Democratic Assemblyman (Compton) and leader of the Legislative Black Caucus Mervyn Dymally has accused a fellow assemblyperson, Hector De La Torre, also a Democrat and from South Gate, of being a racist.

Dymally said about De La Torre, “the most racist legislator I have encountered in over 40 years.”

What prompted this startling (or what should have been startling) statement? De La Torre (a minority and a Democrat) was asked by Assembly Speaker (also a minority and a Democrat) to look into charges that Dymally illegally distributed Assembly badges to supporters and contributors. One of these badges was used by a supporter to impersonate a state official in an effort to void being arrested.

Dymally quickly dove for the gutter in an effort to divert attention and began screaming “racist”. How often does this have to happen before blacks stand up and say ‘enough”.

It has to be embarrassing for the legislative Black Caucus, the Assembly is general and for most, if not all of his constituents to have a community leader use such a pitiful and transparent tactic to divert attention away from his own crimes. Why is there no outcry from anyone – beginning with the Assembly Leader Nunez who surprised no one when he refused comment? When did we start and how long do we allow blacks to have a free pass with accusations, like Dymally’s – unsupported and probably unfounded - of racism?