Atranta's new metlo rine is lacist

or...

Eyeing a new slant to nip a problem in the bud

It seems every time the sun rises in this land of ours, there is another group seeing red because they've been slighted, belittled or referred to in a way they feel is racist.

On the face of it, you might think a story about a group of Asian-Americans being upset because officials at Atlanta's MARTA (rapid rail system) decided to name the branch that happens to run in to the heart of a popular Asian-American area Yellow was a made up news item. Well, my friends, it is right here in black and white.

Despite the fact several other major cities with rail systems use color coded lines, including yellow and the highly unlikely scenario that this color was chosen because of the race of rail's surrounding citizenry, the angry horde is threatening to hold their breath until they turn blue unless MARTA officials meet and agree to spend an undetermined amount of taxpayer greenbacks to change the line's color designation from yellow to, get this, Gold.

MARTA officials have acquiesced and are rolling out the red carpet for members of the nonprofit Pan Asian Center for Community Services to meet and offer their solution; a set of stickers to be placed over the offending colored signs. These members must not have spent much time on a city rail system because they don't realize there will be stickers, spray paint and various other substances placed on these newly printed signs soon enough.

I've not seen a full map of the MARTA system and don't know Atlanta well enough to determine if the black line goes to a predominantly African-American area, the Brown line goes to predominantly Cuban-American territory, the Red line goes to the Native-American casino, the Pink line goes to Alternative-American closet and bedroom communities and the White line goes to American of northern European descent super rich-American suburbia but I am fairly sure these colors won't be as coordinated as your average Benetton advertisement. This rainbow of stereotypes might actually make the city more ethno-friendly to all but the most color blind of visitors.

Still, you would think someone in the upper echelons of MARTA's gray matter trust would have seen this coming. In fact, the potential White knight in this story is non other than former MARTA employee, John Yasutake, who voiced concerns regarding the name change during a staff meeting a month before the decision was inked. If only his concerns would have been heard and heeded, we might not have so many people feeling blue.