Now is the time to tell it like it is.

Florida's black lawmakers called the apology for slavery the first step toward confronting what they see as racial disparities in health, education and the criminal justice system.

Well, hallelujah. It's about time.

Since blacks lead the world in AIDS, drugs, illegitimacy, dropouts, welfare, food stamps, affirmative action and crime, let's hope they are serious.

"An expression is just empty words without action," says Rep. Joe Gibbons, chairman of the legislative Black Caucus. If any of the Black Caucus wishes to get some input from an unbiased source, let them ask some other folks than the so-called lily white liberals too afraid to antagonize them.

Talk about reparations by our esteemed Gov. Charlie Crist makes me livid and we should run him out of office, and the state.

Hank Stevens, Ocala

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