The Old Double Standard

Hidden somewhere in the recent barrage of news stories about the Swine Flu drifting north from Mexico is a little noticed story about racial discrimination. It seems that New York Governor David A. Paterson has settled a discrimination case brought against him by a Caucasian staff photographer who claims he was fired two years ago so that Paterson could hired an African-American. This all took place when Paterson ousted Sen. Martin Connor as minority leader.

Paterson has maintained that it was all just "politics," that the white photographer was simply a hold over from the Connor administration who had to be replaced because he wasn't a member of the Paterson team. Race, Paterson claims, had nothing to do with it. However, he has agreed to use $300,000 of New York citizens' tax money to make the case go away.

Imagine the out roar if the races had been reversed, if Paterson had been white and the fired photographer black. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and the national media would all be calling for Paterson's firing, if not for his imprisonment. It would be the lead story on nightly news broadcasts and the cover story on national news magazines. As it is, it has to be the most ignored story of the week.

A double standard is obviously in place and the mainstream media need to answer for it. Elected officials - whether they be white, black or any other conceivable color - are legally bound to not base their hiring decisions on race and the media are honor bound to give discrimination stories fair, objective and equal coverage.