Time to go now, Ms. Platko
Last night, the Buena Vista Township Board passed a resolution calling for the resignation of Gloria Platko for calling Township Supervisor Dwayne Parker an “arrogant nigger” on a phone call with Interim Township Manager Dexter Mitchell.
The Buena Vista Township Hall was full as a special meeting was held to discuss clerk Gloria Platko’s use of a racial slur to describe Buena Vista Township Supervisor Dwayne Parker.The meeting was held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, and included public comment, as well a vote on a resolution calling for Platko to resign from her position as township clerk. {…}
A resolution, which passed with five “yes” votes, requests the resignation of Platko from her position, though the resolution is mainly a symbolic gesture since the board does not have the authority to fire an elected official.
Platko did not attend the meeting.
Platko claims she didn’t mean it in a racist way and has apologized. However, considering that she prefaced her slur by telling Mitchell, “I know you’re not even going to like this” and saying “I’m sorry to say it that way”, it’s clear that she knew it was offensive.
Supervisor Parker is being charitable toward Platko Supervisor say he forgives her.
I forgive her, Clerk Gloria Platko, for those words. They were hurtful, they were painful but I want to move on.
Dawud Walid, Executive Director for the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), penned an op-ed for the Detroit News calling on the Michigan Democratic Party and other Michigan activists to demand Platko’s resignation:
In media coverage of this fiasco…I have not heard any repudiation from the Michigan Democratic Party of Platko’s Jim Crow-esque speech. I even went to the Michigan Democratic Party’s website and found no disavowal of a member’s bigotry.Had a member of the GOP made such a comment, civil rights organizations would pressure the party to distance themselves from the guilty party. Moreover, Democrats would likely would bring up the incident as evidence of a pattern of hostility towards minorities.
Where are the statements from activists calling on the Democratic Party to oust Platko from their ranks? Why is there no Democratic statement on their state website condemning racism among its ranks next to their statement ribbing Governor Synder about “transvaginal ultrasounds?”
This reeks of political hypocrisy.
All Republicans are not racists – nor are all Democrats sincere about racial equality in America. Our test is to have moral courage to not simply call out racism by those with whom we have political differences, but to also purge our own ranks of bigots. No political double standards please.
I agree with Walid on this and you can consider me one “activist” making such a call. The MDP should be outspoken on this and calling for Platko to step down. It’s time for her to move on.
