The senior editor is a member of the UEA board and made the motion to release the following statement as written by the executive director. Board member and 3rd district councilman Steve Price seconded, and the ensuing vote was unanimous. I deeply appreciate that, Steve.
---
Enterprise Zone Reacts to Comments
The New Albany Urban Enterprise Association issues the following statement:
"The New Albany Urban Enterprise Association is a non-discriminatory economic development organization whose mission is to improve the physical, business, residential and socio-economic environment of the New Albany Urban Enterprise Zone. We do this through collaborative public-private partnerships that strive to improve the common good and reciprocity of the community.
The NAUEA does not condone and fully rejects the recent comments of a New Albany businessman as represented in the Chicago Tribune of October 18, 2008 pertaining to presidential candidate Barack Obama.
The NAUEA is an open and inclusive organization that values the inherent worth, the talents, and potential of our community.
Adopted by the Board of Directors of the New Albany Urban Enterprise Zone Association on October 23, 2008"
Showing posts with label David Ward. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Ward. Show all posts
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Mayor Doug England: "The entire local community should repudiate this type of ignorance and intolerance."
This just in from Mayor England:
----
“David Ward’s reported statement (Chicago Tribune, Oct. 18, 2008) that he is voting for Presidential candidate John McCain ‘mainly because he’s not black,’ is both regrettable and embarrassing. It speaks to latent racism that still permeates certain elements of American society. Through our actions as well as our words, the entire local community should repudiate this type of ignorance and intolerance,” Mayor Doug England said today.
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“David Ward’s reported statement (Chicago Tribune, Oct. 18, 2008) that he is voting for Presidential candidate John McCain ‘mainly because he’s not black,’ is both regrettable and embarrassing. It speaks to latent racism that still permeates certain elements of American society. Through our actions as well as our words, the entire local community should repudiate this type of ignorance and intolerance,” Mayor Doug England said today.
Cheers to the New Albany Tribune: “We owe it to our community to educate not only ourselves but those around us.”
The Tribune joins GOP chairman Dave Matthews in standing against ignorance. Among media outlets to date, both LEO's Fat Lip blog and The Ville Voice blog have also weighed in.
----
TRIBUNE CHEERS & JEERS: October 22, 2008
... to uneducated voters letting ignorance guide their decision. David Ward, a New Albany businessman, was quoted in the Chicago Tribune saying that despite being a registered Democrat, he will vote for John McCain for president “mainly because he’s not black.” (When The Tribune asked if the story correctly quoted him, Mr. Ward said “No Comment” and hung up the phone.) It’s the double-edged sword of democracy that makes sure everyone has a right to vote no matter how primitive their opinions are. Yes, it’s a free country. Not all of us will agree, but at least pick an issue that’s relevant! Will a biracial man in the White House really have that much of an impact on Ward’s antique business in Southern Indiana? Ward must think so, because he’s willing to toss aside economics, health care and any other serious issues. Voters like this man are among the same ones that read all of their Spam e-mail or listen to bar room gossip when evaluating the next leader of the free world. Jeers to those of us that support that practice or contribute to ignorance. We owe it to our community to educate not only ourselves but those around us.
----
TRIBUNE CHEERS & JEERS: October 22, 2008
... to uneducated voters letting ignorance guide their decision. David Ward, a New Albany businessman, was quoted in the Chicago Tribune saying that despite being a registered Democrat, he will vote for John McCain for president “mainly because he’s not black.” (When The Tribune asked if the story correctly quoted him, Mr. Ward said “No Comment” and hung up the phone.) It’s the double-edged sword of democracy that makes sure everyone has a right to vote no matter how primitive their opinions are. Yes, it’s a free country. Not all of us will agree, but at least pick an issue that’s relevant! Will a biracial man in the White House really have that much of an impact on Ward’s antique business in Southern Indiana? Ward must think so, because he’s willing to toss aside economics, health care and any other serious issues. Voters like this man are among the same ones that read all of their Spam e-mail or listen to bar room gossip when evaluating the next leader of the free world. Jeers to those of us that support that practice or contribute to ignorance. We owe it to our community to educate not only ourselves but those around us.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Marcey Wisman: "Mr. Ward’s comments do not represent the beliefs of the people of the Floyd County Democratic Party."
I asked the question yesterday:
Will New Albany's elected officials, its political leaders, its civic organizations and business community, and it's citizenry respond constructively to what amounts as shame and embarrassment on a national scale, and not just denounce the idiocy of racism and the idiots who perpetuate it, but conduct the life of the city in such a manner as to kill racism at the roots?
Floyd County Democratic Party chairwoman (and City Clerk) Marcey Wisman wasted no time in responding. I believe you will agree with me that this powerful and impassioned statement sets the bar at a high level, indeed.
---
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” for me, as a Democrat, the opening quote from Dickens book “A Tale of Two Cities” best describes the 2008 presidential election.
I have been a part of what will be remembered as one of the most historical elections in America. It is something that I will be proud to sit and tell my grandchildren about; the year we (the Democrats) had a female and a black man running in the Primary. The year that we set records on voter registration and actual number of voters at the polls. However, it is also the year that I have seen the absolute worst side of people come out. It is the year the monster of racism and bigotry came out of the darkness into the light and threatened to divide not just our party but the nation. This division has been eating at me. I lie awake at night and wonder what I can do to make this right? As the chairwoman of the local Democratic Party, how can I eradicate this monster from my little part of the nation? I have worried myself to the point that I can no longer contain my anger and my frustration with the individuals, especially those in my own party, who think it, is okay to say “I’m not voting for Senator Obama because he is black.”
My friends and loved ones have told me to let it go, that I can’t change stupidity, that it is a generational thing, but I can no longer make excuses for people like David Ward, who owns an antique store here in New Albany at the corner of Bank and Main who had no problem telling a reporter from the Chicago Tribune that he is a “Democrat”, but he is “voting for McCain because he isn’t black”. Mr. Ward, Shame on You! Also, to those of you who think it is acceptable to tell me that you will not vote for Senator Obama because “he is a N****r”, what makes you think this is all right? Is it because I am white like you? If so, I may be white, but I am nothing like you. That word is disgusting, ugly and hurtful and it will no longer be tolerated in my presence.
I found a quote from Robert Kennedy that I want all of you to think about. He said “But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?” Mr. Ward and all of you like him, how do you justify your racism?
To those of you who claim you are Democrats, but say you can’t vote for Senator Obama because he is a black man, are you sure you are Democrats? If you look up the platform of the National Democratic Party under the issue of Civil Rights it says “We believe in the essential American ideal that we are not constrained by the circumstances of birth but can make of our lives what we will. Unfortunately, for too many, that ideal is not a reality. We have more work to do. Democrats will fight to end discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and disability in every corner of our country, because that's the America we believe in.”
I want everyone to know the Floyd County Democratic Party does not condone racism. In fact, we hold firm to the Democratic Platform that we “will fight to end discrimination”. Therefore, Mr. Ward and others like him, as members of the Democratic Party you are called to fight the ignorance of discrimination, not perpetuate the hatred that has been taught to you and that you are no doubt teaching to your children.
I struggled with whether or not I should write this letter knowing that I will anger many people in my community, and again I was reminded of a quote of Robert Kennedy who said “It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” I realized that despite what backlash I might face for expressing my feelings on this issue and calling out Mr. Ward and others like him, it is important to let the people who read the story in the Chicago Tribune know that Mr. Ward’s comments do not represent the beliefs of the people of the Floyd County Democratic Party.
I know that I may not be able to change the hearts and minds of racists, but I can hope that by openly expressing my condemnation of racism I will send out a ripple that will give others the courage to stand up and they too will say “I will not stand for this anymore”. I will continue to fight to see that the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is fully realized because I, too, want to “live in a world where a man is not judged by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character”. In this world that I, and other like minded Democrats, dream of, Mr. Ward, you, and others like you, have been judged and you have been found to lack the character of a true Democrat.
Will New Albany's elected officials, its political leaders, its civic organizations and business community, and it's citizenry respond constructively to what amounts as shame and embarrassment on a national scale, and not just denounce the idiocy of racism and the idiots who perpetuate it, but conduct the life of the city in such a manner as to kill racism at the roots?
Floyd County Democratic Party chairwoman (and City Clerk) Marcey Wisman wasted no time in responding. I believe you will agree with me that this powerful and impassioned statement sets the bar at a high level, indeed.
---
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” for me, as a Democrat, the opening quote from Dickens book “A Tale of Two Cities” best describes the 2008 presidential election.
I have been a part of what will be remembered as one of the most historical elections in America. It is something that I will be proud to sit and tell my grandchildren about; the year we (the Democrats) had a female and a black man running in the Primary. The year that we set records on voter registration and actual number of voters at the polls. However, it is also the year that I have seen the absolute worst side of people come out. It is the year the monster of racism and bigotry came out of the darkness into the light and threatened to divide not just our party but the nation. This division has been eating at me. I lie awake at night and wonder what I can do to make this right? As the chairwoman of the local Democratic Party, how can I eradicate this monster from my little part of the nation? I have worried myself to the point that I can no longer contain my anger and my frustration with the individuals, especially those in my own party, who think it, is okay to say “I’m not voting for Senator Obama because he is black.”
My friends and loved ones have told me to let it go, that I can’t change stupidity, that it is a generational thing, but I can no longer make excuses for people like David Ward, who owns an antique store here in New Albany at the corner of Bank and Main who had no problem telling a reporter from the Chicago Tribune that he is a “Democrat”, but he is “voting for McCain because he isn’t black”. Mr. Ward, Shame on You! Also, to those of you who think it is acceptable to tell me that you will not vote for Senator Obama because “he is a N****r”, what makes you think this is all right? Is it because I am white like you? If so, I may be white, but I am nothing like you. That word is disgusting, ugly and hurtful and it will no longer be tolerated in my presence.
I found a quote from Robert Kennedy that I want all of you to think about. He said “But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?” Mr. Ward and all of you like him, how do you justify your racism?
To those of you who claim you are Democrats, but say you can’t vote for Senator Obama because he is a black man, are you sure you are Democrats? If you look up the platform of the National Democratic Party under the issue of Civil Rights it says “We believe in the essential American ideal that we are not constrained by the circumstances of birth but can make of our lives what we will. Unfortunately, for too many, that ideal is not a reality. We have more work to do. Democrats will fight to end discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and disability in every corner of our country, because that's the America we believe in.”
I want everyone to know the Floyd County Democratic Party does not condone racism. In fact, we hold firm to the Democratic Platform that we “will fight to end discrimination”. Therefore, Mr. Ward and others like him, as members of the Democratic Party you are called to fight the ignorance of discrimination, not perpetuate the hatred that has been taught to you and that you are no doubt teaching to your children.
I struggled with whether or not I should write this letter knowing that I will anger many people in my community, and again I was reminded of a quote of Robert Kennedy who said “It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” I realized that despite what backlash I might face for expressing my feelings on this issue and calling out Mr. Ward and others like him, it is important to let the people who read the story in the Chicago Tribune know that Mr. Ward’s comments do not represent the beliefs of the people of the Floyd County Democratic Party.
I know that I may not be able to change the hearts and minds of racists, but I can hope that by openly expressing my condemnation of racism I will send out a ripple that will give others the courage to stand up and they too will say “I will not stand for this anymore”. I will continue to fight to see that the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is fully realized because I, too, want to “live in a world where a man is not judged by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character”. In this world that I, and other like minded Democrats, dream of, Mr. Ward, you, and others like you, have been judged and you have been found to lack the character of a true Democrat.
Monday, October 20, 2008
"Casual racism" in New Albany: Frozen in the tail lights of history, or capable of learning and growing?
On Saturday, in an article about the unexpected relevance of the presidential election in Indiana, the Chicago Tribune revealed that a small business owner in New Albany confided to the newspaper’s visiting reporter a firm, “culturally conservative” intention to vote for John McCain.
Why would this registered Democrat vote for McCain rather than his own party's nominee, Barack Obama?
“Mainly because he's not black.”
Naturally, several of us took the time on Sunday to express our aversion to this sentiment, among them our own Bluegill, whose comments on a Chicagoland blog prompted a record number of weekend visits and page views at NAC.
" ... While the local embarrassment is undeniable, Mr. Ward DOES NOT represent New Albany."
New Albany's famous! We're a disaster area! Instead of Joe the Plumber, we have David the Racist!
I spent much time on Sunday thinking about this most recent manifestation of my city's enduringly antebellum worldview, and in the end, what continues to strike me about the antique (dealer) David Ward’s statement is the matter-of-fact nonchalance with which he offered it. Might the very casualness of the sentiment be the key to why decent, intelligent New Albanians (outnumbered or otherwise) must speak as one against it?
Accordingly, last evening I found this explanation of what I'd been ineffectually groping toward.
Casual Expressions of Racism (at the Booman Tribune blog)
It must be an intoxicating and fearful time to be a black political junkie. I assume this because it appears that Barack Obama is poised to become the next president of the United States, but, at the same time, a political junkie is forced to confront one racist attack after another. Try to read an article about Obama's efforts to win Indiana, and you get subjected to this:
For others, like David Ward, who runs an antique shop with his wife in New Albany, the issue is race. Ward, a registered Democrat, said he will vote for McCain "mainly because he's not black."
Blam!! Out of nowhere, it's like a sock to the stomach. Try to read Sean Quinn's account of his travels in Western Pennsylvania, and you get this:
So a canvasser goes to a woman's door in Washington, Pennsylvania. Knocks. Woman answers. Knocker asks who she's planning to vote for. She isn't sure, has to ask her husband who she's voting for. Husband is off in another room watching some game. Canvasser hears him yell back, "We're votin' for the n***er!" Woman turns back to canvasser, and says brightly and matter of factly: "We're voting for the n***er."
Perhaps this also is the key to understanding why the GOP’s grudging rejection of overt, racist violence at its rallies rings false and disingenuous. It’s remarkably simple for people who view themselves as upstanding, ordinary folk to denounce the racist violence one can see, while tacitly condoning the unchallenged, everyday prejudice that undoubtedly motivates the overtly violent expressions uttered in the relative safety of a crowd.
But make no mistake: Both are repugnant. One reader comment at the Booman Tribune eloquently addresses the prevailing attitude hereabouts in our fabled "heartland." Bold text emphasis is mine.
Re: Casual Expressions of Racism
This is how I feel. I figured out in High School that racism was still alive and well in the country, no matter how many folks kept trying to tell me otherwise. It's pretty damn blatant in most of the "Heartland" once you put yourself in a mindset where you're willing to acknowledge it.
In fact, here in the "heartland" the only folks I know who deny that racism is an issue anymore are all young white conservatives. Those guys are the ones who I see having a traumatic eye-opening experience as they are beginning to realize the underbelly of the party that they never "signed up for".
Maybe it's different on the coasts, but at least in my experience midwestern liberals don't have many delusions about racism being a non-issue in this country. And most of us were expecting this to happen when Obama announced he was running.
A heavily indebted friend of mine once concluded that it he didn’t take the bills out of his mailbox, he wouldn’t be responsible for paying them. He eventually learned that it isn't true, and I'd suggest that the same phenomenon applies to lives unexamined.
As Bluegill recently reminded one youthful conservative reader recently, the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia would be a fine place to start expanding one's horizons about the lingering legacy of the stain of racism on the American social fabric.
Such research into first causes may irrevocably damage a few all too rosy preconceived notions, something the entire city of New Albany might seek to accomplish, too, and that's why the truly instructive part comes now.
Bloggers have taken the lead on a weekend when others are closed. Will New Albany's elected officials, its political leaders, its civic organizations and business community, and it's citizenry respond constructively to what amounts as shame and embarrassment on a national scale, and not just denounce the idiocy of racism and the idiots who perpetuate it, but conduct the life of the city in such a manner as to kill racism at the roots?
Or, do we do what we've always done, and sweep it under an already overcrowded rug?
Will there ever be progress in New Albany if we don't at least try to erase this stain?
Why would this registered Democrat vote for McCain rather than his own party's nominee, Barack Obama?
“Mainly because he's not black.”
Naturally, several of us took the time on Sunday to express our aversion to this sentiment, among them our own Bluegill, whose comments on a Chicagoland blog prompted a record number of weekend visits and page views at NAC.
" ... While the local embarrassment is undeniable, Mr. Ward DOES NOT represent New Albany."
New Albany's famous! We're a disaster area! Instead of Joe the Plumber, we have David the Racist!
I spent much time on Sunday thinking about this most recent manifestation of my city's enduringly antebellum worldview, and in the end, what continues to strike me about the antique (dealer) David Ward’s statement is the matter-of-fact nonchalance with which he offered it. Might the very casualness of the sentiment be the key to why decent, intelligent New Albanians (outnumbered or otherwise) must speak as one against it?
Accordingly, last evening I found this explanation of what I'd been ineffectually groping toward.
Casual Expressions of Racism (at the Booman Tribune blog)
It must be an intoxicating and fearful time to be a black political junkie. I assume this because it appears that Barack Obama is poised to become the next president of the United States, but, at the same time, a political junkie is forced to confront one racist attack after another. Try to read an article about Obama's efforts to win Indiana, and you get subjected to this:
For others, like David Ward, who runs an antique shop with his wife in New Albany, the issue is race. Ward, a registered Democrat, said he will vote for McCain "mainly because he's not black."
Blam!! Out of nowhere, it's like a sock to the stomach. Try to read Sean Quinn's account of his travels in Western Pennsylvania, and you get this:
So a canvasser goes to a woman's door in Washington, Pennsylvania. Knocks. Woman answers. Knocker asks who she's planning to vote for. She isn't sure, has to ask her husband who she's voting for. Husband is off in another room watching some game. Canvasser hears him yell back, "We're votin' for the n***er!" Woman turns back to canvasser, and says brightly and matter of factly: "We're voting for the n***er."
Perhaps this also is the key to understanding why the GOP’s grudging rejection of overt, racist violence at its rallies rings false and disingenuous. It’s remarkably simple for people who view themselves as upstanding, ordinary folk to denounce the racist violence one can see, while tacitly condoning the unchallenged, everyday prejudice that undoubtedly motivates the overtly violent expressions uttered in the relative safety of a crowd.
But make no mistake: Both are repugnant. One reader comment at the Booman Tribune eloquently addresses the prevailing attitude hereabouts in our fabled "heartland." Bold text emphasis is mine.
Re: Casual Expressions of Racism
This is how I feel. I figured out in High School that racism was still alive and well in the country, no matter how many folks kept trying to tell me otherwise. It's pretty damn blatant in most of the "Heartland" once you put yourself in a mindset where you're willing to acknowledge it.
In fact, here in the "heartland" the only folks I know who deny that racism is an issue anymore are all young white conservatives. Those guys are the ones who I see having a traumatic eye-opening experience as they are beginning to realize the underbelly of the party that they never "signed up for".
Maybe it's different on the coasts, but at least in my experience midwestern liberals don't have many delusions about racism being a non-issue in this country. And most of us were expecting this to happen when Obama announced he was running.
A heavily indebted friend of mine once concluded that it he didn’t take the bills out of his mailbox, he wouldn’t be responsible for paying them. He eventually learned that it isn't true, and I'd suggest that the same phenomenon applies to lives unexamined.
As Bluegill recently reminded one youthful conservative reader recently, the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia would be a fine place to start expanding one's horizons about the lingering legacy of the stain of racism on the American social fabric.
Such research into first causes may irrevocably damage a few all too rosy preconceived notions, something the entire city of New Albany might seek to accomplish, too, and that's why the truly instructive part comes now.
Bloggers have taken the lead on a weekend when others are closed. Will New Albany's elected officials, its political leaders, its civic organizations and business community, and it's citizenry respond constructively to what amounts as shame and embarrassment on a national scale, and not just denounce the idiocy of racism and the idiots who perpetuate it, but conduct the life of the city in such a manner as to kill racism at the roots?
Or, do we do what we've always done, and sweep it under an already overcrowded rug?
Will there ever be progress in New Albany if we don't at least try to erase this stain?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
" ... While the local embarrassment is undeniable, Mr. Ward DOES NOT represent New Albany."
I'd rather that my city serve as a snapshot of the zeitgeist for something (anything) positive and enriching, but sometimes we must play the hand we're dealt, and so it goes that for a brief moment, New Albany has the national distinction of being home to a racist antique dealer.
New Albany's famous! We're a disaster area! Instead of Joe the Plumber, we have David the Racist!
Readers are forgiven for imagining that our designation as a disaster area owed to Hurricane Ike, not cultural proclivities.
As time permits today, I'll post links to responses, or in this first instance, the full text. It is from Randy Smith, as posted at Open Salon, where comments for national consumption can be left.
Anyone for a community-wide petition of business owners opposing this human stain?
----
Dear America, New Albany rejects racism
Bear with me, America. I am from New Albany, Indiana. So you can find this post, I'll be using search terms within the body of this post. Here goes: racist, new albany, indiana, 9th district, david ward, racists, intolerance, obama, mccain, democrat, democrats, republican, republicans, election, chicago tribune, tribune, brenda ward, main street antiques, dan coffey, 202 east main street, 202 e. main st., antique, antiques, black.
Late, late, late on Saturday night, after returning from seeing Oliver Stone's film "W.," my wife and I sat down to watch Saturday Night Live (SNL). That's the one with Sarah Palin, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Oliver Stone, Josh Brolin, and Adele. Amy Poehler was one beautiful mommy, wasn't she.
Seconds before the show ended, I turned to my wife and said, "OK. I'm going to check to see if the world has ended." Sure enough, for those of us in New Albany (we call ourselves New Albanians), it came pretty close.
I booted up, on battery, thinking I'd make short work of checking e-mail and news. Boy, was I wrong.
Having only one trivial e-mail in the previous six hours, I checked in to our city's pre-eminent blog, NA Confidential, whose editors, Roger Baylor and Jeff Gillenwater, can be relied on to articulate the progressive view in New Albany, Indiana.
Jeff, then Roger, made sure their readers would know about the abomination that befouled our city on Saturday when the Chicago Tribune reported first-person electoral opinions from the 9th District of Indiana as part of an analysis of the surprising development that INDIANA, of all places, is a toss-up state for the 2008 presidential race.
Dewey DID narrowly defeat Truman for our electoral votes in 1948, but since then, Indiana's electoral treasure has never been in doubt. LBJ took them in '64, but the GOP has owned them.
Perhaps no longer. A certain gentleman, to wit, David Ward, an "antiques" dealer in New Albany, became this weekend's "Joe the Plumber," but perhaps to the deep consternation of Republicans, including incumbent Gov. Mitch Daniels, congressional candidate Mike Sodrel, and GOP standard-bearers John McCain and Sarah Heath Palin.
Indiana? Source of the "October surprise?"
It just may be.
As background, let me relate to you that the weekend conversation here has been whether Democrats here do in fact support the presidential candidate, Barack Obama. I, myself a Hillary Clinton supporter, wagered on Roger and Jeff's blog that even our city council, consisting of 8 Democrats and 1 Republican, might not be able to muster a majority of votes for Obama-Biden.
The local Democratic Party chairman chided "us" as dilettantes sitting on our asses and blogging instead of pounding the pavement and making cold calls on behalf of our preferred candidate, and only obliquely addressed our dissatisfaction with the official Democratic Party establishment's suspect and unenthusiastic support for Obama's campaign for change.
D'oh! Who knew the Chicago Tribune was working the case?
Deep in this story, two New Albany dopes were captured for posterity. Slack-jawed mouthbreather Kenneth Hodge (me likee me guns) gets a pass. But thousands of us in New Albany will rise to reject the beliefs of a certain David Ward, identified as someone "who runs an antique shop with his wife in New Albany."
The business address and phone number of Mr. Ward's business is included here. May I suggest you consult 411.com and enter "David Ward" and "47150" should you wish to contact the man.
The business in question was spotlighted in our local newspaper a year ago after Mr. Ward and his wife, Brenda, took over management from New Albany's senior Democratic city council member, Daniel J. (Dan) Coffey. Here's the story from October of 2007, titled Q&A: Brenda Ward has a love for antiques.
I do not know Brenda, nor David. David's antiquated views are not ours. But I do know New Albany.
Mr. Roget doesn't have enough synonyms for "reject" to adequately express our disdain, disgust, repulsion, denial, or embarrassment at this portrayal of our city's mindset.
For the record, here's the offending (and offensive) passage from Saturday's Chicago Tribune:
For others, like David Ward, who runs an antique shop with his wife in New Albany, the issue is race. Ward, a registered Democrat, said he will vote for McCain "mainly because he's not black."
New Albanians, in shock right now, will be back on Sunday with more articulate thoughts. I'll link to local comment and respond as I can during the day.
In the interim, please know that New Albanians, and this practicioner of New Albanism (as for me and my house...) stand ready to persuade you that while the local embarrassment is undeniable, Mr. Ward DOES NOT represent New Albany.
New Albany's famous! We're a disaster area! Instead of Joe the Plumber, we have David the Racist!
Readers are forgiven for imagining that our designation as a disaster area owed to Hurricane Ike, not cultural proclivities.
As time permits today, I'll post links to responses, or in this first instance, the full text. It is from Randy Smith, as posted at Open Salon, where comments for national consumption can be left.
Anyone for a community-wide petition of business owners opposing this human stain?
----
Dear America, New Albany rejects racism
Bear with me, America. I am from New Albany, Indiana. So you can find this post, I'll be using search terms within the body of this post. Here goes: racist, new albany, indiana, 9th district, david ward, racists, intolerance, obama, mccain, democrat, democrats, republican, republicans, election, chicago tribune, tribune, brenda ward, main street antiques, dan coffey, 202 east main street, 202 e. main st., antique, antiques, black.
Late, late, late on Saturday night, after returning from seeing Oliver Stone's film "W.," my wife and I sat down to watch Saturday Night Live (SNL). That's the one with Sarah Palin, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Oliver Stone, Josh Brolin, and Adele. Amy Poehler was one beautiful mommy, wasn't she.
Seconds before the show ended, I turned to my wife and said, "OK. I'm going to check to see if the world has ended." Sure enough, for those of us in New Albany (we call ourselves New Albanians), it came pretty close.
I booted up, on battery, thinking I'd make short work of checking e-mail and news. Boy, was I wrong.
Having only one trivial e-mail in the previous six hours, I checked in to our city's pre-eminent blog, NA Confidential, whose editors, Roger Baylor and Jeff Gillenwater, can be relied on to articulate the progressive view in New Albany, Indiana.
Jeff, then Roger, made sure their readers would know about the abomination that befouled our city on Saturday when the Chicago Tribune reported first-person electoral opinions from the 9th District of Indiana as part of an analysis of the surprising development that INDIANA, of all places, is a toss-up state for the 2008 presidential race.
Dewey DID narrowly defeat Truman for our electoral votes in 1948, but since then, Indiana's electoral treasure has never been in doubt. LBJ took them in '64, but the GOP has owned them.
Perhaps no longer. A certain gentleman, to wit, David Ward, an "antiques" dealer in New Albany, became this weekend's "Joe the Plumber," but perhaps to the deep consternation of Republicans, including incumbent Gov. Mitch Daniels, congressional candidate Mike Sodrel, and GOP standard-bearers John McCain and Sarah Heath Palin.
Indiana? Source of the "October surprise?"
It just may be.
As background, let me relate to you that the weekend conversation here has been whether Democrats here do in fact support the presidential candidate, Barack Obama. I, myself a Hillary Clinton supporter, wagered on Roger and Jeff's blog that even our city council, consisting of 8 Democrats and 1 Republican, might not be able to muster a majority of votes for Obama-Biden.
The local Democratic Party chairman chided "us" as dilettantes sitting on our asses and blogging instead of pounding the pavement and making cold calls on behalf of our preferred candidate, and only obliquely addressed our dissatisfaction with the official Democratic Party establishment's suspect and unenthusiastic support for Obama's campaign for change.
D'oh! Who knew the Chicago Tribune was working the case?
Deep in this story, two New Albany dopes were captured for posterity. Slack-jawed mouthbreather Kenneth Hodge (me likee me guns) gets a pass. But thousands of us in New Albany will rise to reject the beliefs of a certain David Ward, identified as someone "who runs an antique shop with his wife in New Albany."
The business address and phone number of Mr. Ward's business is included here. May I suggest you consult 411.com and enter "David Ward" and "47150" should you wish to contact the man.
The business in question was spotlighted in our local newspaper a year ago after Mr. Ward and his wife, Brenda, took over management from New Albany's senior Democratic city council member, Daniel J. (Dan) Coffey. Here's the story from October of 2007, titled Q&A: Brenda Ward has a love for antiques.
I do not know Brenda, nor David. David's antiquated views are not ours. But I do know New Albany.
Mr. Roget doesn't have enough synonyms for "reject" to adequately express our disdain, disgust, repulsion, denial, or embarrassment at this portrayal of our city's mindset.
For the record, here's the offending (and offensive) passage from Saturday's Chicago Tribune:
For others, like David Ward, who runs an antique shop with his wife in New Albany, the issue is race. Ward, a registered Democrat, said he will vote for McCain "mainly because he's not black."
New Albanians, in shock right now, will be back on Sunday with more articulate thoughts. I'll link to local comment and respond as I can during the day.
In the interim, please know that New Albanians, and this practicioner of New Albanism (as for me and my house...) stand ready to persuade you that while the local embarrassment is undeniable, Mr. Ward DOES NOT represent New Albany.
New Albany's famous! We're a disaster area! Instead of Joe the Plumber, we have David the Racist!
Bluegill posted the following as a comment on Saturday evening. It deserves marquee status, especially given yesterday's discussion.
While it's always depressing and embarrassing to live among cultural conservatives, it takes the proverbial cake for one of them to confide racism to a reporter from an internationally recognized newspaper. That's honesty ... and abject stupidity.
I wonder if Ward voted for Dan Coffey?
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As much as I hate to post it-- from today's Chicago Tribune, which refers to us as "the culturally conservative south":
GOP stronghold Indiana a surprise toss-up
While it's always depressing and embarrassing to live among cultural conservatives, it takes the proverbial cake for one of them to confide racism to a reporter from an internationally recognized newspaper. That's honesty ... and abject stupidity.
I wonder if Ward voted for Dan Coffey?
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As much as I hate to post it-- from today's Chicago Tribune, which refers to us as "the culturally conservative south":
Cultural issues are powerful forces in southern counties currently represented by two Democrats in Congress, Brad Ellsworth and Baron Hill, each elected in 2006. For Kenneth Hodge, a muffler shop employee who lives in New Albany, the most important issue is gun ownership. He'll be voting for McCain because "I like my guns" and he's afraid Obama will take them away.
For others, like David Ward, who runs an antique shop with his wife in New Albany, the issue is race. Ward, a registered Democrat, said he will vote for McCain "mainly because he's not black."
GOP stronghold Indiana a surprise toss-up
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