The Register-Herald of Beckley:
We’re not sure what Gov. Jim Justice does not understand about “words matter,” but certainly, they do, as the governor’s own words this past week prove.
And before we go further, let’s make this clear: We do not believe for a second that the governor is a racist. We do believe he means well for all kids in this state.
But we are not convinced, even now, that the governor understands the underlying social issue that has led to a number of disturbing incidents in our neck of the woods this past year – especially in our high schools. And we hope he uses the power of his position to correct what has become a troubling trend.
It isn’t simply that he called a group of high school girls on the opposing team “a bunch of thugs” after tensions and emotions ran high in a tough and bruising game between Greenbrier East – the team Justice coaches – and Woodrow Wilson High School. It isn’t that Justice resorted to name calling at all, though we have to ask, who does that? While those frame grabs were a bad look for our state, the issue is bigger than all of that. Those incidents are merely the manifestation of the social sickness that is metastasizing beneath the surface.
In his apology tour on Friday, talking to several radio station outlets around the state and to The Register-Herald, the governor said he regretted using the term “thugs” to characterize the Woodrow girls. He begged forgiveness for his ignorance, saying he didn’t realize that the term, in many corners, is regarded as racially derogatory. …