Wednesday, May 9, 2001

I write this letter in response to Mr. Frank Hyde's letter to the editor in The Citizen and the Online Citizen News on April 4, 2001. In his letter Mr. Hyde appears to be disparaging Mr. Steve Brown, who is a candidate for the Peachtree City mayoral election. If this is the intended target, I feel compelled to respond to this outrageous characterization of Mr. Brown and the ludicrous idea of comparing him to Adolf Hitler.

As the President of the Fayette County NAACP, I have had the opportunity to work closely with Mr. Steve Brown, who is one of only five Caucasians who have had the courage to become an active member of the oldest civil rights organization in America. I vehemently believe Mr. Brown is a member of the NAACP for the same reason that he is an outspoken citizen and concerned resident of Peachtree City: to change the status quo of elected and appointed officials of Fayette County municipalities, who do not represent all citizens fairly.

Although I do not agree with every position which Mr. Brown takes, I am proud to know that he is not afraid to bring issues to the forefront that others would rather keep as hidden agendas. I am particularly gratified to support Mr. Brown's position that we must address the issue of abhorrent race relations that exist in many of the Fayette County municipalities.

The only way to positively advance cultural and race relations is to admit there is a need to address them. We cannot continue to act as ostriches with our heads in the ground and pretend that "every thing is all right." As the president of the Fayette County NAACP, who receives numerous complaints from both Caucasian and minority Fayette County citizens, I say that it's time to address this issue.

I know that Mr. Brown is a member of the Promise Keepers International organization and as such he is living up to promise number 6, which is a commitment to "reach beyond any racial or denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity." As an ordained minister and a 22-year Navy veteran, I believe Fayette County has much work to do, even when it comes to race relations in the Christian domain.

One has only to observe the racial makeup of many congregations at Fayette County churches on any given Sunday to see the segregated nature that occurs even in Christian worship. I believe Mr. Brown's call for ministers and elected officials to take the lead to examine and improve race relations within Fayette County merits support.

I know there are numerous members of Promise Keepers that reside in Fayette County, and I challenge them to do more to fulfill promise number 6. Mr. Brown is doing his part and to compare him to Adolf Hitler is outrageous.

If we are going to continue to make Fayette County a positive environment for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or creed, we must be proactive in addressing all relevant issues before they become problems. As this county becomes unavoidably more racially diverse, we must work harmoniously to prevent any unwarranted conflicts.

I am proud to know that Mr. Brown is acting as a man of principle and integrity. I would hope that all citizens of Fayette County would do nothing less.

The Rev. Edward J. Johnson

President, Fayette County NAACP

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