>>Valley Patriot>>
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Latinos
Peddling Racism
Further
Divides Our City
Atty.
Robert O'Koniewski
 Recently a local Latino
publication bemoaned in inflammatory racist terms the
development of the Wood Mill by Robert Ansin.
The writer speculated that the development would lead to
an influx of 500-600 white residents into Lawrence. The
writer was rather upset that this anticipated white
migration into our city would greatly offset Latino
participation in future elections, thereby ensuring
victory for white candidates and defeat for Latino
candidates.
Further, the writer insinuated that the residential units
at the Wood Mill are priced at a level to keep Latinos
out, because, as the writer stated, Latinos cannot afford
to buy at such prices. Amazingly, these sentiments were
echoed on local Spanish radio programming after their
publication.
I am always bemused at the racist rantings of a Latino
writer like this who feels there is some grand conspiracy
amongst whites to shut Latinos out of the political
process. Apparently, the lack of political success
at the polls is due to not a lack of qualified candidates
but to some Klan-like master plan cooked up and put into
motion by the white overseers at City Hall and in our
neighborhoods. (I am sure the sarcasm here will be lost
on them.)
I read the printed comments several times and had others
read it as well to make sure I saw things
correctly.
Only the howling of a bitter, brain addled bigot could
equate one of the most ambitious economic development
projects our city has seen in some time with an overt
racist attempt to disembowel Latino participation in the
electoral process.
Only in Lawrence could we find attacks on a privately
funded, multi-million dollar economic project that one
hopes will revitalize our city’s economy, albeit
with no guarantee of success, stated in terms designed to
inflame and fan racist emotions within the Latino
community against their white neighbors. This in a city
that helped our state elect the first black governor in
our history. This in a city that bends over backwards to
comply with federal and state mandates on assisting
Latino voters in the election process. This in a city
that has witnessed a large jump in Latino homeownership
due to the expansion of the city and state’s
first-time homebuyer programs.
Even more astounding is the silence from the Latino
community in denouncing these remarks. I am struck by the
apparent acceptance of such racially motivated invective,
stated not to unite us in a common purpose to improve our
city but designed merely to split our community further
apart.
Imagine the reaction if a white proffered the idea that
we cannot have more Latinos moving in because they will
take over our politics.
Such an attitude has no place in our city. People
who harbor such beliefs frankly should peddle their
racist wares elsewhere and see the type of reaction they
receive. They are certainly not welcome at my
doorstep nor should they be anywhere else in our
community.
Robert O’Koniewski is an attorney in
Lawrence and is the former campaign manager for
Marcos Devers. You can email him at: bobokesq@hotmail.com
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The February 2007
Edition of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2007, Valley Patriot, Inc.
We publish 10,000 newspapers and distribute in Andover,
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Beach, and Lowell.
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