READ THE SUBTLE UNDERTONES - County Celebrates Black Candidate's Victory

The Lakeland Ledger ^ | November 9, 2004 | VANESSA GEZARI

[FloridaEagle]

QUINCY -- It was after 10 p.m. when the final vote tallies flashed on the wall of the Gadsden County elections office on Madison Street. Outside, people had waited all evening, milling around anxiously or hunkered down on the sidewalks with their children.

Now the street erupted with cries of "Thank you, Jesus!" Someone lifted a toddler with beaded braids high above the crowd. People surged into the elections office, blocking the projector that beamed the results onto the wall.

[FloridaEagle]

Anybody else read anything between the lines????

[RichInOC]

"The sheriff's a...!"

[xm177e2]

Let's see, apparently they're excited about the color of their sheriff's skin, and are ignoring that he's not very qualified.

During his campaign, Young promised to devote attention to a string of unsolved killings of blacks in Gadsden County in the last decade. He pledged to reduce black-on-black crime, which he says accounts for 95 percent of reported crime in the county.

"The law should be colorblind, and our jail is full of black men and women," he says. "White crimes are committed here in Gadsden County, but they seem to go unnoticed."

And he wants to stop black-on-black crime by prosecuting more whites.

Well, good luck to the poor black kids who will be living under his jurisdiction. They're going to need it.

[trubluolyguy]

Now I realize as a white, suburban, Republican I am "supposed" to be racist....but I don't get it? What am I NOT seeing "between the lines"? So a black policeman with 16 years experience got elected in a majority black southern town, I'd be surprised if that did not happen once in a while.

The only part I can find at all objectionable is the 1,800 votes thrown out in 2000...are they saying (black) voters are not smart enough to properly vote?

[FloridaEagle]

Is color really a part of his resume?

[Constitution Day]

ROFL!

[rock_lobsta]

Didn't see anything between the lines.

I did, however, see about 30 paragraphs of race-baiting.

[kaboom]

The article actually seemed uplifting in a way. This was a first for the community, the candidate did have 16 years experience in the field, and it sounds like there are no hard feelings all around.

Sure, the local black populace is overjoyed at the election and I can't find a reason for them not to be. They may think that they will connect better with someone who understands them and is one of them.

Give the guy a chance.

[FloridaEagle]

My comment was not pointed at the man, only the reporting