...By Larry John for TDPel Media.
Mark Jennings, a county commissioner in Oklahoma, has resigned after a local newspaper reported that he and other officials had made racist comments about lynching Black people and had threatened to assassinate two reporters in a conversation that was secretly recorded by one of the journalists.
Jennings, who had served on the McCurtain County Board of Commissioners since January 2021, has promised to “release a formal statement in the near future regarding the recent events in our county”.
Growing Backlash
Jennings’ resignation came in response to growing backlash following the publication of the secretly recorded conversation.
The comments made by Jennings and other officials have been widely condemned as racist and threatening.
The incident has also raised concerns about freedom of the press and the safety of journalists.
Commentary
The reported comments made by Jennings and other officials are deeply disturbing and have no place in society.
Such racist and threatening language can have serious consequences and can contribute to a culture of fear and intimidation.
It is encouraging to see that Jennings has resigned in response to the backlash, but it is important that the incident is not simply swept under the rug.
It is important that there is a full investigation into what happened and that steps are taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.
The incident also highlights the importance of freedom of the press and the need to protect journalists from threats and intimidation.
