Well, Fiddle-Dee-Dee! Another Complaint from the NAACP

Edward Vaughn, who heads the Alabama NAACP, is complaining that he doesn't want a certain group to be included as part of the upcoming inauguration celebration in Washington, D.C. He believes their appearance would convey a message of racism.

Just what is this racist group? An offshoot of the KKK? Skinhead motorcyclists with Confederate flag stickers on their bikes? No. Mr. Vaughn's undies are in a twist over a group of high school senior Southern belles in hoop dresses from Mobile County. They belong to the Azalea Trail Court, which has been in existence since 1949. In addition to presidential inaugurations, these young ladies have taken part in numerous other national pastimes, such as the Rose Bowl Parade and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

So, what's Mr. Vaughn's problem? "These are not just regular costumes. These are the costumes that remind someone of the plantation in Gone with the Wind," he said in an interview. "We needed something that could show Alabama's great progress rather than something that shows a shameful past."

I don't mean to sound harsh, but wouldn't the appearance of blacks at the inauguration be enough to remind people of slavery? Besides, isn't the fact that a black man is being sworn in as president a testimony to how far our nation has come? Why not celebrate that as a sign of overcoming over a shameful past?

Like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, Edward Vaughn's livelihood is based on voicing grievances where no legitimate grievance exists. My guess is that as head of the Alabama NAACP he had already decided to complain about something -- and since none of the groups to be included in the inauguration ceremonies were going to be flying Confederate flags or other symbols of "hate," this was the best he could come up with.