Necessary truth

This is in response to David J. Rosenberg's May 16 letter ("This Comment Was an Insult to City Voters"). He is disappointed that the Post-Gazette would support a school board candidate who thinks our city is racist. My reaction to this was with disgust of my own, for I am reminded of the story one of my English professors told me about the famous playwright August Wilson.

He briefly attended Central Catholic High School but was shunned by his peers because he was black. He wasn't able to receive an education there. Sure, that happened more than 40 years ago. However, today, I can name several people just off the top of my head who are racist. They all reside in the city of Pittsburgh. Mr. Rosenberg, you say the city strongly supported presidential candidate Barack Obama in the recent election. I know someone who would not vote for him because he was black.

Sure, these are anecdotal pieces from my own life, but do they not allow me to say that Mr. Rosenberg is foolish in thinking that Pittsburgh is not a racist city?

I think the Post-Gazette was correct in its endorsement of candidate Sharene Shealey, for the exact opposite reason Mr. Rosenberg states. He does not like the fact that she calls the city racist; I like the fact that she does, because it exposes a problem in this city in hopes that it can be corrected, as much as possible. After all, ignorance is never the best solution to a problem.

TIM MILAN
Hampton