Saturday, April 09, 2005
Getting To The Truth
Allen Johnson: "The last time I looked, it was against the law in this country to go around shooting people whose views you don't like, even Communists."
Ed Cone (from a 1999 column): "It matters because people died here at the hands of their fellow citizens, and no criminal charges could be made to stick to the perpetrators, and that is a stain on our honor."
The Greensboro Truth & Reconciliation Commission continues to be the subject of debate among our city's leaders, pundits, and bloggers. Cone and Johnson both support the work of the commisssion, as do I.
Very few people who live in Greensboro were responsible for what happened in 1979. Even fewer were directly affected. So, most of us have nothing to lose by exploring this topic, but we have a better understanding of our history to gain.
I will settle for just the truth part: getting a comprehensive understanding of the events of that fateful day in 1979. Any possible community reconciliation is tied to a better common understanding of Greensboro's long and mixed history of race relations, not just the shootout. But the shootout is certainly responsible for a few squares on Greensboro's patchwork quilt, and it is time to talk about it.
Ed Cone (from a 1999 column): "It matters because people died here at the hands of their fellow citizens, and no criminal charges could be made to stick to the perpetrators, and that is a stain on our honor."
The Greensboro Truth & Reconciliation Commission continues to be the subject of debate among our city's leaders, pundits, and bloggers. Cone and Johnson both support the work of the commisssion, as do I.
Very few people who live in Greensboro were responsible for what happened in 1979. Even fewer were directly affected. So, most of us have nothing to lose by exploring this topic, but we have a better understanding of our history to gain.
I will settle for just the truth part: getting a comprehensive understanding of the events of that fateful day in 1979. Any possible community reconciliation is tied to a better common understanding of Greensboro's long and mixed history of race relations, not just the shootout. But the shootout is certainly responsible for a few squares on Greensboro's patchwork quilt, and it is time to talk about it.
