Posted on 08/21/2003 6:03:29 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Racist views exist in Wyoming, advocates say
By Becky Orr rep6@wyomingnews.com Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
CASPER - When Marilu Duncan moved to Wyoming from Mexico nearly 20 years ago, life was suddenly different.
"Something happened to me when I crossed the border," Duncan said Wednesday during the state's first cultural diversity summit here.
For the first time in her life, she was mistreated because of her ethnic background. A clerk, unable to understand her accent, was rude.
"The way I was perceived had nothing to do with the way I perceived myself," Duncan said as she described her culture shock. She moved here to join her husband, who is from Wyoming.
Duncan's experience was one of many discussed during the summit. People informally talked about what it's like to be American Indian, Hispanic, African American or gay in Wyoming.
The summit developed when the Rev. Louis and Clotile Johnson went to Gov. Dave Freudenthal. Their daughter had been the victim of a racial slur and threat by a boy on a school bus. They went to the governor only after school officials in Casper did not address the issue, Clotile Johnson said.
Panelist Judy Shepard talked about the challenges facing gay people in Wyoming. Her son Matthew, a gay University of Wyoming student, was murdered in 1998.
Shepard said people often tell her they don't know anyone who is gay.
"The truth is you just don't know you know gay people," she said. People who are gay avoid acknowledging it for fear of what others might do, she added.
Gay young people are not a threat to anything that goes on in school, Shepard said.
"Young people aren't trying to be gay. It's not something they choose to do. Who would wake up on Monday and say 'I think I'll be gay today so people will hate me?'" she said.
"This is not something to fear. It is something to embrace," she said.
Wyoming can do something about it and set an example for others, Shepard said.
In the wake of publicity about her son's murder, "people expected us to do something, and they're very disappointed that it didn't happen," she said.
Freudenthal, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Trent Blankenship and Sen. Craig Thomas spoke to the group at the beginning of the session. Freudenthal and Thomas left after their comments and Blankenship departed partway through the morning's presentations.
Their departure was upsetting to those in attendance.
Blankenship and a spokeswoman for Freudenthal said they left due to conflicts that could not be rescheduled. Representatives from the governor's office and the state Department of Education, which organized the summit, were there all day, they added.
"It's unfortunate the governor couldn't stay," Shepard said. "I'm sorry the senator also could not stay. I feel there are things he needs to know about us that he doesn't know yet."
During his comments, Freudenthal said passing laws doesn't fundamentally change human behavior and developing respect for others is not something that can be legislated. "To rely on legislation as a means of changing who we are is a fundamental misdirected strategy," he said.
Shepard said she was "most disappointed in Freudenthals' view that legislation does not solve problems. I happen to think it does."
She conceded that hate crime legislation would not be a deterrent. But such laws clearly identify crimes that are based on hate and hate alone, she added.
Shepard said the aspect of hate crime legislation that is most important to her is education. If a young offender vandalized a Jewish synagogue, for example, he or she could be taught about the culture. The lesson might prevent violent behavior, she said.
"We hate things that are different. We hate things we don't understand," she said.
Another speaker, Scott Ratliff, is an American Indian from the Wind River Reservation who compiled a book on the tribal government.
"The Wind River Reservation is never talked about in any political science program in the state," he said. "The non-Indian kids want to hear it as much as the native kids."
Racism is "alive and well" in Wyoming, Jimmy Simmons, chapter president of the Casper NAACP, said.
"Wyoming's racism is like carbonless paper. You know that ink is in that paper, but if you flip the pages you won't see it. But you put some pressure on it, and it will make an indelible mark. . Don't fool yourself that racism is not here."
The NAACP recommended the creation of a governor's task force on diversity, support for hate crimes legislation, diversity training for law enforcement, minority representations on all commissions and adjusting Wyoming teaching materials to provide for cultural accuracy, among other ideas.
All recommendations will be given to the governor, said Beth Worthen, the governor's policy analyst.
Shepard had strong advice for those attending the summit.
"It's great for us being here today," she said. "But if we don't walk the walk when we leave this room, shame on us today. Shame on the governor, shame on the superintendent."
"I fully realize I'm the only one up here that's been breathing fire," she said. "I've been at this for five years now. And I've seen a lot of things change. But not here. Here is where it should be happening. We should be showing them what we're about. ... We could do it," she said.
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Let's move on folks. Racial views exist in every state, city and burg in the nation. Why should 'Wyoming be any different?
LOL... have you ever tried to get directions at a San Diego gas station?
Haven't been to San Diego since '70. What language do they speak there now days?
The topic of a new race of people must be brought into the discussion.
'I think I'll be gay today so people will hate me.'
What ridiculous swill these people spew in their role as Promoter of the Homoseuxal Agenda.
people often tell her they don't know anyone who is gay.
And, most people don't care to know anyone who is gay as they are pariahs. You never know which one is a potential Dahmer or Gacey.
And the response to this should be: "Ma'am there are organizations out there that have successfully cured homosexuals. Thousands of people are no longer homsexual because of treatment. Would you be interested in having this sort of therapy made available to gays in Wyoming, Ma'am?"
Somehow, I don't think she'd welcome such an offer. Guess she likes the choice that she's made.
"Racist views" really means "racist thoughts". These whiney diversity wankers go out looking to be offended, and any attitude they perceive as less than reverent towards them must be a "racist view".
Their answer is to use the badge and gun of the government to make people treat them nicer. No crime had been committed against them, but they want to make future "lack of friendliness" a crime. To get that, they have to employ the thought police.
This is just another one of those evil fruits of the klinton regime. Much of their efforts were in the area of "thought crimes".
If I somplained about every ride clerk I encountered who was unable to understand me when I was speaking plain English with a trace of New England Accent I would be spending all my time complained. Of course I am talking about this happening in New England and with people whose first language is other than English.
Yeah, Matthew had remarkable "challenges". I'm sure in most bars, drunk straight men react in a friendly manner to gay men presuming they are gay and coming on to them with proposals of oral sex.
Was this article just written by the "Human Rights Campaign" gay lobby group and faxed to this pathetic paper, or did the writer actually do some of the writing?
Call John Ashcroft immediately to jail this old woman for racist incitement. Where is Bill Lann Lee when we need him.
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