Paula  Zahn Comes to Vidor to Explore Racism

BEAUMONT, Decmeber 19, 2006 -  Paula Zahn stated, “After ex-"Seinfeld" star Michael Richards' bigoted tirade at a comedy club last month, my staff and I started talking about what could possibly drive a person to say such vile and hateful things. This discussion raised a series of questions we decided to explore on our program: Is there an inner racist in many of us, just waiting to explode? And is racism thriving today, just underneath a well-masked surface of political correctness and civility?”

Zahn stated that while gathering research on the topic she read about Vidor, Texas and sent correspondent Keith Oppenheim to Vidor where he filed a memorable report last week.

After the show aired, CNN was flooded with e-mails.

Zahn decided to expand the conversation and host a town hall meeting in Vidor. At least that was the plan until city officials rescinded their invitation this past weekend, citing security issues and concerns that they would not get a "fair shake" during the broadcast.

Zahn said, “Tonight, our town meeting will go on, in neighboring Beaumont, with or without Vidor's participation. We still welcome the participation of Vidor's mayor, if he changes his mind and decides to join us.”

News sources are reporting that the Rev. Al Sharpton will be attending the Town Hall Meeting in Beaumont tonight but that the Rev. Jesse Jackson will not be in attendance.

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