A week before the election, I argued now-President-elect Donald Trump’s continuous childish, uncivil and abusive behavior in the public arena made him unfit to serve as our next president. The degrading comments he made about women in a 2005 recording and his overall disagreeable behavior throughout the campaign trail were enough to make my case. This week, a series of sexist, racist and offensive tweets made by Charlottesville Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy were uncovered by a local blogger in his public Twitter account, reigniting the debate of what should be expected from our public officials. Bellamy’s abhorrent tweets reflect poor judgment and a lack of common respect for his constituents, and although he has recently resigned from the Virginia Board of Education, the people of Charlottesville should request his immediate resignation from the office of vice mayor.
Public officials — to whom younger generations frequently look up — are meant to represent their constituents and should be held at a high standard when it comes to public behavior. It is absurd to allow someone who has publicly tweeted racist, homophobic and sexist remarks to continue to represent the people of Charlottesville. Representation comes with integrity and honesty, and anyone trying to associate these with Bellamy’s statements on his public Twitter profile is going to have a hard time.
In his account, Bellamy wrote, “I really tune out when white people talk in community meetings. I really need to work on that smh… *Obama Shrug*.” This type of comment reflects a mindset that does not serve his constituents. The vice mayor of Charlottesville should be open to everyone’s concerns in community meetings, not just those he deems worthy of his attention.
These tweets came as a shock to many (including myself) because Bellamy has often spearheaded socially progressive causes, such as an empowerment program for young women. He has also been described by others as a renowned figure in the Charlottesville black community. While it’s a shame to see such a prominent figure with potential going through this type of scandal, it shouldn’t make us go easy on him. The fact remains that the tweets reflect seriously poor judgment. Although his track record reflects exemplary accomplishments, Bellamy’s statements cast significant doubts on his fitness to serve as our vice mayor.
Charlottesville is a community with a significant number of students and young adults. Allowing Bellamy to remain in office would set a bad example for them and might even validate this type of behavior in public platforms. If Bellamy truly cares about the type of role models young people look up to, both in the streets and on their phones, he should do the right thing and step down.
This past election has been characterized by a significant shift in the culture of political decorum, including a blurring of the lines between private and public talk. The resulting rise in incivility and change in public discourse has forced many individuals to reconsider what they value in their public officials. We should fight against this type of behavior and demand a higher standard from them. The uncovering of Bellamy’s tweets provides the people of Charlottesville an opportunity to take a stance against this type of behavior by public officials.
Carlos Lopez is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be contacted at c.lopez@cavalierdaily.com.
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