An ace in the hole: Dealing with the race card in Aberdeen

This is a story about hotdogs and why they are occasionally given out for free.

Since Matt already brought it up in an earlier comment, I suppose it’s time to discuss some racial implications that have worked their way into Aberdeen politics.

In case you missed it, there was a brief and seemingly innocuous statement printed in The Record newspaper a few weeks ago at the bottom of an election story. The blurb, attributed to Mayor S. Fred Simmons and buried in the final paragraph, indicated the mayor, who had already announced his intentions to seek re-election, was investigating the possibility of opening a second polling place for the upcoming Nov. 6 municipal election.

At face value, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it sounds like a damn fine idea – giving Aberdeen residents more opportunity and more convenience in voting, which would hopefully bolster what has typically been an abysmal voter turnout for city elections. But, as with most things in life, this idea unfortunately cannot be taken simply at face value. Continue reading An ace in the hole: Dealing with the race card in Aberdeen