Similar thoughts were held by Pete Flaherty, President of National Legal and Policy Center, who said,
“If JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon were alive 200 years ago and owned slaves, the apology would be appropriate. Otherwise it is about as cynical and as hollow as you can get.”
For its part JP Morgan did not back down. The company sought to have this resolution blocked by the SEC. That failed, but the JP Morgan Chase held the position issued in 2005 as stated in its proxy. The vote took place today during the Annual Meeting which started at 10am.
As stated by Mr. Joe Evangelisti, representative of JP Morgan Chase, to me directly via phone, the resolution only garnered approximately 2 ½% of votes. This resolution failed, and I commend both JP Morgan and its shareholders for that fact.
At a time in the nation where we are rightly punishing individuals that use the public airwaves to attack innocent citizens with crude racial slurs, and are taking to task entertainers that are using that same public radio medium (along with ringtones, music videos, and other mediums) to spew equally offensive comments under the pretext of artistic expression, we must stay aware. While some 97 ½% of votes stood behind JP Morgan Chase, the balance of the voters did not. Politicians continue to reject the thought of an apology or reparation. Legislation continues to be stagnant on addressing the past. The United States government still has never made a public apology, while apologies and reparations to Native American Indians and Japanese Americans have been.
This is the quiet, seldom spoken fact of American history. It is a lesson in humanity that we cannot learn from since we refuse to even address it. Some of us, from every creed and race, have looked in the mirror and come to terms with the past. But as seen in the need for a vote at JP Morgan Chase today, some have not.
The cost for a lack of vigilance is more than mere words, in my opinion. The stakes have not changed. Racism and the means to divide our citizens continue to exist, merely waiting for a time when few are watching to take root and prosper. In a world of soundbites and 30 second news clips it’s easy to lose sight of what is happening. But if we do lose sight, if resolutions are brought and commendable acts are rescinded, we travel a path to repeat history. That path is painful and detrimental to everyone, not just those targeted initially with injustice.
I’m happy to state that JP Morgan Chase stood their ground, that the shareholders in majority agreed, and that the apology and scholarship continue to exist. This is another step to a better, greater America in my opinion. Now let’s take another step.
This is what I think, what do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment