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Opinion

Berry needs lesson in ‘good public policy' 

Sousan Hammad
Opinion Columnist

City councilman Michael Berry, host of the Michael Berry Show, a conservative talk radio show, is battling to save his reputation. In a series of racist and bigoted comments that are archived on KPRC-AM's Web site, Berry incredulously insulted the Native American people.

On March 27, the city councilman who chairs the Houston's Transportation, Infrastructure and Aviation Committee, said the United States should "stop the continuous apology for what was done to the American Indians." These words came from a man who has two law degrees and, ironically, who serves on the Houston Holocaust Museum Board. 

Let us imagine that Berry had said people should "stop the continuous apology for what was done to the Jewish people." He would most likely have immediately been fired, labeled an atrocious anti-Semite and probably even lost his job as city councilman. 

Berry's racist comments were a mockery of everything the Houston Police Department Councilman of the Year stands for.

Berry also questioned why the U.S. government continues to give land to the Native American population. Apparently he forgot that Americans are occupying a land that first belonged to the Native American population.

Berry responded to criticism and fury over his remarks by posting a letter on his Web log. He said he loves being a talk radio host because it gives him the opportunity to share ideas. He also claimed he did not intend to insult American Indians. Aside from all the pallid words, Berry had the audacity to claim that he said what he did in order to "challenge policies."

In Berry's defense, he stated he did research on the matter afterward, and concluded by saying he did not think challenging policies of the U.S. government is insulting, racist or hateful. In fact, he said it is a healthy part of making good public policy.

Perhaps if Berry did not waste so much time expressing an urgency to pass a ban on "freeway bloggers" protesting on the bridges over Highway 59 he would find more time to conduct better research. Berry claims the protestors are a distraction to drivers that could lead to car accidents.

Or maybe he just disagrees with the anti-war message of the freeway bloggers. In January 2003, a coalition of Houston anti-war groups proposed a resolution at City Council to add Houston to the 43 cities that have passed resolutions against the war in Iraq. Berry opposed the resolution, however, and said, "I would suggest that we stick to the issues that affect this city" -- because the war in Iraq does not affect Houstonians, only the 655,000 Iraqis (and counting) who have died, according to a study overseen by Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. 

But alas, Berry cares about humankind after all. He went on to say how more police officers are needed on the streets because without more police officers we would live in a horrible place with horrible people in a horrible state of anarchy.

Berry's last words regarding his comments about Native Americans were, "I should've been more careful in how I expressed myself." A pathetic apology indeed.

Hammad, a communication junior, 
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu