An Open Letter to the People of Alabama

F LoBuono

SWEET HOME ALABAMA, WHERE THE SKIES ARE SO BLUE (and, the governor's true).

Indeed.

In fairness, I should begin by saying that I have never truly known anyone from Alabama. Ever. In fact, I don't even know anyone who knows anyone from Alabama. About all that I do know about the State is that the University has a great football team and it was one of the most segregated places I've ever been to.

In the Spring off 2010 I spent some time there covering the Gulf Oil Spill Disaster for CBS News. I remember being pleasantly surprised by the beauty and opulence of some of Alabama's Gulf Coast communities like Gulf Shores. I also recall how overwhelmingly white the area was. When the crew would go out for dinner, our African-American correspondent, Terrell Brown, was almost invariably the only person of color in the restaurant. And, when we were graciously invited to a 4th of July celebration in the town of Magnolia Springs, the organizers "alerted" me that Mr. Brown would be the only black to partake in the festivities. Now, it's important to add that they did not say that in malice - it was just stated as a matter of fact.

Unfortunately, this is the image that most people of Alabama - a bigoted, segregated, ignorant place. 

Of course, painting with such a broad brush is indeed a slippery slope. But, the claims are not totally without validity. Adding to the horrible images of the attack of marchers on the William Pettus Bridge and countless other Civil Right atrocities associated with the place, we now have an accused child molester, Judge Roy Moore, being touted as the next US Senator from the Great State of Alabama. The silver-haired, ultra-conservative, Republican Governor, Kay Ivey, has, despite her disgust at the alleged charges against Mr. Moore, decided to continue to support his election. And, she is not alone. Most experts feel that, despite the despicable allegations against Moore, the race will be decided by the thinnest of margins.

Really.

Of course, there MUST BE good people in Alabama. There just HAVE to be!

Well, it's time that they step up and do the right thing! This is a unique opportunity for them to prove that they can do more than just play really good football on Saturdays and pray really hard on Sundays!

PEOPLE OF ALABAMA - show me and the world how wrong we are to think of you as a bunch of ignorant, right-wing, ultra-religious, bigots who are happy to stick their collective middle fingers in our faces just to say you can. Tell me and the others to go fuck ourselves for THE RIGHT REASONS - because you DO believe in justice, freedom, and equality.