John de Triquet is voted vice mayor of Chesapeake

Alan Krasnoff is NOT a racist! He is a good man. Do not criticize his integrity just because you may not align with his political views or party affiliation. I know Alan and John personally and I know for a fact that they are NOT racists! If Ella, and I know and respect her too, really wanted to make a valid point, why not call for a female vice mayor? Color and party affiliation aside, there are six men and three women on council. If anything, gender is where the misrepresentation lies. Our African-American community is well-represented, maybe over-represented, in Chesapeake in terms of council, police chief, city manager, gov't jobs, etc. If Ella had tossed her own hat into the vice mayor ring and cited the gender imbalance, she would have had a valid argument. Had she won, there would be both an African-American vice mayor, and a woman. Alan, John, and Ella are all good people. Perhaps citizen

Liz, the fact that the Republican Party affilated City Council members ignored the call for the racially-based selection of the Vice Mayor is something to applaud, not denigrate. The only outrage I saw in this racial mess was the call by a racially-centric subgroup of City Council to elect the Vice Mayor based solely on his skin color. Hum, so ... if all the Republicans on Chesapeake's City Council voted to avoid racial consideration in their selection process, then is it fair to conclude that the racists on the Chesapeake City Council were not only all African-Americans, but they are also all members of the Democratic Party? Interesting. Very interesting. So here we have a case where the Democrats are exibiting blatant racal descrimination! Dr. King would most likely be ashamed of the Dems in this case. Ya gotta love local politics!

Prove it. I can't stand racism period. I know de Triquet enough to know he knows what duties are demanded of him and I hope he sticks to it in a city that is really starting to spiral out of control with its racial, political, police, road maintenance issues and more.(too furious to make further comments that do nothing but fuel speculation, hear-say, and so forth) In my opinion, get along or get ALONG.

Is it any surprise to you that the majority are all Republicans? Does that not say something to the public?
If you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention.

Ok, You have the votes to set the tone so get going. 5-4 for lowering taxes, 5-4 for stopping some of this crazy spending, 5-4 to stop the building, etc..etc..etc...

How affirmative action can be a solution to racism?

Racism is racism no matter the pigment of the racist. Can't say you are a racist, but you sound like a carrier.

Four of the nine city council members are black - a gold standard of racial representation for a Southern city with a 27% black population. It is statistical reality that whites voted for them, and sometimes in great numbers. And Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans. They did so because council members represent not just some segment of a racial category, but the whole American lot of us. But when all four of the nine form a racial bloc to support a council member for vice mayor solely because he is black like them, rather than a white who has far, far more seniority and experience, then we're reaching back to the old days of racial divide and politics. Perhaps this was only a flare-up of dinousaur thinking. If it continues, voters will take a step back, and we will all lose. (Remember: All The People.)

Racism is racsim frontways backways and sideways. What perpetuates the problem is that blacks are allowed to get away with it which indeed creates resentment among whites. Just imagine the uproar if Krasnoff said a White person deserved that position based solely on the color of his skin.

Is that it exists and too many white people want to pretend that it doesn't.

Or, worse yet, they like to pretend that the only racism that exists is reverse racism, where innocent, right-minded whites are victimized by blacks and other minorities.

Racism is alive and well and all the pretending, lamenting and pontificating in the world won't change that. Especially if pretending, lamenting and pontificating on message boards is all you do.

You have to be a fool to suggest that race won't be an issue in this election. So lamenting that it will be discussed before, during and after the election, regardless of the outcome, is a bit silly and terribly obvious.

What's really sad is the large number of white people who think racism is someone else's problem and has nothing to do with them.

The comments and suggestion of Mrs.Ward, that a black person should be mayor just because of skin color, is an embarassment to all educated black people and to all people who want to comitt themselves to public service. Remember this two years from now, when she seeks re-election. It's amazing to think we have an elected official in a position of power who truly thinks this way.

is that it feeds on itself, it is a great shield and a self-fullfilling prophecy.

It won't ever die the death it deserves until we all get past the suspicions, fear, mistrust and down right stupidity of many.

For example, wouldn't it be great, no matter the outcome of this presidential election if race doesn't show it's ugly head after election day.

But it doesn't matter who wins - racism will be a charge leveled by some group or another.

Sad.

So what you are saying, Mr. Twine, is that if you owned your own business, you would not hire employees that you feel are best qualified to do their jobs, but the most racially diversified employees instead? You've got to be kidding me!

That is the dictionary definition of racism, which is exactly what Ella Ward was trying to get. Racism works two ways, Mark.

So are racists.

And as long as racism exists, a just society will need to take some form of affirmative action.

Civil rights laws, affirmative action and evolution are reducing the ranks of racists and forcing them into anonymity.

It can't be all bad, can it?

The best person for the job was selected. Finally this race-base promotion nasty business gets derailed, at least for a little while. Good Job!

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Shame on you Ms. Ward. It would seem that color is more important to you than character. I'm not too surprised, however. Affirmative Action has been teaching just the opposite for years now, thus the rise of such luminaries as Nagin, Kilpatrick, and Barry. Shameful men all, but they are of the right skin tone (according to Ms. Ward's principles).

Why would Councilwoman Ella Ward call for the selection of a particular race? Wouldn't it be more prudent to call for the selection of the best qualified person to fill the position of vice mayor?