Defense of Harrison

Apparently, like many, I objected to Mike Masterson’s original Harrison defense column by pointing out that Harrison, unlike any Arkansas town I am aware of, permits a white supremacist billboard and, cattycorner to the town square, a business flying the Confederate flag.

It has been nearly 60 years since the Civil Rights Act; the 13th Amendment was ratified 155 years ago; and slavery under the heels of the white man started in what became this country 401 years ago. Yet defensively defend does Masterson.

Other than shooting at the messenger who brought the racist culture of Harrison to national attention and ignoring the Confederate flag issue, he identifies Harrison’s “meaningful accomplishments,” like the 800 adults who signed statements following two town resolutions. Assuming all were Harrison residents and all statements were anti-racist, that means, of its 9,681 Census-identified adults, 8 percent signed. And, assuming all 70 protesters who went to Zinc were adults from Harrison, that means a whopping 0.7 percent of adult residents were present.

I don’t hate Harrison. I’ve been to a rally in the town square and we were circled by trucks flying the white nationalist and Confederate flags, and — as pointed out by a rally-goer — the KKK van.

However, I’m saddened by the fact that Harrison and one of its most visible natives continue to accept its racist culture, and extremely disappointed that too many white folk believe in taking a “Band-Aid” approach to racism. Harrison needs to change its culture, not pat itself on the back. And white folk need to accept that slavery was the major reason this country and mainly whites prospered, while they still reap financial benefits through systemic racism.

And it is an insult to those many communities in Northern states that have for months daily protested racism and for years attempted to end systemic racism—and utter inanity— to say that Harrison “might well lead the nation in actively fighting bigotry and intolerance.” MIKE KARCIS Fayetteville