Remember the game show $25000 Pyramid? I do. What if they brought it back today and the topic was “Things that just won’t go away” Ready.... GO!

My cold

The snow

Earlier this year Gary Krager, a gentleman who lives in Wind Lake but has worked in Milwaukee's African American community, wrote an opinion piece which appeared on JSOnline. I’ve attached a link to it below. It’s titled "Some Brotherly Advice for Milwaukee's Inner City Residents" If you have time, please take a moment to read it.

After I read this open letter to the black folks who live in the 6th District, I was bit pissed. The first line starts it off "Let me lay it out there. Here's what black people should do". OK, before I go any further, some of what he said was definitely true. That’s not what bothered me. What bothered me were his sweeping generalities about what "all black people should do." It bothers me when anyone, black or white, puts everyone into the same bag, based on race or sex or whatever! It bothered me so much I emailed him, as did Willie Hines, President of Milwaukee's Common Council. Willie’s response was more geared at defending what's right in Milwaukee's black community; mine was more of a "do you realize how ridiculous you sound?" Gary responded and we actually learned a little more about each other, namely that we're both huge LOST fans. I understood his motives and I personally don’t have a problem with a white person saying what’s wrong with the black community. I just hate generalizations. But this blog isn't about Gary Krager's letter to the black community. It's about knowing all the facts about a person or situation, the good the bad and the ugly, weighing them and deciding if this person or situation is worthy of your support. That's what this blog is about: Accountability. Surprise, surprise, I'm talking about accountability again.

Since I live in McGee's district, very close to where the new Bronzeville Developments will be, I know that he is capable of doing some good things. But at the same time, there are still problems in the area and as my elected representative I expect him (with my help and input) to solve (or lessen) the issues. He can't do that from jail. Furthermore, some of the things that Mr. Kager mentioned in his commentary are true! Things like:

Set the bar higher for behavior in the 6th district by having a representative that's tuned in to ALL of his constituents. McGee is not

Some white people are afraid to go into certain parts of the district - fear IS the ultimate motivator. Hell, I’m black and there are some neighborhoods I won’t travel to

Be informed and realize that McGee's bail was withdrawn NOT because he's black but because of several violations of court orders. My mother had a line for people who can't follow the rules: A hard head makes for a soft ass.

So, with that said, the brotherly advice I would have for Milwaukee's inner city residents is simple:

1 - Know thyself and those around you - I mean REALLY know them: what they stand for, what they represent. Just because someone's skin color matches yours doesn't mean the person is all good and doing what’s best for you

2 - Accept truth, even when you don't want to - I can understand why black people may have been upset with what Mr. Kager wrote, I was one of them. But when I wrote him I was clear that there was definitely truth in his statements, it was his delivery that was suspect. The fact is, the truth hurts sometimes, but it should cause a person to think and revaluate. When people start viewing the truth as the enemy and rather believe a prettied up lie, we're in trouble!

3. - It's not always about race - Even in Milwaukee this is true. Yes, there are instances when race is a factor in the unfair treatment of people. But so is gender, sexual orientation, age, etc. It's not acceptable but it is what it is. All we can do is challenge this. Challenge it by following the rules setup to address these things. Practicing unprofessional, just plain amoral politics isn't one of the rules.

Back in June 2007 I wrote an OMC blog. The title: Dear Mike McGee: RESIGN!

Obviously he doesn’t read my blogs.  The nerve!