In the aftermath of the RFRA crisis which damaged our state and city’s image and reputation around the nation and world, some questions remain.
First, let’s ask this one—have Republicans been harmed?
In national politics and among moderate Republicans and independents, Gov. Mike Pence has been hurt.
Video clips of his disastrous appearance on ABC’s “This Week” went viral. Pence was the butt of late night comedy jokes, including an especially devastating riff by David Letterman.
It didn’t help that several times House Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate Leader Sen. David Long publicly threw shade at the governor (along with throwing him under the bus.)
But it’s 20 months till the next statewide election and lots can happen. Some claim Pence will be primaried next May, but I’m not sure a GOP moderate can get through a primary.
How did Democrats fare?
Democrats positioned themselves as strong proponents of statewide civil rights protections for the LGBT community.
While that position reaps rewards in college towns, no one’s sure how this plays in the rest of Indiana.
While some Democrats feel the events of the past two weeks hurt Republicans, for Democrats to regain strength in the Legislature, they must win districts dominated by Indiana’s smaller cities, towns and rural areas. Supporting LGBT rights won’t automatically win those voters back for Democrats.
Indiana’s lower standard of living, reduced incomes and job opportunities are strong message points. But in my opinion, Democrats have thus far utterly failed to connect the dots for those voters that Republicans haven’t done a damn thing to help Hoosiers improve their standard of living.
Why didn’t Indiana follow Utah?
In March, Utah, one of the most conservative states politically and religiously, passed a religious freedom law that banned discrimination against gays in employment and housing while banning discrimination against people for their religious beliefs. Unlike Indiana, the Utah law didn’t permit religious convictions as an excuse for discrimination against others.
This crisis exposed Indianapolis’ leadership weaknesses
RFRA should’ve never become law in the first place. The business community was slow to respond as the law moved through the Legislature. And even slower in marshalling the full weight of anger of the business and civic community at the Republican legislative leaders and most importantly Pence.
Even NCAA leaders, who forcefully spoke out once the law was a reality, didn’t move early enough to nip this thing in the bud. Though NCAA President Mark Emmert is now lauded with acting forcefully, publicly and privately, it all should’ve happened earlier.
Then there was this blind spot of business leadership. When the “deal” was announced April 2, a phalanx of Indy and Indiana business and civic leaders stood behind legislative leaders.
Out of some 30 to 40 leaders, just two were African-American. New Urban League President Tony Mason and Mamon Powers III of Powers & Sons Construction; a longtime minority-Black-owned business unknown to most; even in our Black community.
Mainstream media’s blackout of Black reaction
In the national media coverage of the RFRA crisis, including wall to wall coverage on MSNBC and CNN, Rep. Andre Carson was the only African-American interviewed. No Black legislators, no one with any perspective on how Indianapolis’ and Indiana’s African-Americans felt on this issue were interviewed.
The reason? I attribute it to the mainstream media’s racial myopia when it comes to including African-American spokespersons on issues that aren’t “Black issues.” Some of it is national media never thinking to reach out to a community’s Black and minority media and sources during a major national news story in a community. Indianapolis mainstream media displayed the same short sightedness, never once bothering to seek reaction to RFRA among African-Americans.
What I’m Hearing in the Streets
After the firestorm on radio and in social meeting about the bizarre, unusual IPS School Board meeting on Sunday, March 22, Board President Diane Arnold apologized two weeks ago on Facebook for the controversy.
According to Arnold, the Board thought they were having a “work session” but their secretary sent out public notice that it would be a “special called public meeting.” On Facebook, Arnold apologized for the confusion and for not anticipating and preparing for the members of the public would show up.
Unfortunately, Arnold and the IPS Board haven’t yet publicly declared they won’t hold Sunday public meetings, unless they are an emergency.
(Makes me wonder how many other issues the IPS Board will be out of touch with the public on.)
IPS won a major victory last week when the State Board of Education allowed IPS to regain control of Arlington High School and allow a charter K-6 elementary school to operate inside Emma Donnan Middle School, run by state takeover operator Charter Schools USA.
Our community, though, should be suspicious because IPS has yet to publicly unveil boundaries and plans for Arlington and more importantly, declare the fate of John Marshall High School.
More critically, in all the talk of “transformation” and “new goals” for IPS, the system has yet to create a coherent system of school boundaries, especially for the middle school grades and high schools.
See ‘ya next week!
You can email Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
