Weeds in the Garden
State
N.Y./Region Opinions
from NYTimes on the Web, January 21, 2007
New Jersey -- Despite its many
problems, New Jersey enjoys a reputation for tolerance among people of all
backgrounds, and deservedly so. The state is one of the most diverse in
the nation and its suburbs have increasingly become a home for immigrants from
around the world.
It’s disturbing, therefore, when an occasional ugly incident not only mars this
reputation but causes great pain for those it’s aimed at. Two such
episodes drew attention this month, and they were especially troublesome because
this kind of behavior should have ended decades ago.
In South Harrison, a still rural town just 25 miles south of Philadelphia,
Charles Tyson took office on New Year’s Day as the town’s first black mayor.
But even before he was sworn in, anonymous callers were telephoning him with
racial epithets, and the tires on his car were slashed. Shortly after
taking the oath of office, he received a death threat.
The incidents stopped after local officials sent letters describing what
happened to almost all 2,700 town residents. Town leaders defended their
community for being tolerant, but the police chief said the calls were bias
crimes. Mr. Tyson expressed disbelief that the incidents could still take
place in the town he has lived in for 64 years.
In Haledon, a town just outside of Paterson, a gay policeman with 20 years on
the force won $450,000 this month in settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit
that claimed, in part, that former town officials referred to him with anti-gay
slurs. Sgt. James Len, backed up by other witnesses in sworn testimony,
said that after he revealed in 2002 that he was gay, a former mayor described
him as a “three-dollar bill” and a former councilman broadcast “homo, homo,
homo” over the police radio.
With the settlement, Haledon is paying a high price for the intolerable actions
of a couple of officials, and we would hope that whoever is responsible will be
brought to justice in South Harrison. The despicable actions of a handful
must not be permitted to overshadow the genuine goodwill that the diverse people
of New Jersey have for each other.
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