NAACP Cries Racist at the Tea Party

[Woodruff]

The NAACP calling the Tea Party Racist, is like the Pot calling the Kettle Black... however in this case the Kettle would be RED.

I don't get it...the red part.

[King Doctor]

I don't get it...the red part.

He is scared of communism and sees 'reds under the bed' everywhere he goes.

[thegreekdog]

A very interesting point, however I would still argue that the TP 'harbours' racists in senses 4, 5, 7 and 8. Namely by providing a legitimising umberella organisation from which racists are able to espouse their reprehensible views.

By providing an organisation and a brand, then permitting almost all comers to use it to dress up their message with, is to lend a veneer of legitimacy and political engagement to racist fringe groups that we all ought to be denying that kind of validation. If racist groups wish to preach race motivated politics, then they ought to be forced to do it under their own banners, rather than being freely given the opportunity to conceal themselves within more mainstream organisations and preaching from their pulpit.

The point here is essentially that the fact that Tea Partiers have been so unwilling to do anything to stop their organisation from being hijacked and used as a smokescreen for racists to hide behind, makes it legitimate to (1) question why they have been so sluggish to react to behaviour that most people would agree is reprehensible, and (2) to denounce their unwillingness to act as essentially harbouring racism.

You mention, again, that the Tea Party movement provides an organization and brand for racists and other undesirables to participate. I think the mistake you're making is assuming (or inferring) that there is purpose behind the "provision" of organization and brand. In other words, encouragement. There is no encouragement here. On the other hand, you might also say, "well, they aren't discouraging the racists and undesirables." I would reply that they are, in fact, discouraging such people. They are willing to stop their organization from being hijacked. They have attempted (and succeeded) in stopping their organization from being hijacked. Unfortunately, the NAACP (and CNN and MSNBC) seem to think that they are not trying and not succeeding, which is patently false. Furthermore, and more disturbing (and more evidence of the NAACP's politicizing this particular non-issue), is the idea that the Tea Party movement has disavowed and does stop these racist elements, but the NAACP still finds it necessary to condemn, publicly, the racist elements of the group, without condemning the racist elements of other groups (see the next...)

Further, there are undesirable elements in many actual political parties and other political movements. I would never say that the Democrats are encouraging (or harboring) environmental terrorists. I would never say that the Republicans are encouraging (or haboring) militia/right-wing terrorists. That's why this entire saga makes me angry - hypocrisy is not something I appreciate.

Because the fact that a group does not simultaneoulsy denounce every action in the world, does not ilegitimise its denouncement of the racist action at hand.

The NAACP isn't a perfect organisation, we all know that. It has finite resources, dependencies on other groups for funding and has to pick its battles accordingly. It simply isn't in a position whereby it can criticise every racist action on the planet (indeed, no group that I can think of is). So of course you're going to find some gaps in its coverage.

But the fact is that simply finding organisations that it has not criticised, does not invalidate the criticisms that it does make. That's like claiming that because a policeman hasn't arrested every burglar on the planet, that it's not ok for him to arrest the one that he's just found climbing out of his neighbours house with a television under his arm.

I think the lack of denouncement of the Black Panthers (for example) absolutely illegitimizes the NAACP's denouncement of the Tea Party racists. Certainly the NAACP is picking its battles - it's picking a battle with an organization that threatens the Democratic Party. To say that the Tea Party has tens of thousands of racists is not only false, but it is inflammatory; and I think that statement, although illegitimate on its face, is made further illegitimate by the idea that the NAACP does not find it necessary to fry the bigger fish. The combination of political opportunity, lack of evidence, and lack of denouncements in similar instances smacks of something wrong.

So perhaps the question you should ask yourself is - "With all the racist elements in the US, the problems with race relations, the poor state of affairs with the black community, why did the NAACP spend its time, money, and energy on denouncing the racist elements of the Tea Party?" If you are being honest with yourself, your answer will be "because it is politically expedient."

This 'persecution complex' mythology gets wheeled out whenever the Tea Party is engaged in an argument other than the one that it wants to have (and often when it starts losing that particular argument). It is frankly ridicuous.

I would respond that this should not even be an argument. There should be nothing to argue about. There are not tens of thousands of racists in the Tea Party. As I indicated above, the combination of political opportunity, lack of evidence, and inconsistent messages, smacks of political persecution. Also this - "This persecution complex mythology gets wheeled out whenever the Democratic Party/the NAACP is engaged in an argument other than the one that it wants to have (and often when it starts losing that particular argument." I would also add - "The cries of racism get wheeled out whenever the Democratic Party is engaged in an argument that it does not want to have." Because, let's be honest, that's what this is all about. If the economy improves because of the policies of the federal government, this racism talk will go away because then Democrats can point to the improved economy and say, "We don't need these Tea Party policies - look, we fixed the economy our way." Until then, as the economy continues to not recover, the Democrats will point at the racist Tea Party as a way to divert attention from their losing this particular argument.

I think that the process of hurling allegations about who is/isn't off-base and who does/doesn't represent the true centre ground are doomed to end up in a territory both dangerous and spurious. Let us leave them for the children playing in the shallower end of the debating pool.

Ok.

[jimboston]

The NAACP calling the Tea Party Racist, is like the Pot calling the Kettle Black... however in this case the Kettle would be RED.

I don't get it...the red part.

I guess it wasn't that funny... I was probably tired.

I am just say that the Tea Party isn't racist, the Kettle isn't black. I could have used any color.

[King Doctor]

The NAACP calling the Tea Party Racist, is like the Pot calling the Kettle Black... however in this case the Kettle would be RED.

I don't get it...the red part.

I guess it wasn't that funny... I was probably tired.

I am just say that the Tea Party isn't racist, the Kettle isn't black. I could have used any color.

But you conciously chose not to use black.


I think that we can quite clearly see why you aren't in support of the NAACP's attempts to end racism in America.

[jimboston]

The NAACP calling the Tea Party Racist, is like the Pot calling the Kettle Black... however in this case the Kettle would be RED.

I don't get it...the red part.

I guess it wasn't that funny... I was probably tired.

I am just say that the Tea Party isn't racist, the Kettle isn't black. I could have used any color.

But you conciously chose not to use black.


I think that we can quite clearly see why you aren't in support of the NAACP's attempts to end racism in America.

Change the meaning of my posts more. Please.

I am not going to bother conversing with you when you completely change what I say... please get a life.

[King Doctor]

Change the meaning of my posts more. Please.

What, until their true racist meaning is hidden?


Never. I shall not be complicit in your hate.

[jimboston]

Change the meaning of my posts more. Please.

What, until their true racist meaning is hidden?


Never. I shall not be complicit in your hate.

The only thing I hate at the moment is you. Don't care what color you are.

You think you are smart and/or funny... I see a person who can't debate or win arguments logically, and must therefore resort to lies and deceit.

[King Doctor]

The only thing I hate at the moment is you.

Clear flaming and cyber-bullying.


Reported to valued mods.

[tzor]

Clear flaming and cyber-bullying.

You know, it takes one to report one.

[Woodruff]

The NAACP calling the Tea Party Racist, is like the Pot calling the Kettle Black... however in this case the Kettle would be RED.

I don't get it...the red part.

I guess it wasn't that funny... I was probably tired.

I am just say that the Tea Party isn't racist, the Kettle isn't black. I could have used any color.

Ah, gotcha.

Change the meaning of my posts more. Please.

What, until their true racist meaning is hidden?
Never. I shall not be complicit in your hate.

In fact, you are precisely complicit in "his hate" because you are the one creating it out of whole cloth.

[King Doctor]

You know, it takes one to report one.

Palpably wrong.

[King Doctor]

In fact, you are precisely complicit in "his hate" because you are the one creating it out of whole cloth.

Listen, me.

I'm not going to stand here and defend a self-confessed racist. No matter which of us tells me to.

Do we understand?

[jimboston]

In fact, you are precisely complicit in "his hate" because you are the one creating it out of whole cloth.

Listen, me.

I'm not going to stand here and defend a self-confessed racist. No matter which of us tells me to.

Do we understand?

I love this... self-confessed... awesome.

Sir, you calling me a self-confessed racists is a much worse insult than any I have directed towards you. You hide behind half-quotes, half-truths, intentional misinterpretation... and then you have the nerve to claim that you are reporting me to the Mods for flaming.

I have never been involved in online forums for any substantial period of time prior to CC. I now understand and see the dark-underside of this world.

The real difference between you and me... aside from political views. I act the same on here as I do in the real world... you never would. If we were at a party in the real world and you were doing what you are doing here, you would be going home with (at the very least) a black eye.

[King Doctor]

Sir, you calling me a self-confessed racists is a much worse insult than any I have directed towards you.

This is untrue, over the course of our interactions you have accused me of treason, mental illness and of being a terrorist sympathiser.

And let us not forget, those were unfounded and scurrilous claims. Whereas the fact that you are a racist is something that you have personally confessed to.

you are reporting me to the Mods for flaming.

As a persistent flamer and community guideline violator, this is the least that you should have expected.

I was very tolerant of you at the outset, but your continued abuses of this site's code of conduct can no longer be permitted to continue.

The real difference between you and me... aside from political views. I act the same on here as I do in the real world

The fact that you admit to spewing your racist views both in person and not just from behind an anonymous alter-ego sickens me.

[thegreekdog]

Clapper told you guys to foe each other and move on. I support that recommendation. Alternatively, you can fake foe each other (which I like to call "ignore"). You don't have to push any buttons, but it might be a little harder.

Apart from that, please stop else I suspect you will both no longer be posting in this forum. Thanks.

[jimboston]

GO DIE

[jimboston]

Clapper told you guys to foe each other and move on. I support that recommendation. Alternatively, you can fake foe each other (which I like to call "ignore"). You don't have to push any buttons, but it might be a little harder.

Apart from that, please stop else I suspect you will both no longer be posting in this forum. Thanks.

If he gets banned with me, it would be a sword I would willingly take for the greater good of the Community.

[King Doctor]

Clapper told you guys to foe each other and move on. I support that recommendation. Alternatively, you can fake foe each other (which I like to call "ignore").

Fine.

I will do what I am told is called a 'jefjef Ignore' to JimBoston.

[King Doctor]

This post was made by jimboston who is currently on your ignore list.

I didn't read what you just posted, because you are on my foe list. Har har!!!

[jimboston]

I was able to join your game...

[King Doctor]

I was able to join your game...

I know your game.

[Night Strike]

Days after the NAACP clashed with Tea Party members over allegations of racism, a video has surfaced showing an Agriculture Department official regaling an NAACP audience with a story about how she withheld help to a white farmer facing bankruptcy -- video that now has forced the official to resign.

Shirley Sherrod, the department's Georgia director of Rural Development, is shown in the clip describing "the first time I was faced with having to help a white farmer save his farm." Sherrod, who is black, claimed the farmer took a long time trying to show he was "superior" to her. The audience laughed as she described how she determined his fate.

"He had to come to me for help. What he didn't know while he was taking all that time trying to show me he was superior to me was I was trying to decide just how much help I was going to give him," she said. "I was struggling with the fact that so many black people have lost their farmland and here I was faced with having to help a white person save their land -- so I didn't give him the full force of what I could do. I did enough."

The Agriculture Department announced Monday, shortly after FoxNews.com published its initial report on the video, that Sherrod had resigned.

"There is zero tolerance for discrimination at USDA, and I strongly condemn any act of discrimination against any person," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a written statement. "We have been working hard through the past 18 months to reverse the checkered civil rights history at the department and take the issue of fairness and equality very seriously.

Sherrod explained in the video that, at the time, she assumed the state or national Department of Agriculture had referred the white farmer to her. In order to ensure that the farmer could report back that she was indeed helpful, she said she took him to see "one of his own" -- a white lawyer.

"I figured that if I take him to one of them, that his own kind would take care of him," she said.

The video clip was first posted by BigGovernment.com. The clip is dated March 27 from an NAACP Freedom Fund banquet.

FoxNews.com is seeking a response from both the NAACP and the USDA. The clip adds to the firestorm of debate over the NAACP's decision to approve a resolution at its convention last week accusing some Tea Party activists of racism -- a charge Tea Party leaders deny.

In a second clip from the same event posted online, Sherrod appeared to urge black job seekers to find work at the Department of Agriculture because the federal government won't lay people off.

"There are jobs at USDA and many times there are no people of color to fill those jobs because we shy away from agriculture. We hear the word agriculture and think, why are we working in the fields?" she said. "You've heard of a lot of layoffs. Have you heard of anybody in the federal government losing their job? That's all I need to say."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07 ... te-farmer/

I guess the NAACP needs to condemn their allowing a racist to speak at one of their functions (the government already fired her).

[mpjh]

At last, at last, expelled at last.

The tea party owned up to it and expelled a leader and his faction for racist comments.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepoliti ... ource=mypi

[bradleybadly]

"I was struggling with the fact that so many black people have lost their farmland and here I was faced with having to help a white person save their land -- so I didn't give him the full force of what I could do. I did enough."

WTF!

What utter and complete bullshit. Those who live in glass houses................