Archive for category Racism

Is there any chance the Sherrod blow up will advance the discussion about race?

When discussing race, it often seems to me that for many whites – liberal, moderate, conservative – the fear of being accused of racism is overwhelming.  The conversations are uncomfortable because even at best they seem to go something like this:

“That thing you just said sounds racist.”

“I’m not a racist.  How dare you accuse me of being a racist?”

“That’s not what I said . . .”

“I’m not a racist how can you say such a thing to me!?  You’ve attacked my good name!”

At which point some bystander announces, “Oh I’ve seen into this person’s soul and I’m here to tell you she/he is a good person, utterly free of racism.”

And the whole “that thing you did or said” conversation becomes the “that thing you are” conversation and that’s a rathole from which no one escapes.  In those conversations, at least one person spends their time and energy defending themselves against any hint they might be a racist and the point being made gets completely lost.

The whole conversation becomes an exercise in propping up the egos of white people, assuring them of their essential goodness.  Even under ideal circumstances, saying, “That sounded racist” is heard as “You are a racist.”  We human animals have a hard time separating “that thing we did or said” from “who we are.”

Hugo has noticed a similar dynamic between men and women, observing:

But one thing I remember from my own college days that I see played out over and over again is this male habit of making nervous jokes about being attacked by feminists.  In my undergrad days, I often prefaced a comment by saying “I know I’ll catch hell for this”.  I’ve seen male students do as they did today and pretend to run; I’ve seen them deliberately sit near the door, and I once had one young man make an elaborate show (I kid you not) of putting on a football helmet before speaking up!

All of this behavior reflects two things: men’s genuine fear of being challenged and confronted, and the persistence of the stereotype of feminists as being aggressive “man-bashers.” 

The variation with regard to race is the “angry black . . .” fill in woman or man according to the specific speaker.

Hugo adds:

Joking about getting beaten up (or putting on the football helmet) sends a message to young women in the classroom: “Tone it down.  Take care of the men and their feelings.  Don’t scare them off, because too much impassioned feminism is scary for guys.”  And you know, as silly as it is, the joking about man-bashing almost always works! Time and again, I’ve seen it work to silence women in the classroom, or at least cause them to worry about how to phrase things “just right” so as to protect the guys and their feelings.  It’s a key anti-feminist strategy, even if that isn’t the actual intent of the young man doing it — it forces women students to become conscious caretakers of their male peers by subduing their own frustration and anger.   It reminds young women that they should strive to avoid being one of those “angry feminists” who (literally) scares men off and drives them away.

(Emphasis in the original)

In Hugo’s women’s studies classes the situation becomes all about the men – the women work to soothe the male ego, to keep the men safe.  When the discussion is about race, the dynamic becomes black people comforting white people and assuring the white people that they (black people) know that the white people are really good people.

Being called a racist or bigot is tough.  Very few of us want to be bigoted, very few of us want to be racists.  But honest and open conversation requires that we deal with it.  If someone says, “That thing you said sounded racist,” we should stop talking for a minute, move beyond our own oh so sensitive feelings and let the person speak.  Chances are good it’ll turn out that what we said was racist and we didn’t mean it but we’ll keep saying because we’re too busy defending ourselves to actually hear the message and understand the problem.

7 Comments

Profiles in Cowardice

It’s not often that something in public life just plain pisses me the fuck off but the god damned cowardice of the Obama administration with regard to their unbelievably cowardly response to the invented controversy about Shirley Sherrod has done it.

It goes something like this.  Right-wing liar and provocateur Andrew Breitbart edited out some key portions of Ms. Sherrod’s speech to make it sound like she’s racist against white people.  The Obama folks completely freaked out and Secretary Tom Vilsack demanded her resignation via blackberry. 

So then the whole video comes out and it turns out that Sherrod’s point was pretty much the opposite of what Breitbart made it out to be (big fucking surprise!).

Here’s how Ta-Nehisi Coates describes her story:

Shirley Sherrod, a longtime Civil Rights worker and black USDA appointee . . .dared confess that she’d once been motivated by racial prejudice but had since seen the error of her ways. Sherrod details how, as a child, her family was essentially terrorized by the Klan and white vigilantes. Her father was murdered 45 years ago. Her widowed mother, at one point, had to stand on the porch with a rifle to fight off the Klan. “I know who you are!” she yelled at them.

Sherrod’s personal story is about redemption, and the case she highlights took place 20 years ago, long before she was working for the federal government.

Here’s how Coates summarizes his take:

Taking it all in, it must be said that the landscape is as follows: We have an administration that will contort itself to defend a movement whose convention speakers call for the reinstatement of the tools of segregation. That same administration will swiftly jettison an appointee, herself the victim of homegrown terrorism, for echoing the kind of message of redemption and personal responsibility that has become the president’s hallmark on race. Andrew Breitbart says that Sherrod’s speech, not the Tea Party’s rhetoric, is the real racism. It is an argument that is as old as American white supremacy, and one that this administration, through its actions over the past week, has tacitly endorsed.

From the American Prospect:

If there’s anything that strikes me most about both incidents, it’s that they completely vindicate Attorney General Eric Holder’s assertion that the United States is a “nation of cowards” when it comes to discussing race. I understand that a lot of Americans feel really uncomfortable talking about race, but that’s no excuse for the week we spent debating whether the NAACP is racist against white people, or the fact that the Obama administration punished a dedicated federal employee for the “crime” of speaking honestly about race. Instead of tackling these issues with maturity and candor, we spend our time rebuffing accusations of racism — because there are no racists in America — and shouting nonsense complaints about “reverse racism,” while provocateurs like Andrew Breitbart and Glenn Beck distort our understanding of racism and prejudice.

You wanna know something?  I’m sick and tired of these cowardly centrist Democrats and their lack of conviction.  They’ll do whatever they can to make sure no white person ever feels bad about the issue of race but god forbid an black person speak honestly about it.  They’ll bend over backwards to avoid offending the delicate sensibilities of raving lunatic tea baggers but god forbid they actually hear what black people have to say.

I have a dear friend whose personal story isn’t so different than Shirley Sherrod’s – born in the segregated South, she saw her friends and family subjected to racially motivated violence.  She lived first hand the indignity of Jim Crow.  She told me she grew up knowing white people were dangerous.  That’s our heritage.  And until we face it honestly, too many of us will continue to be taken in by the inversion – that the racists are the victims, that groups and individuals who dare to confront race honestly are the real racists. 

In the meantime, the Obama administration should grow a pair, fire Vilsack and offer Shirley Sherrod his job.

And I hope she sues the holy fuck out of that lying sonofabitch Breitbart.

55 Comments

Carl Wimmer Throws Utah’s Hispanics Under The Bus

Sunday morning on KSL’s Sunday Edition, Utah State Republican Representative Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman said:

81 percent of the homicides, when you have a recorded ethnicity, are committed by Hispanics

It’s hard to know if Rookie Rep, Carl Wimmer really hates our Mexican friends or whether he is just pandering to Carl Wimmer voters. Remember, Carl Wimmer is the creative genius who cooked up the Patrick Henry Caucus (PHC) Billy Bob Road Show.

As an ex-cop and self-proclaimed Constitutional expert going as far back as 2009, Carl Wimmer knows well the concept of “innocent until proven guilty.”  Wimmer conveniently failed to mention that his 81% claim comes from ARRESTS, not convictions. That’s probably because he didn’t know. But hey, he BELIEVES!  Oh yeah, and his math sucks.

The Patrick Henry Caucus (PHC) Cinco TestoteronesGet Your Free Carl Wimmer Mustache Ride

Get Your Free Carl Wimmer Mustache Ride

Here’s the funniest part.  His so-called friends put him up to it. I imagine it went something like this:

[BEGIN SCENE]

PHC Testerones Uno: “Hey Wimmster! Got a job for ya”

Carl Wimmer: “Anything for YOU Padre! Que pasa?”*

(A cool breeze tickles the ungrowable hairs between Carl’s nose and lips)

PHC Testerones Dos: “Anything?”

Carl Wimmer: “Hey, what’r Amigos for right?”

PHC Testerones Tres: “Remember that ‘waste of a vagina?’”

Carl Wimmer: “Forget it, Amigo. That ‘Lesbo’ scares the sombrero outta’ me.”

PHC Testerones Uno: “He’s kidding Carl.  This one’s easy.  Ya did so good scaring the b’Jesus outta’ the West Valley preggies, we need you go on KSL and scare the shit outta’ the Beaners.

Carl Wimmer: “Sho’ thang padróni ‘Herrodoni’. What’cha got?”

(A young light-skinned Latina intern hands him a piece of paper with a chart on it which, distracted by her beauty, he fumbles and drops on the floor)

Distracted by her beauty, the paper falls to the floor

Distracted by her beauty, the paper falls to the floor

Carl Wimmer: “What the butt plug is this Herrodeeee?”

PHC Testerones Uno: “We’ve done the math already.  Checked it twice even. You can take it to the Temple.  Just say, ‘81 percent of the homicides, when you have a recorded ethnicity, are committed by Hispanics.’  And make sure you say ‘recorded ethnicity.’  That way, all the Bishops can defend the statement as technically correct if need be.”

{ END SCENE }

End Notes:
5% of Utah State and County Prison population are Hispanic. Sutherland Institute: Illegal Immigration study

* Carl Wimmer feels very cool when he speaks Spanish.

* Disclaimer: Law Enforcement Deserve our full respect until they quit, get fired and or fail and decide to become Republican politicians in Utah.

* I am still mad at Carl Wimmer for taking away my right to free speech on his Facebook page for nothing more than politely challenging him on a few of the amazingly stupid things he says.

, , , , ,

4 Comments

Rafting Desolation and Gray Canyons

Desolation Canyon
Gathering storm – Desolation Canyon

The first adventure in any river trip down Desolation and Gray Canyons of the Green River is getting to the put-in at Sand Wash, on a pretty rough route through Uinta Basin gas fields that often results in flat tires even if you’re careful. We pulled over to let a couple of trucks from Wyoming pass, one emblazoned with “Deso or Bust.” They took off in a cloud of dust, but guess who we saw again later putting on a spare by the side of the road?

Rumor has it that some scientist once declared Sand Wash to be one of the five most mosquito-infested places on the planet. Fortunately, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) provides screen shelters for those staying overnight. Each is named for a member of the 1869 John Wesley Powell expedition- we stayed in “Bradley,” (after George Bradley, a soldier at Fort Bridger who agreed to accompany Powell in an exchange for a discharge from the United States Army that Powell arranged for him). Light rain sprinkled the shelter roof after dark, a reminder the weather forecast wasn’t that good.

In the morning, the BLM ranger on hand to inspect our boat and gear turned out to be Paul LaFontaine, who I first met back in 1984 when he was the river ranger at Westwater Canyon and I was a Student Conservation Association volunteer. He gave us a thorough rundown on the rapids ahead, several of which have become a lot bigger since I last saw them 22 years ago. I wish I asked more questions about campsites, because it turned out a couple of the ones I had in mind were impossible to land at during high water. And the Green was running high at 20,000 cfs (cubic feet per second).

I traded my permit papers for a boat tag, and we were off. Fast. My planned 14-mile day turned into 18, because that’s how far we had to go to find a campsite that wasn’t under water. The river flowed quietly, and the buzzing of millions of mosquitoes could be heard. Caught a glimpse of four wild horses, before landing opposite Stampede Flat. We barbecued a steak, partly to justify the required (and heavy) fire pan. More light rain overnight.

The second day we made it to Mushroom Rock, one of the rock art sites I remembered well from before. It was a nice lunch spot under a gnarled old cottonwood tree. In the afternoon clouds rolled in, but we spotted a deer in the trees close to the left bank of the river, and a group of bighorn sheep scrambling down a rock slide– dislodging some small boulders that clattered down the steep slope. We found a nice beach to camp on at the foot of a minor rapid.

On our way to the next day’s first stop at Flat Canyon, we spotted an elk among the trees. The Flat Canyon area apparently experience a wildfire a few years ago, which replaced sagebrush with bunch grasses that make good elk winter range. Hiked over to see the petroglyphs, probably the most artistic panel in Desolation Canyon. Then we ran Steer Ridge Rapid, which at high water has a fairly awesome wave train. An unavoidable big wave broke over the raft, which I’m happy to say is self-bailing (and everything was tied down). The sun came out in the afternoon, but there was more rain at dinner time. Our umbrella was pressed into service as a rain shelter.

Day four began with a stop at Rock Creek Ranch, and a hike up the creek to another petroglyph panel with scenic views of the canyon. The American flag at the ranch marks the halfway point of Desolation/Gray. It reminds me of the flag that waves proudly at Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon. After days of comparative solitude we caught up with quite a few other groups, including one from Outward Bound. Now we started seeing some really dark, menacing clouds that made us break out the rain gear. The storm caught up with us at Snap Canyon Rapid and delivered high winds and a stinging barrage of pea-sized hail. Ouch. Found a good camp after some searching, because all the landing spots were taken for miles. Hard rain overnight.

Next up– Joe Hutch Canyon Rapid, which became a big deal in 2008 when the canyon delivered a huge flash flood that chucked house-sized rocks into the river. This one involved a mandatory scouting, landing on the right and going down to see the waves from below. But we got through just fine, then ran Wire Fence and Three Fords Rapids in quick succession. The latter has to be scouted at low water, but now all the rocks are inundated.

Below Three Fords, there were lots of normally tame rapids (and some riffles) that turned into roller-coaster waves. We made good time, only to discover that the landing at the camp below Coal Creek Rapid was impossible. And the rest of the camps were either drowned out or taken. The beach at Nefertiti was the only option, with three groups already there.

The run to Swasey’s Beach was easy except for some powerful eddies that almost qualified as whirlpools, sending the boat upstream until we could punch through the eddy line again and regain the main current. For some reason, this last stretch of Gray Canyon was a terrific place to spot Great Blue Herons. And that was Deso/Gray, June 2010.

See the continuation for more pictures.
Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments

Show Us Your Papers!

Thanks ACLU. Tell it like it is.

Arizona’s new racial profiling law is as outrageous as it is unconstitutional. In this ACLU video, the people of Arizona show us the only papers they need in the United States: the Constitution.

First Lady Michelle Obama learned about this issue first-hand today from a second-grader in Silver Spring, Maryland. Via Think Progress:

ABC News’ Karen Travers reports:

The student shyly raised her hand and said, “My mom … she says that Barack Obama is taking everybody away that doesn’t have papers.”

Mrs. Obama replied: “Yeah, well that’s something that we have to work on, right? To make sure that people can be here with the right kind of papers, right? That’s exactly right.”

The girl then said quietly, “But my mom doesn’t have any …” and trailed off.

Mrs. Obama replied: “Well, we have to work on that. We have to fix that, and everybody’s got to work together in Congress to make sure that happens. That’s right.”

We need a court injunction to stop Arizona’s racist immigration law NOW. Where is the Obama Department of Justice on this?

UPDATE:
Dan Froomkin: The second-grader’s mother has a good reason to be worried because the Obama administration has stepped up deportations, particularly of “non-criminal aliens.”

57 Comments

AZ ‘Papers, Please’ Law Unconstitutional and Un-American

Your papers, please…

On a lonely Phoenix street in April, a police officer pulled behind Jim Shee’s parked BMW and asked to see his “papers.” Shee, 70, who had pulled over to the side of the road to check text messages on his cell phone, responded, “I hope you mean my registration and license.”

The police officer said Shee was being questioned because he was “suspicious.” It’s typical… in April, he was pulled over twice in less than two weeks.

“DWB,” said Shee, who is of Chinese and Spanish descent. “It’s ‘driving while brown’ … when he saw me all he saw was brown.”

The new Arizona immigration law is probably never going to be enforced. States have no power over immigration because it’s an attribute of foreign affairs. Just as states can’t have their own foreign policies or enter into treaties, they can’t have their own immigration laws either. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been treated to the spectacle of all the putative Constitution-defenders on the right rallying to support this patently unconstitutional law.

Predictably, former half-term Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has joined in.

AZ secure border banner

This pretty much cancels out all the “we’re not racists” claims of the Tea Party movement too.

Announcing a lawsuit filed in federal court in Phoenix on Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union and other rights group described the law as “un-American” and an invitation to racially profile individuals.

“Arizona’s law is quintessentially un-American: we are not a ’show me your papers’ country, nor one that believes in subjecting people to harassment, investigation and arrest simply because others may perceive them as foreign,” said Omar Jadwat, a staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. “This law violates the Constitution and interferes with federal law, and we are confident that we will prevent it from ever taking effect.”

Here, for the benefit of some people who have asked me to explain why the Arizona law is unconstitutional, is the cite (emphasis added):

U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8:

The Congress shall have Power….To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

Article VI, Clause 2 (the Supremacy Clause):

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

The Arizona law would criminalize not only undocumented immigrants, but anybody who helps them or who fails to carry paperwork proving legal status at all times. It would be impossible for the police to carry out a mandate to check anybody who they have a reasonable suspicion of being in the country illegally, without engaging in profiling or violating our basic civil rights.

If this law is allowed to take effect, people with brown skin – regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens or legal residents – will be forced to prove their legal status to law enforcement officers over and over. One-third of Arizona’s population – those who are Latino – will be designated as second-class citizens.

Perhaps encouraged by recent polls, Utah Rep. Stephen Sandstrom (R-Orem) is already drafting a bill just as unconstitutional and oppressive as the Arizona law. Governor Herbert had to cancel a special session of the Utah legislature to avoid a repeat of the Arizona fiasco.

It’s up to the courts to put a stop to this immediately. Our fundamental rights as Americans are at stake. Again. Thanks to the pseudo-patriots who don’t understand our Constitution.


Related One Utah posts:

Your Papers, Please… (April 27, 2010)
Jim Crow in Arizona (April 27, 2010)

77 Comments

“Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black” – Tim Wise

“Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black” – Tim Wise

Let’s play a game, shall we? The name of the game is called “Imagine.” The way it’s played is simple: we’ll envision recent happenings in the news, but then change them up a bit. Instead of envisioning white people as the main actors in the scenes we’ll conjure – the ones who are driving the action – we’ll envision black folks or other people of color instead. The object of the game is to imagine the public reaction to the events or incidents, if the main actors were of color, rather than white. Whoever gains the most insight into the workings of race in America, at the end of the game, wins.

So let’s begin.

Imagine that hundreds of black protesters were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Capitol and White House, armed with AK-47s, assorted handguns, and ammunition. And imagine that some of these protesters —the black protesters — spoke of the need for political revolution, and possibly even armed conflict in the event that laws they didn’t like were enforced by the government? Would these protester — these black protesters with guns — be seen as brave defenders of the Second Amendment, or would they be viewed by most whites as a danger to the republic? What if they were Arab-Americans? Because, after all, that’s what happened recently when white gun enthusiasts descended upon the nation’s capital, arms in hand, and verbally announced their readiness to make war on the country’s political leaders if the need arose. Read the rest of this entry »

59 Comments

Meet the Greasy White Spineless Underbelly of America; the Racist, Pro-Gun, Tea Party Movement Goes to Washington…Almost

There is little more that needs to be said about the anti-”We, the people” pro-gun movement. It it all summed up in this video of Alabama Militia Leader Mike Vanderboegh. For the most part, the fanatic pro-gun crowd are cowards. Thats why they are so scared and that’s why almost no one showed up despite the free advertising provided courtesy of Fox News Scum.

Thanks to The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence for the video.

Signs reading “Which part of ’shall not be infringed’ confuses you?” and bright orange stickers saying “Guns save lives” dotted the crowd at the Washington Monument. Across the Potomac River in Alexandria, former Alabama Minutemen leader Mike Vanderboegh told the crowd armed confrontation should be reserved only for instances of the government threatening people’s lives.

However, he said it might be justified if people face arrest for refusing to buy insurance under the health care reform package recently passed by Congress.

“If I know I’m not going to get a fair trial in federal court … I at least have the right to an unfair gunfight,” Vanderboegh said. Source

For those of you too young to remember, this is the nothing more than a newly branded Klu Klux Klan.

Where is Alan (Coward) Korwin?

,

77 Comments

“All them worthless Niggers that voted for that Nigger Obama.”

This is an actual voice mail received at Rep John Lewis‘ congressional office. The caller calls Obama and John Lewis “Nigger” a bunch of times. Is he a Tea “Partyer?” Sure sounds like one to me. But for the use of the “N”-word, the language and references are IDENTICAL to protest signs we see at KKK meetings Tea Party rallies.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Defenders of The Tea Party will argue that this caller does not represent them. The point is that the nature and origins (anti-Obama) of the Tea Party movement purposefully and UNAPOLOGETICALLY, appeals to and targets these kind of people, racists.

Classic example: Tea Party favorite for New York Governor, Carl Paladino refuses to apologize for racially charged comments. Why? Because HE KNOWS that racial rhetoric “appeals to the lowest instincts in man” and to “a mob mentality,” and the racist core of the Tea Party.

In other news today, Virginia’s Republican Governor Bob McDonnell has declared April to be “Confederate History Month,… McDonnell says that the Confederate history “should not be forgotten, but…remembered, [that its leaders] fought for their homes and communities and Commonwealth in a time very different than ours today.”

Everyone knows the subject of  “Confederate” means nothing more and nothing less than racism.  So why?

WHY would a politician deliberatly associate himself with racism? Answer, to appeal to racists voters.

And THIS is why The Tea Party cannot produce a platform much less a coherent reason for hating Obama because “you can’t say it out load,” unless hiding behind and phone.

, , , , ,

12 Comments

Republicans regret the scourge of partisanship

(HT to Cliff Lyon, seen on Facebook)
TeaBaggers
All morning long, watching the talk shows, I’ve listened to Republican leaders decrying the partisanship in Washington and voting along straight party lines, while out the other sides of their mouths declaring that not one Republican will vote for the health care bill today. Since we know some Democats will vote against the bill, we can only assume Republicans concerned with partisanship are, in fact, disgusted with themselves. As they should be – having spawned (with the help of Fox News) one of the most uninformed and hatefilled movements I’ve ever seen in my lifetime – the Tea Bag movement.
Voodoo

,

8 Comments

The Right: ‘Avatar’ Is ‘Super Mega Ultra Left-Wing’

James Cameron's Avatar
James Cameron’s Avatar

One of the most-anticipated movies of the year is James Cameron’s “Avatar.” The story is set on a planet in the Alpha Centauri system, 4.3 light years from Earth. Humans want to: (1) eradicate the blue-skinned natives and their civilization, which thrives in harmony with nature, and (2) open up strip mines.

Perhaps not surprisingly, right-wing commentators have immediately leaped to the defense of genocide and the rape of natural resources.

AllahPundit: “Super mega ultra left-wing… A three-hour lecture on imperialism starring Smurfs.”

Breitbart.com: “Think of ‘Avatar’ as ‘Death Wish 5′ for leftists. A simplistic, revisionist revenge fantasy where if you freakin’ hate the bad guys (America), you’re able to forgive the by-the-numbers predictability of it all and still get off watching them get what they got coming.”

Jeffrey Wells: “Not right-wing friendly… Call it the most flamboyant, costliest, grandest left-liberal super-movie anyone’s ever seen… totally pro-loincloth, pro-native, despise-the-greedy, hug-the-earth, worship-the-earth, down with the soulless short-end, down with the us-first, masters-of-the-universe thinking behind the Goldman Sachs/Timothy Geithner culture and up with the eternal/spiritual in all cultures and all corners of the globe. The tragedy of the Vietnam War echoes all through this film. Somewhere Ho Chi Minh is smiling.”

John Nolte: “Set in 2154, “Avatar” is a thinly disguised, heavy-handed and simplistic sci-fi fantasy/allegory critical of America from our founding straight through to the Iraq War.”

Wow. Do you think some of these people have guilty consciences? It’s a science-fiction movie about humans trying to wipe out a race that exists in James Cameron’s imagination. Maybe it’s a heavy-handed allegory, or else it’s action-adventure entertainment. Did they say “Titanic” was an anti-capitalist screed because the third-class passengers didn’t get lifeboats? Not everything is partisan politics, you know.

See below for a hilarious clip from Kent Jones of “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

Read the rest of this entry »

9 Comments

Hypocrisy on Parade and the Sole Jewish Republican in Congress

In recent times, it has been suggested that the Republican party has become the party of white men. This has never been more true than it is today. Between Congress and the Senate, Republicans can claim exactly zero African Americans and one Jew; Eric Cantor, and he is a pathetic hypocrite.

To Wit:

To those still feeling defensive about the accusations of racism among Republicans, consider for a moment why there are ZERO elected Republican African Americans in our legislative branch. Its a hard fact to explain.

While we do see a few unelected token Republicans in the party, Michael Steele for instance, there is not much the party can do about the fact that the now 20% of Americans who self-identify as Republicans will simply NOT elect an African American.

Based on the evidence, of the two political parties in this country, one has become a small cluster of xenophobic, white supremacists?

Frankly, I don’t see how there is any hope for Republicans in 2010 elections

, , , , , ,

No Comments