Most people don’t know what that word means anymore, but ”miscegenation” refers to the act of interracial marriage, and/or the creation of mixed-race offspring.  Are any members of the Charter Committee involved in an interracial marriage?  I have no idea, since they keep their membership lists a secret, but I can’t help but wonder if I am being discriminated against due to Jeff Cramerding’s personal distaste for miscegeny.*

Earlier today, Kevin Osborne wrote this great item at the CityBeat blog.  In short, despite assurance to the contrary last March when Cramerding told me that his new rule to prevent me from joining Charter would be enforced “consistently and equally to all independent and traditional media outlets,” the Charter Party has allowed Justin Jeffre to renew his membership.

Last March, Cramerding told me that the advocacy of Charter as a political organization was incompatible with media advocacy. 

A few months ago, Justin Jeffre appeared on the cover of CityBeat in a story about his media activism.

Justin Jeffre is the co-publisher of The Cincinnati Beacon, Print Edition. 

How can Cramerding allow Jeffre to renew his membership?

Some have suggested that I am being excluded from Charter based on “personality conflicts,” but somehow that just does not seem probable.  Firstly, I never wrote anything negative about either Charter or Cramerding until they started behaving badly.  But more significantly, I have provided volunteer work to Jeff Cramerding in the past for political campaigns!  It’s weird, that someone would have a “personality conflict” with me when his only experience has been to solicit me to volunteer for him—especially considering that I agreed to help!

So I have been forced, at this juncture, to speculate on different reasons for my exclusion.  Now that Jeffre has tried to become a member while Cramerding’s new rule has been in effect, it is clear that I am being targeted.  But why?  What makes me different?

I do understand that everyone will say it’s my work as a media activist.  But what about Nick Spencer, who used to blog about the politics of OTR?  Nick Spencer made accusations against politicians, and police.  He used his blog to talk about the drugs and prostitution happening near his bar.  He raised issues, asked questions, and—like me—he earned his fair share of enemies.  But Charter endorsed Nick Spencer as a candidate for City Council!

So the record shows that using an alternative media format to irritate people is not a reason to be excluded by Charter.

Therefore, as much as it pains me to do so, I must wonder if there are any interracial couples affiliated with Charter.  As the group becomes more politically monocultural, I am forced to wonder if someone like Jeff Cramerding has a problem with people who would marry and reproduce out of their race.

Or maybe the fact that I would even ask the question indicates the alleged personality conflict people cite to try and make this issue go away.

*The intent of this sentence is not to suggest that Cramerding is actually opposed to miscegeny; instead, it is meant to indicate that I wonder if he is.

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