During the debate on the confirmation of Winnie Okafor, I brought up a letter that she had written to the Northern Star because of its racially charged tone.

I was accused of taking things Ms. Okafor had written out of context, but that doesn’t dismiss the fact that she wrote them.

She wrote in her letter that white people “had life easy” and “couldn’t understand what life in the lower socio-economic class can be like.” She also bashed America, calling it the “land of social injustice.”

She stated that within 24 hours of emigrating from Nigeria, her “hopes of streets of gold and spirits of mutual happiness were shattered.” In any context, those statements are inappropriate, and I was offended by them.

I also questioned Ms. Okafor’s ability to be impartial. One of the qualifications that she mentioned was being a congressional intern. That’s a great accomplishment, and she should be proud, but the skills required to succeed as a congressional intern differ greatly from those required to be the president pro tempore.

A congressional internship requires one to take sides, while the president pro tempore is supposed to remain impartial. Therefore, I did not feel that being a congressional intern was something she should have listed as a qualification.

Though I opposed Ms. Okafor’s appointment, I want to congratulate her for becoming the new president pro tempore of the SA Senate, and wish her the best of luck in her new position.

Brian Troutman

freshman political science major

SA Senator