from the BCCT:
NAACP vigil draws more than 100 people
Posted in News on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 10:25 pm by James McGinnis
NAACP Director John Jordan demanded an “end to plantation politics” in Bucks County Wednesday during a prayer vigil outside the Bristol Township municipal building.
The organization’s vigil drew more than 100 people, including many local Democratic leaders, who stood under a light rain to ask God for the strength to affect change in their community.
Jordan said the African American community would “graciously accept the apologies” of two local candidates who he accused of making racist statements. But he also pledged to form a race relations committee that will work for more inclusion or minorities in the governments of Lower Bucks.
The NAACP also encouraged those in attendance Wednesday to sign a petition and have David Marucci, a candidate Bristol Borough Council, removed from the ballot by the Bucks County Board of Elections.
Jordan said he would use “every legal technique” to have Marucci removed from the ballot. That could be difficult. County elections officials said they were not aware of any way in which a candidate could be removed from the ballot for alleged racist statements.
Marucci was charged by Bristol Borough police with harassment of Councilwoman Robyn Trunell. Trunell said Marucci used racial and sexual slurs. Marucci has declined comment on the allegations.
Lillian Frazier of Bristol Borough said she “didn’t like that face that was presented of my community” in the allegations. “It is as though a sleeping giant has awoken. It’s scary and sad to see something like this in my own community.”
Sarah Robinson of Bensalem said she believed America had overcome racism.
“I thought we had overcome this,” she said. “But when you hear about things like these incidents, you wonder: Just how far have we come, and how quickly can we fall back?”
