“In case there are those celebrating this as some kind of victory, let me be clear, there are absolutely no winners, only losers.”
Well, The Rev got it half right.
There certainly were no winners. But Funkhouser sure as heck didn’t lose the argument with La Raza over Semler.
The guy showed that he is no worm — which is to say he’s unlike most politicians. He stands his ground on what he sees as important principles.
And in so doing, Funkhouser did more to help Kansas City’s reputation than hurt it, no matter what Councilwoman Jan Marcason says.
She called the loss of the La Raza convention “a tragedy,” and claimed that Funkhouser “made a huge mistake” by not bowing to blackmail.
That’s baloney.
In fact, many Kansas Citians happen to appreciate their mayor’s refusal to cave into pressure from an outside organization with an agenda to push.
Sure, the race-baiters and other crazies out there will try to represent Kansas City as being unfriendly to minorities because La Raza was unable to force Semler’s resignation.
That’s their right, even if it is a lie.
Despite its history of segregation, Kansas City has made great strides in the area of civil rights over the past several decades.
Kansas Citians twice elected a black mayor (Cleaver), and two of the last three congressmen representing the city south of the river have been African-American (Cleaver and Alan Wheat).
Funkhouser even appointed a Hispanic to lead the board of which Semler is a member.
We could go on and on, but none of that will matter to some. They’re content to accept whatever line of garbage comes along that fits their world view — or furthers their own narrow agenda.
So in the short term, Kansas City’s reputation may suffer beyond the city limits.
However, my prediction is that, in the city itself, Funkhouser’s popularity will only benefit from having stood his ground.
Reasonable people of all races recognize that Funkhouser did not appoint a racist to the parks board. He appointed a woman named Frances Semler, who happens to believe that illegal immigration is a bad thing.
You know what? She’s right about that, and it doesn’t make you prejudiced to say so. A lot of us happen to think that illegal immigration drives down the wages of the so-called working poor, be they black, white, brown or whatever.
Unregulated border crossings are a threat to national security.
Many who feel that way wouldn’t go so far as to join the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. But the fact that Semler did shouldn’t be held against her, either.
There may be racists in the Minuteman group, but there are racists in the Republican and Democratic parties. There may be racists in the church you go to, or the service club to which you belong.
That doesn’t make them racist organizations. Nor is it necessarily a bad thing for the Minuteman group to be labeled “vigilantes.” You could say the same thing about any neighborhood watch group, or any other organization interested in seeing the law enforced.
That’s what vigilantes are.
Likewise, equating the group to the KKK is simply ridiculous. And so is anyone who believes that.
But then this whole controversy was idiotic from start to finish. And it’s not entirely finished, is it?
Now we wait to see whether other organizations will join La Raza in boycotting Kansas City for their conventions.
But if they do, that’s the way it goes.
Once your city starts caving to blackmail, where does it stop? Would we change our gun laws to make the National Rifle Association happy, in hopes of getting its convention?
Would the city scale back the health benefits extended to same-sex couples just so the members of some conservative church group would feel more comfortable dropping their dollars on hotels rooms, cab rides and restaurant meals?
No, I wouldn’t say KC won anything out of all this. But there’s one thing that Funkhouser and the city did not lose.
Their dignity.
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