Melvin B. Miller
Editor & Publisher

Missing the mark

In a political election, voters expect to be inundated with all sorts of information about the candidates — some helpful and some of questionable merit. Deval Patrick has recently become the target of the latter.

Patrick has had a miraculous career. He rose from extremely modest circumstances to power and affluence, along a path trod by few whites and even fewer African Americans. Now many stories in the press suggest that because of his success he is not qualified to be governor.

The first attack was a criticism of Patrick’s housing stock. Not only does he have a comfortable residence in the upscale suburb of Milton, but he is also in the process of building a luxurious retreat in the Berkshires. This abundance of abodes was placed in juxtaposition to the fact that one of his opponents prefers to rent, as though renting is a virtue.

Then there was an extensive criticism of Patrick because he was a member of the Fly Club while at Harvard. The nine so-called final clubs at Harvard once only admitted the children of the rich and powerful. Starting in 1965, some of the clubs opened their membership to a few blacks. It is indeed commendable that Patrick, with his roots on Chicago’s South Side, can move with grace and diplomacy among those from Park Avenue.

The latest assault claims that because Patrick entered the corporate world, it is hypocritical for him to assert that he can represent the working man. His experience as general counsel for Texaco and Coca Cola and as a director for Ameriquest Mortgage are now supposed to disqualify him from presenting himself as a progressive.

These criticisms show a profound ignorance of the black perspective. First of all, it is not uncommon for affluent blacks to build large vacation homes so that they can accommodate siblings and other relatives who cannot afford their own.

Secondly, racial discrimination was a significant problem at Harvard several decades ago, when blacks were not even permitted to live in the dorms. Patrick was duty bound to advance racial integration by accepting an invitation to join a final club. Similarly, Patrick was expected by blacks to take advantage of opportunities in corporate America to bring reform and pave the way for others.

The real reason for these attacks is that Patrick has run an excellent campaign and is well positioned to win. The nature of these attacks shows that the attackers are not at all sensitive to the rigors of life in this country for an African American.

The greater danger

Opponents of the biolab under construction in the South End were encouraged last week when a Suffolk Superior Court judge issued a ruling that challenged the thoroughness of the biolab’s environmental impact study. Judge Ralph Gants apparently believes that the study did not adequately evaluate the suitability of other sites.

Here’s the problem with his decision: only one site was under consideration. Boston University was willing to contribute $50 million of the $178 million project cost only if the lab could be located at a site on campus which would be highly accessible to scientists and researchers. The only significant question, then, was whether the Boston University Medical Center site met environmental standards. The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs ruled that it did.

Community response to Gants’ opinion indicates residents are still laboring under disinformation. Indeed, any laboratory containing anthrax, botulism, SARS, Ebola and plague creates a hazard. However, airtight security will eliminate the danger. But that hazard is not as great as the danger our nation will face if terrorists import these toxins into the country and release them, and no cures exist.

The real danger is for the U.S. to be unprepared with medical remedies to survive germ warfare because we did not have enough Level-4 labs to find the antidotes.