Letter FromrnPittsburghrnby Sarah McCarthyrnThe Mood Disorder ClinicrnA poem with a vivid title has started arnbrouhaha at the Mood Disorder Clinicrnat Western Psychiatric in Pittsburgh.rn”Nigger Do Not Speed In My Town” wasrndiscovered on a desk by two black employeesrnwho reported it to the EEOC asrnevidence of a racist environment at thernMood Disorder Clinic. The offendedrnemployees said their own moods were seriouslyrnjeopardized by the incendiary poemrnfound on the desk of a white administrativernsecretary who was being paidrn$50 per hour by a personal friend to typernand proofread it for future publication.rnFollowing an internal investigation,rnofficials of the University of PittsburghrnMedical Center discovered that the authorrnof the poem is a local black poet,rnMichael Robinson, who wrote it as anrnangry response to the beating of RodneyrnKing. The poem that Robinson hadrnwritten and asked his friend to type wasrncritical social commentary about the behaviorrnof white police in Los Angeles.rnRobinson is baffled that his poem is beingrninterpreted as evidence of a culturernof discrimination at UPMC.rnSurprise, surprise. A Pittsburgh attorneyrnwho handles workplace discriminationrncases said that the author’s identityrnin this case is irrelevant. The question,rnsays the attorney in the Pittsburgh BusinessrnTimes, is “whether the poem is goingrnto be admissible as evidence to showrnan atmosphere. It probably would be.”rnThe Pittsburgh Business Times agreed,rntaking a hardline position in an editorialrnagainst common sense and the FirstrnAmendment. “Even in issues as difficultrnas harmonious race or gender relations inrnthe workplace,” said the Pittsburgh BusinessrnTimes, “we wonder if common sensernis still the best guide. If the poem neverrnentered the medical clinic, then the offendedrnemployees at Western Psych, regardlessrnof the merit or lack thereof ofrntheir complaints, would not have hadrnthis incendiary example of what they believernto be UPMC’s tolerance of a culturernof discrimination.”rnPitt’s Medical Center officials repliedrnthat they cannot search employees’ desksrnor drawers for potentially offensive materials.rnBut, says attorney Sam Cordes, ifrnan employer fails to take action whenrnsuch material is found, that may be usedrnas evidence to hold the employer liablernin future lawsuits.rnTim Stevens, president of the Pittsburghrnchapter of the National Associationrnfor the Advancement of ColoredrnPeople, was reluctant to comment onrnhow a black poet’s poem about racismrnwound up as evidence in a racial discriminationrncase. “I am trying to be responsiblernabout what we need to be passionaternabout,” he told the Pittsburgh BusinessrnTimes. “We don’t need to exacerbaternrace relations.”rnApparently, as with Humpty Dumpty,rnthe clinic and its legions of psychiatristsrncouldn’t put things back together again.rnThe University of Pittsburgh MedicalrnCenter currently has about a dozen complaintsrnof racial discrimination against it.rnThe only sure-fire cure is to send thernMood Disorder Clinic a message. Arnclass-action lawsuit is being discussed.rnSarah McCarthy is a freelance writer inrnPittsburgh.rnIrnIS THE ROCKFORD INSTITUTE E YOUR WILL?rnPerhaps a better question is:rnDo YOU HAVE A CURRENT WILL?rnf not, the laws of your particular state will determine what is to be done with your estate upon your death.rnIn addition, unless there is proper planning, federal estate taxes can claim up to 55% of your property. Ifrnyou would Uke to discuss elements of your estate planning, please write or call:rn(815) 964-5811rnLEGACY PROGRAMrnTHE ROCKFORD INSTITUTErn934 NORTH MAIN STREETrnROCKFORD, IL 61103rn40/CHRONICLESrnrnrn