201. One more thought on Hawkins

Erwin Roberts has announced his candidacy as a Republican seeking the office presently held by incumbent Democratic Congressman John Yarmuth, who I helped elect in 2006 and will do so again in 2008, and I fully expect John to win. But this entry isn't about John.

I've met Mr. Roberts once, at the Saint James Art Fair, and found him to be an amiable and attractive candidate. But neither of those qualities should serve as a reason to elect someone to Congress.

But, he has others.

Mr. Roberts has a wonderful family, a wife and four children [I think it is four] and, for some, this is an important reason to elect a person.

Mr. Roberts is a highly educated man, using his education as a prominent attorney, and that too would be helpful for him to be his Party's nominee.

Mr. Roberts is highly thought of by some in his Party, so much so that the incumbent Republican governor has not once but twice appointed him to a Cabinet position.

What does all this have to so with Councilman Hawkins' introduction of an anti- illegal-immigrant bill in the Metro Council?

Many of the people who would most strongly support ultimately denying police, fire, EMS, healthcare, and other services to illegal immigrants (measures which admittedly are not presently a part of Hawkins' proposal), those who have been most vocally supportive of Hawkins' current proposal, a forerunner which could possibly lead to those above-mentioned denials, have one big problem with the current front runner for the Republican nomination to Congress.

Mr. Roberts is black.

Mr. Hawkins may have the noblest of intentions in introducing this measure. But his supporters may have other motives. And the far-right wing of the right wingers who have the strongest opposition to anything for any illegals might be looking for someone other than a black man to be the nominee under the Republican banner. And Mr. Hawkins might be testing their will in introducing his current proposal. He has indicated in the past he may interested in seeking the nomination next year.

And if this proposition of shame sounds like something from the talk-radio madness usually heard on WHAS-840 weekday afternoons from 12 noon to 3 pm, it is.

I know Mr. Hawkins. I do not believe him to be a bad person or one who harbors ill will toward anyone. But I've read the Courier-Journal comments page below the article about his proposal, and rest assured, supporters of this matter are not shy in any way about their racism.