An open letter to MSNBC:
I watched your “Morning Joe” show March 12 from around 6 a.m. to 6:25 a.m. as it reported on the win of David Jolly in the special election in Florida’s 13th congressional district.
I do not believe any of the men on that show mentioned that there was a third person running in that special election. And possibly that person got the differential vote that could have prohibited Alex Sink from winning that race.
Most of the men reporting highlighted the loss as a defeat of the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Near the end of the reporting, the woman gave the information from several graphs that were in opposition of President Barack Obama and the negative outcome for his legacy as president.
I could not believe my eyes when I saw this. To me, it was a media blitz of damning the legacy of the first black president. I would think that with a Republican, a Democrat and an independent in a three-way race that even the late Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and the loving five Blind Boys could have seen the outcome of that race.
I wonder if this is the same fate that will fall to the dean of the New York state delegation, U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-Manhattan) — who used to represent a small piece of Astoria — in his run for re-election with a Latino state senator and a black Baptist church preacher running against him.
To add to Rangel’s problem, the City Council speaker who supported him two years ago when she was just a councilwoman has left Rangel and is now supporting the senator.
I wonder if the black Baptist preacher really believes he can win or if he is in the race to make sure that Rangel does not win. What a sad commentary among us blacks who still cannot get it right in helping each other. Instead, they are still acting like crabs in a basket.
It is not my intention to lambast or demean anyone only to try to show that we still have not learned to play the game to benefit those who we serve. When we do, I pray the Lord lets me stay around long enough to see my hope come to full fruition.
Charles L. Norris Sr.
Pastor Emeritus
Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church
Jamaica
