Rule.
I look at peoples’ actions, which reflect their character, rather than at their appearance and hope others do the same.
I hope these comments satisfy your request.
Donna Boelen
Alderman, Ward 2
“When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” –Maya Angelou
We would still like Renner to answer the questions posed, but doubt he will.
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7 Comments
Toni Mariani AuthorBrigitte`Antoinette
Posted at 05:36h, 24 JuneBloomingtonians, get him out!
Heather
Posted at 15:41h, 29 MayWow! This man is clearly an idiot. I would be “remiss” to not point that out. Mr. Mayor please do yourself a favor and slam your head in your car door a couple times just to make sure there is really a brain up there instead of the ignorant crap that came out of your mouth.
John Garris
Posted at 07:56h, 29 MayExactly how is an educated man suppose to act. I think the treatment of Anita Hill was way out of line but that fell on congress not Judge C. Thomas.
Thurgood Marshall History Lesson
Posted at 23:51h, 28 MayHe is an embarrassment to himself and shouldn’t be holding elected office. There are a list of issues with his one minute speech. He is a political science professor at a university and he said it’s the way we all try to talk about diversity. Who is “we” because what he said is complete and utter nonsense. He said just because you check a box doesn’t mean you are diverse. What does it mean? Apparently just because you are elected to office doesn’t mean you won’t make offensive comments. He starts explaining his history of being on welfare from the time he was 8 to the time he was 15 as a correlation of how African Americans should behave? He said he would be remiss if he didn’t look at the world from the bottom up? Who exactly is at the bottom? The welfare recipients, African Americans or his KKK ideologies? The only thing he said that was true is that he said he would be remiss. Well you got that right cowboy. Let me see remiss means thoughtless, unthinking, unmindful. Let me stop right there, because I’m African American and apparently according to the Mayor of Bloomington and Illinois Wesleyan University Political Science Professor, I’m fit to be a what he called bottom of the barrel welfare recipient, but not a Supreme Court Justice. He should resign from office immediately and go back and learn everything he can about African American History.
Angela
Posted at 22:30h, 28 MayThis needs to go national. What can we do?
Cavewoman
Posted at 21:03h, 28 MayThis mayor is an embarrassment to the good citizens of Bloomington.
Gary Walter
Posted at 18:00h, 29 MayAnd always has been. A very good question could be how did he get there!!!