According to this story in the Benton Courier, the Benton, Ark., City Council passed a resolution last week asking Alderman Joe Lee Richards to resign.

What did Richards do? He referred to part of his district, Ward 2, as a "black ghetto" during a City Council meeting. As a result, his fellow alderman passed a resolution asking him to take his ball and go home, claiming that Richards' statement had tarnished the city's image.

Of course, the alderman who passed that resolution were right -- what Richards said was embarrassing and doesn't do just a whole lot to counter the notion that we're a bunch of backwards neanderthals here in scenic Benton.

On the other hand, Richards was elected by the citizens of Ward 2 and it's up to them to decide whether his political career is at an end. Interestingly enough, some of the black residents in Richards' ward have expressed their support for the man. Perhaps that's one of the primary reasons Richards has chosen to ignore the Council's resolution.

Fortunately, the Council's resolution isn't binding. That's a good thing as we certainly don't want a situation in which the Council can decide which alderman are suitable and which ones are not. Should they ever get that power, it can be successfully argued that the Council has stopped representing the citizens of Benton entirely.

While you're here, why not check out some more Arkie nonsense right here?