I’m sorry, but this has to be the most absurd demand for an apology since someone used the word “niggardly”.

The Gary branch of the NAACP wants an apology from Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Joel Silverman for "offensive and disrespectful" comments he made during a recent public hearing.

Silverman referred to members of a mostly black audience Aug. 17 as having a "city mentality," which many took as a racial remark.

"When you mention the term 'city mentality' to an audience consisting mainly of African-Americans, they're not thinking city mentality means 'regional.' They're thinking you mean the N-word mentality. That was a perception problem," said Tammi Davis, president of the National Association fro the Advancement of Colored People.

Davis has sent a letter to Gov. Mitch Daniels requesting a formal apology and suggesting that Silverman attend sensitivity training.

Now wait – the NAACP even admits that the problem was the perception of the audience, not the words of the of the official. So why does he need to be sensitized? Shouldn’t it be those who are misperceiving the message who get reeducated?

Posted by: Greg at 01:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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