The following letter to the Editor was received from Mrs. Cynthia Zerga on or about July 30, 2009. Mrs. Zerga delivered essentially the same message to Greenville County Council in person during the August 4 meeting. Words and phrases unacceptable for a family newspaper have been omitted from the original letter.
My name is Cindy, and I am a resident of Greenville, South Carolina. I want to tell you about an incident that occurred in my neighborhood on July 17 , and also to share my feelings about why it may have happened and what can be done about it.
My daughter is 14 years old, and she was jogging down the street we live on; my husband and I were following not too far behind, as we are concerned for her safety when she is alone. She was about 100 yards ahead of us, and turned around to run back towards us. We heard a lot of yelling as she came towards us, but could not see who or what were making all the noise. When my daughter got to us, she told us that she could not run anymore. She was very upset and explained that when she had passed one of the houses, a large group of black children and adults had been yelling things at her. (profanity deleted) My husband and I walked up to the house and, from the street, confronted the group, focusing on an adult black male sitting on the porch. No one denied our accusations, and the only reply from the black adult was "These ain't my kids, I ain't responsible for them." He then began cursing at us and telling us to "get – out of here". We walked back to our house and called the police.
When the sheriff’s deputy arrived, he interviewed my daughter and she repeated to him what she had told us, that the entire group had been yelling these racist and hateful things at her. I told the deputy that I was not going to let this go, that 1 wanted to press any and all charges that were applicable on all the people involved, including the parents of the children and the adults on the property who were assuming responsibility for the children. The deputy then went to the house and told the adult male that he had to supply the sheriff’s office with the names of the children and their parents, and that they may all have to appear in court.
I will follow up on this case, and I hope that all the adults and children involved will become aware of what I already know; that what they have done constitutes a crime, and a racially motivated one at that. I also believe that the local authority's ability to pursue any justice in this situation will be severely handicapped by the sensitivity that surrounds any racial issue, especially one where a white citizen has been wronged by a black one. Our hard-working deputies have been forced to have to consider the racial backlash that may come from simply enforcing the law, and this can only hamper their efforts.
I believe that my rights and my daughter’s rights have been violated, and the factor of race only makes it a more important and painful issue. But right is right, and I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that justice is done in this situation. No child should have to compromise their lifestyle to avoid racism, be she white, black, yellow or red. And my child will not be taught that it is acceptable to ignore insults and hatred from any source.
Sincerely,
Cindy
Resident of this Greenville neighborhood for over 20 years
