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Racism. It is a difficult thing to defend yourself against, when an accusation of it is thrown at you.

It came up at Monday’s West Easton Council Meeting, during an animated exchange between Councilman Tom Nodoline and Councilman Dan DePaul (at about the 1:09:05 mark of the council meeting video).

DePaul asked Nodoline, “Where’s the ‘Supervoter’?,” referring to Councilman Vernon Moore, who has missed most of the council meetings since being appointed to the council  last year and was missing from Monday’s meeting.

One of the main positives promoted by Councilman Nodoline, during the appointment process last year, was Mr. Moore’s voting record during general elections. Mr. Nodoline also used a council meeting to campaign for Moore, as a write-in candidate, during the past primary.

Councilman Tom Nodoline’s response, in finding a reason for Moore’s absence was to say to DePaul, “You might be racist in here, because you scared the guy.”

I had to play the recording a half dozen times to make sure I got it right. Did Nodoline say DePaul “was” a racist?

No, he said DePaul “might be” racist. And the Mayor accuses me of unethical aspersions?

Here was a subject nobody likes to discuss, let alone, be labeled as. “Racist.”

The comment was made and barely had time to sink in, when the meeting was quickly sent into recess.

A white councilman just accused another white councilman of possibly being a racist because the accuser says the accused scared a black councilman into not coming to a public meeting.

Did the Mayor or Council President ask Nodoline to offer grounds for his statement? Did anyone suggest Mr. Moore be contacted and asked about his perception of how he was treated, or even ask if he felt threatened in any way, by any councilperson?

Nope.

They just pretended it never happened. Who wants to open up that can of worms? It could lead to questions and observations of a borough that they really don’t want to discuss. You don’t get unicorns and rainbows talking about how things used to be (or may still be), when it involves race relations.

Councilman Nodoline, again, says something they wish he hadn’t and they remain silent.

But is it true?

Now, for those of you unaware, Mr. Moore, the councilman who was the subject of this exchange, is the first African-American to serve on the West Easton council in its’ 117-year history. He was appointed to the seat vacated by Councilman Tim Jones. He was unsuccessful in his bid to be elected during this past election cycle through a write-in campaign, but he still maintains the distinction of being the first African-American to be seated.

In deciding how I would write this, I was presented with two options.

Seek comments from Nodoline and DePaul, or talk to Councilman Moore.

I chose the latter. Getting comments from two white guys on a subject they have no first hand knowledge of, is really useless and unimportant. It isn’t their opinion that counts, it is that of Mr. Moore.

The only one who can really speak about Mr. Nodoline’s comment to Mr. DePaul, is Mr. Moore. It is his perception of racism (or prejudice, or bigotry) that matters. If nobody else wanted the facts about how Mr. Moore perceived how he was treated, I certainly did. If I don’t ask, I don’t learn – and the best way to learn is to talk to the other person.

I had stopped by his home, but he was out, so I left my number on his door. I talked with him by phone today.

I told him of the comment made at the council meeting (only saying one councilman had made the comment to another councilman, though not mentioning names). I asked him to be totally honest.

I asked him directly, “Did you feel that anyone on council was racist toward you?”

He did not, but is not unaware that, “racism exists in America.”

I told him that I, myself, have been a vocal critic of his lack of attendance, but that I understand some of his earlier absences were due to death in the family.

“Yes, there were some family matters in the beginning,” he said.

I asked him, “Is the reason you didn’t attend the last council meetings, is because you are ‘scared’ of a councilman?”

He flatly denied being scared to attend a meeting and said he would have been at the last one, if he had known about it. “I was never scared,” he stated. “I don’t use the computer, so I don’t see emails. I’m a pencil and paper guy. I didn’t know there was a meeting that night and told Kelly Gross that, the next day, when I went down to pay my sewer bill.”

I asked him if he liked being on the council.

“It was fine,” he told me. He went on to say, “I enjoyed listening to the discussion about matters involving the town.”

Vernon and I spoke for a few more minutes. He mentioned he would like to stay active within the town, possibly serving on the zoning board, or a committee.