[ACDP-Announce] A very good -- and important -- speech

[Fred Hudson]

This is a piece forwarded to me.  It underlines the reason why we must elect Jim Webb tomorrow.   Fred



Dear Friends:

I read this weekend the following speech, given by Dr. Ken Shelton to 
the Hendersonville (N.C.) High School on Friday, November 3, 2006. Dr. 
Shelton, you may remember, was the former UVA football player who first 
confirmed for Salon.com that George Allen had used racial slurs while at 
U.Va. This speech is important both for what it says about Allen (more 
details) but for the advice that he gives to the students, and, 
ultimately, to the rest of us. Please read it and pass it on. I took it 
from Raising Kaine -- a pro-Jim Webb website. 
http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5787


> Dr. Ken Shelton, Hendersonville NC
>
> Let me propose to you an ethical dilemma:
> A reporter calls to ask you about a former college football teammate. 
> The reporter wants to know if he was a racist?
> What if this old teammate was a former US Congressman, Governor of the 
> State of Virginia, is a current US Senator running for re-election, 
> and on the short-list for President of the United States in 2008? What 
> would you do?
> What if reporting this information would adversely affect you, your 
> family, and old friendships?
> What if this information had been heavy on your conscience for many 
> years and the teammate you knew was a racist, a bully, a liar, and 
> more? ..that his core values were the most corrupt of anyone you knew 
> growing up? What would you do?
> I hope your answer is “tell the truth”. That’s what I did and will 
> continue to do.
>
> Why do I think US Senator George Allen (GA) was a racist?
> When I was not much older than you, I witnessed a hate crime and I did 
> not stop it.
>
> Some more background: George Allen transferred from UCLA to the 
> University of Virginia to play quarterback. I asked him once why he 
> came to Virginia. His answer? Because he wanted to move somewhere that 
> the “blacks knew their place". I was shocked by his answer.
> - He used the N… word often, except in the presence of blacks.
> - George provided nicknames to many of our team players. He asked me 
> if I was related to Robert Shelton, at the time an Imperial Wizard of 
> a group affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group 
> that promotes violence and hatred against Blacks, Jews, Catholics, and 
> others. I said "absolutely not". Despite this, he nicknamed me "wizard".
> - After a successful deer-hunting trip, George asked our hunting 
> companion where the local blacks lived. I watched George Allen place 
> an antler-less severed deer head into their large mailbox. This 
> occurred shortly after the film the "Godfather" was released featuring 
> an intimidation scene using a severed horse's head. I witnessed this 
> hate crime and I did not stop it.
>
> Why did I allow this to happen?
> GA was a bully. You tend to give bullies a wide berth. They have a way 
> of ostracizing and embarrassing or otherwise inflicting pain on you. 
> Think about the bullies in your life. You tend to avoid them or cajole 
> them for if you seem to be on their side, they pick on you less. In 
> retrospect, I should have stood up to him and I encourage you to stand 
> up to the bullies in your life.
>
> Then, there’s Peer pressure, “going along with the crowd”. Peer 
> pressure holds huge influences over each of you. Be it exposure to 
> tobacco, alcohol, drugs or intolerance, if your friends condone and 
> use it, you can too easily follow their lead. Remember, you make your 
> own choices. Let your conscience guide you. You have the power to make 
> it right the first time.
>
> I have withheld this information for over 30 years. Why?
> I was embarrassed by my inaction, not stopping GA from shoving the 
> deer head into that black family’s mailbox. I could have intervened. I 
> failed that day and have been unable to clear my conscience since. 
> These memories don’t go away. Remember, events that happen now affect 
> you for the rest of your life.
>
> Meanwhile, GA ascended political heights I never imagined and now 
> serves as a United States Senator. With each election in his political 
> rise, I laughed to myself thinking, “What a joke. When will someone 
> step forward and expose this man for what he was?” Someone else, I 
> thought would do so. No one did.
>
> Let me step back a minute and ask if any student here is familiar with 
> the name Kitty Genovese or the “bystander effect”?
> The Bystander effect refers to situations where more than one person 
> observes an emergency but each individual is less likely to intervene. 
> I call this the “Someone Else Syndrome”. For example, surely someone 
> else will speak up and intervene.
>
> Many years ago in NYC, a young woman, Kitty Genovese, was stabbed and 
> sexually assaulted by a serial rapist and murderer in an apartment 
> complex. A dozen witnesses heard and observed this. Everyone thought 
> “someone else” would come to her aid or call the police. After 30 
> minutes, someone did but Kitty Genovese died on the way to the hospital.
> Her killer was not caught immediately and lived to kill again.
> We are left to speculate, what would have happened if “someone else” 
> had called for help sooner? Kitty and others may have lived. We will 
> never know.
>
> “Someone else syndrome”
> I have been its victim as well. I always thought “someone else” would 
> expose George Allen. No one did. Now, I am making up for lost time. 
> Truth and character matter. I feel it is my civic duty to inform the 
> voting public about who this man was. I would do this regardless of 
> his political party, for in my opinion, he is unfit for public office, 
> at any level. I did not want my withholding of his misdeeds to allow 
> him to ascend to the most powerful position in the world. He is not 
> qualified to run this country or to decide when to send you (point to 
> students) to war in its defense.
>
> Why have others not come forward till now and why such fear to tell 
> the truth?
> Perhaps they were too embarrassed by their association with or 
> observation of his actions. Perhaps it is because of his immense power 
> and influence. Some old teammates or family members have held his 
> political appointments and jobs. Others said they could not come 
> forward due to repercussion to their jobs, reputations and families. 
> As a US Senator, his reach throughout the state of Virginia and our 
> nation is extensive.
>
> These revelations have come at a cost. I have risked many old 
> friendships. The media descended like a firestorm, seeking interviews 
> and sound bites. I was interviewed by numerous papers including the 
> NYT, WashPost, Associated Press, and appeared on CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, 
> and Inside Edition. Some people turn their back on you, some send 
> mean-spirited letters, and some call you a “liar”. Radio talk show 
> host Rush Limbaugh called me an “anti-tobacco, environmental activist 
> …hack from NC”. Considering the source, I take that as a compliment. 
> Through this, I have learned that truth is absolute and sets you free. 
> I feel free again and hold my head high.
> You have studied the “Watergate” scandal this week with many lessons 
> learned: “No one is above the law”. Everyone is accountable for his or 
> her actions including the President of the United States. You have 
> learned that power can corrupt. You have also learned the power of 
> Free Speech and a Free Press. Imagine what would have happened if the 
> WashPost reporters, Woodward and Bernstein, had not done their job 
> seeking the truth about Watergate? Similarly, it was a reporter, 
> Michael Scherer, with Salon.com who followed a hunch till he found 
> someone willing to talk about the character of George Allen. As with 
> Watergate, no one knows what goes on behind the closed doors of 
> politics unless someone is willing to tell the truth and the media 
> make it public.
>
> As I conclude, I challenge each of you as a citizen (address and point 
> to students) to exert your rights to vote and free speech. Otherwise, 
> unrestrained power will continue to corrupt, tainting politics and the 
> future of your country. Cover-ups, lies, deception, and corruption 
> should be pushed out of politics.
>
> Remember, “We the people” are a reflection of those we elect to higher 
> office. It is your and my responsibility to hold our politicians and 
> their power in check.
>
> Please learn to think for yourself, removing partisan blinders, 
> listening with an open mind to all sides, and then, vote your 
> conscience. Honor, integrity, character, and core values are critical 
> in those willing to serve. That is why George Allen should be defeated.
>
> I offer this advice: If you ever find the need to come forward with 
> allegations, be sure of your information and aware of the potential 
> consequences. Consult key people in your life first. ..such as a 
> parent, minister, teacher. Realize that your friends may or may not 
> back you up.
>
> What have I re-learned by recent events?
> Stand up to bullies. Your voice can make a difference. Don’t wait for 
> someone else to step forward or speak.
> Trust your conscience as your “moral compass”. Do the right thing the 
> first time.
> Lead by example and avoid the wrong crowd.
>
> And Finally,
> Pivotal moments in life challenge your morals and ethics and you must 
> take a stand.
> Silent observation of the misdeeds of others makes you an 
> “accomplice”. Speak out against injustice and intolerance.
> And remember: Events that happen now will affect you for the rest of 
> your life.
>
> For this opportunity for me to exercise my freedom of speech, I thank you.
>

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