"Reverend" Jesse lee Peterson, African American, defends Bill Bennett

:eyes:

BTW---Peterson's organization is called BOND. Sean Hannity sits on the Board of directors.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200510030005?is_gsa=1&final=1

Transcript from Hannity and Colmes:

PETERSON: You know, Alan , first I want to say I know Bill Bennett. He is not a racist, he is a good man. As a matter of fact, we use his book, The Book of Virtues, with our BOND After School Character Building Program. This attempt is by -- this is an attempt by the liberals to prevent white, conservative Republicans from speaking the truth about black America.

COLMES: Wait a second, you say "liberals, but The White House has said today --



PETERSON: Whether it's on race issues or moral issues, this is an attempt to shut down white, Republican conservatives.

COLMES: Reverend, the White House today condemned the remarks. Again, I'm looking to have a broader conversation here, not to make it about Bill Bennett. What is the root cause of crime? Is it --

PETERSON: Well, I want to go back to your point --

COLMES: Wait, I want you to answer to my question. Is the root cause of crime race or is it poverty?

PETERSON: The root cause of crime is a lack of moral character. You know, we saw a good example of that in the New Orleans situation in the inner cities. I've done a lot of work in the inner cities, and I have to tell you that crime and out-of-wedlock birth, black folks having babies without being married, and stuff like that is out of control. And it's not because they lack material things but because not all, not all, not all --

RICH LOWRY (guest co-host and National Review editor): Right.

PETERSON: -- but most of them lack moral character. Look what they did to the Dome. In three days they turned the Dome into a ghetto.

stunned

of white supremacy :puke:

that he hasn't fallen over in his haste to tapdance to their defense.

My wife, who is white, is often shocked and horrified at the invective and names I call folks like Reverend Peterson, Condi, Slappy Thomas...you know the ones....those fucking Uncle Tom bastards. Too stupid to realize that when push came to shove that the very sons of bitches that they kiss up to WOULD NOT HESITATE to dump them over the side if the situation arose. Educated blacks my ass. If you were a black republican how in the hell could you consider yourself educated?

I've always had a hunch, nothing I could prove, that if you could analyze all of the public speaking engagments of these Toms, that the overwhelming majority of their speaking engagements would be in front of white conservative audiences.

Assholes know they would get bitch slapped if they brought that bull in front of Black folks

I hate them

like petersen and that idiot armstrong williams. they choose to be *independent thinkers* :rofl:, as someone called them in this thread precisely because they have no other way of distinguishing themselves...and they get paid for it. glenn loury, a forner black republican who saw the light, wrote a book about all the favors he got for his period of indulging in self-loathing as a whore for the conservative agenda. my cousin says thomas is the kind of black person who makes some white people very comfortable...i tend to agree with her assessment about most of the tom brigade.
and that was mild...trust me :7 i'll save my real thrashing of petersen for another place.

I wonder how much the administration is paying this uncle tom.

billing himself as the "anti-Jesse Jackson". That says a lot.

Jeez. Way to go, Rev.

Heya, hottie. :P

but when he's written about, they stress that he's that.

GRRRRRR!

I think you'll find mostly disagreement with your statement.

An Uncle Tom is a person who cooperates with those in power for personal gain to the detriment of his or her own people. That's exactly what this asshole is doing. Powell was an Uncle Tom, and Condi is an Uncle Tom. Anyone who's gay and works for Bush is an Uncle Tom.

petersen is the prefect example of the term because i really *doubt* he means what he everything says. but he knows the role he's supposed to play, and he plays it to keep the cash flowing. besides uncle tom, whore is another word that fits him to a tee.
the only thing worse than an uncle tom is a clost racist who pretends to be cool.

The terms are interchangeable for these "people"

a spade is a spade is a spade.

and leave Terran alone.

He knows the deal.

I consider that a very high compliment. :loveya:

:*

And I'm black

So I'll proudly call him that. His pronouncements against his own people are sickening. He should be using his pulpit and money to help lift those less fortunate up, not helping a bunch of rich, racist f*cks stomp them into the ground. Please. Leftist Warrior?

And the term is aptly appied in this case.

racist as they come.


http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46440

Benedict Arnold

"Fellow Traveler"

Collaborator

Uncle Tom

Oreo

be able to find a "tom" don't they!

African-American Independent or even a Democrat that doesn't "toe the line" is automatically called an Uncle Tom, an Oreo, a House n****, and/or accused of obviously being paid off? Then, stereotypical "black dialect" is used to mock their positions. IMO, that is a racist point of view that is all too prevalent lately. African-Americans are just as capable of making political decisions (either right or wrong) as anyone else, but I don't see people acknowledge that much.

We can keep taking the African-American vote for granted if you like, but if you haven't noticed it is trending away from us, slowly but consistently. Such stereotypical points of view, as presented by some on this thread, are going to ensure that this trend continues at an accelerating pace.

And an asshole.

I think its fine to question a SPECIFIC person's motivation as in this case. I think it can be done in a rational manner without using stereotypes though.

I live in a neighborhood that is very diverse (Anglo/Hispanic/African-American). Its anecdotal for sure, but the African-Americans I talk to are questioning both parties at an increasing frequency. Heck, I think more people of all demographic groups are probably doing that. That's a challenge that we should welcome, because it makes us have to shape our policies to a point where all groups want us to lead.

I doubt if they saw some of the terms used, they might question our ability to lead.

for a Republican -- ever. They aren't stupid. And yeah, I know many African Americans, from Ph.D.s to illiterate custodians. Not ONE voted for Bush. I agree some Dems take the vote for granted, but only avery, very few African-Americans have voted for the GOP, and I guarantee many who did (abortion, homophobia) realize they were duped... often by people like T.D. Jakes and Peterson. Selling their own. Modern-day Cinques.

Because a lot of us use these terms pretty regularly when it comes to these Uncle Tommin, Oreo, Zebra sons of bitches. You think calling this guy an Uncle Tom was bad. I wish you could of heard some of the conversations we Black folk had in private after Katrina.

Condi (I was too busy to notice the civil rights movement because I was ice skating) Rice was fucking shopping for Ferrgamo's and attending Spamalot after Katrina.

Ferragamos and Spamalot.

I still can't believe that bitch was so vapid.


I can even begin to tell you what all the Black folks I know were saying about her clueless ass.

We question Democrats because we have been stalwart and loyal supporters who all too often have been ignored.

We question Republicans because they want to lower the crime rate by aborting Black babies

Get the difference?

Black Americans watched on as Bush let thousands starve for 5 days, but there were also many questions about where the Democrats were. Obviously there won't be this mass exodus to the right, but people can and will become Independent, go to third parties, or just stop voting since it seems that although the Bush admin is out of control, democrats are doing very little to stop them.

"mass" exodus to have a devastating effect.

i left the democratic party when clinton was in office. i don't think republicans are any more of less racist than democrats, as individuals, but the republican party is the party that continually makes race an issue...sucessfully, i might add. surely you are aware of the infamous "southern strategy." i don't know of ANY black person who would be offended if i used the term "uncle tom" to describe peterson, except those who share his views. and th epeople i know feel the same way about all the balck peopel who support this insane regime, especially those with relatives in new orleans.

and Peterson is an Uncle Tom. No no...he's an Uncle Tom squared. Rinse...wash....repeat.

hustler for his own pockets.


I bet his moral character is way below the scum level.

as to trot out this guy again and again to do damage control everytime when of their KKK bigots like Trent Lott, Jesse Helms or now Bill Bennett make a "foot in the mouth" statement about race. They should have learned their lesson when Trent "born 40 years too late to be a dixiecrat"Lott couldn't keep his Conservative Citizens Council member mouth shut. (The Dixiecrats have nothing to do with the modern democratic party---if anything the southern right wingers whose ideological ancestors 45 years ago supported segregation are now the backbone of the Republican Party.)

The fact that Peterson has stooped low enough to defend Bill Bennetts highly bigoted remarks (which basically equated being black with being a criminal). (and I am sick of hearing the lame ass GOP spin---that just because Bennett called the abortion of black fetuses immoral he isn't racist. Well his comment could have come from Strom Thurmond, or any conservative bigot)

This guy and his organization is just puppet for Republican and Ultra-Conservative groups

(

"toeing the line" and actively working with people who are the enemies of all people of color, all minorities period. It's an objective fact that the Republican Party has no interest in seeing minorities of any kind achieve equlity with white males in the country; and the lack of interest in such a thing is in reality an active hostilty toward such a thing, for the majority of Republicans. Therefore any minority person who supports them is cutting the throat of his or her own people. Sorry, but that's Uncle Tomism and this bastard is a prime example of it.

And you won't see any "black dialect" from me, I don't need to do that stupid shit to make my argument.

I do agree that the Democratic Party has historically (and still do)had more to offer to African-Americans than Republicans do. Heck, having grown up in the South and spending summers in the Mississippi Delta, I have seen the Southern-style of racism and its probably the main reason I chose to be a Democrat when I first voted.

My point is that we cannot just take the African-American vote for granted, and some of the stuff I see sometimes just makes me cringe. Maybe some think that's my problem only...I can accept that. I don't think it is though.

And I appreciate your remarks on "black dialect".

but that's really kind of a different issue. To the extent that African-Americans have supported Democrats for that last 40 years or so, I think they do it because they believe that they *as a group* will reap benefits, things that due them as American citizens (equality being the #1 thing).

But to the extent that African-Americans as a group support the Republicans (as opposed to this one individual), I think it's more out of self-interest--a way to become wealthy and reap the material rewards that are perceived to go with being republican-rich. It has nothing to do with helping or saving "my people", it's just "me and my family". And that attitude is of course where the charge of "Uncle Tom" comes from.

Same thing goes for Gay republicans--they're in it for the money. Gays who support Democrats know that, *overall*, the Dems are much more friendly toward the idea of equality for them.

Honestly, what statements have you seen here that make you cringe?

Let me tell you something Tx_dem, Black folks aren't getting bent out of shape about calling this Black POS what he is. In fact, it's not on our radar. We know him and his kind for what they are.

I think we are more concerned about how, since Katrina, it just seems that the floodgates have opened for the media, and politicians and a whole lot of White people to trot out some of the vilest racial stereotypes Black folks have seen in quite some time.

Bennett just recommended "aborting all Black Babies" to reduce the crime rate. There have many threads on DU on how there are White people who are glad that Katrina hit NOLA so that they can make it a "White" city. There were these fantastic stories about children getting their throats cut and being gang raped in the Superdome. And "looters" and "drug addicts" shooting at helicopters so they could get their fix. And in the midst of all of that, there were many White families who sat down to dinner ,smug and comfortable, on plenty a night and said "See, that's how those niggers are"

My feeling and, I suspect the feeling, of a lot of Black folks in the country is that Katrina has wiped out any illusion of us being an equal part of the social fabric. And it is disillusioning, even for those of us who know the score. So please don't worry about our comments about the dear "Reverend"

but the katrina exercise most certainly took away any remaining delusions i had about "my place" in this country. when it first happened, i recalled bill cosby's oft-celebrated comments, telling black people to stop expecting any help from the government. i know katrina isn't what he meant, but katrina proved how true his words really were. if black people had any illusions about being citizens of this country, the katrina exercise proved us wrong on that count too.

This person embodies the notion of "Uncle Tom," which means he is an apologist for racist and oppressive attitudes. I agree that some throw that term around too freely without understanding its real meaning. It is similar, IMO, to gay Rethugs. They are not always "Uncle Roys," but there are some that are ("Roy" is for Roy Cohn). To me, I use those terms to describe apologists for racist/homophobic actions/policies.

AA's can make political decisions, rightly or wrongly. However, they often have more at stake than a rich (or even middle-class) white person, no matter what their economic situation. So, when someone like this person comes along, it is particularly jarring.

I have lived in the South my whole life (Louisiana and Texas) so I am very familiar with the term (Uncle Roy is new to me though...thanks for pointing that out). I just think specific motivations can be questioned in a more rational manner without the use of terms that some do fine objectionable.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

I think I understand where you are coming from (I am also from the deep South..think Carolinas). "Uncle Tom" does carry some weight, and I agree that sometimes it is used "too freely." There are some here who use that term way too much and in wrong situations. However, in this case, I feel the title fits.

I think why some people, myself included, react so harshly to this type of propaganda is because it is the epitome of bigotry..."use one of "then" to show we are not "X."" I see the same thing when discussing other issues and some will scour the web for one or two people who share the background of the ones in question "to prove their point" that they are not espousing bigoted views. It works on the basic premise that a member of a minority group cannot be a bigot against their own kind, and that is wholly incorrect.

To me, 'using' an African-American as a prop (whether for photo ops or to defend racist comments) is racist in of itself, and those AAs who allow themselves to be used that way are just as big a part of the problem as the person/action s/he is defending.

:eyes:

African-American Independent or even a Democrat that doesn't "toe the line" is automatically called an Uncle Tom, an Oreo, a House n****, and/or accused of obviously being paid off? Then, stereotypical "black dialect" is used to mock their positions. IMO, that is a racist point of view that is all too prevalent lately. African-Americans are just as capable of making political decisions (either right or wrong) as anyone else, but I don't see people acknowledge that much.

Then you arent looking very hard. Everyone is aknowledging that Africa Americans are capable of making political decisions. It is just such a political decision, the decision to shill for republicans, that is being critisized.

Meanwhile you picked the wrong thread to make this point, because this has nothing whatsoever to do with and independent or democrat not toeing the line. This is about a conservative spewing conservative crap.

We can keep taking the African-American vote for granted if you like,

At this point Democratic politicians are taking pretty much everyone in thier base for granted.

but if you haven't noticed it is trending away from us, slowly but consistently.

I havent seen the numbers that you are referring to for this trend, but regardless, projecting a short term trend into the future is silly. Obviously if the Democratic party continues to sell thier constituents cheap rhetoric instead of action, they will see voters flee, some of them black.

Such stereotypical points of view, as presented by some on this thread, are going to ensure that this trend continues at an accelerating pace.

Yah, african americans hate it when people critisize Bennett apologists.

As far as a few comments on an internet message board ensuring that a trend continues... that is a bit of a stretch.

tx_dem41 wrote:

"African-American Independent or even a Democrat that doesn't "toe the line" is automatically called an Uncle Tom, an Oreo, a House n****, and/or accused of obviously being paid off? Then, stereotypical "black dialect" is used to mock their positions."

You think this is a matter of "not towing the line"?
Please, the guy is parroting the same racist talking points that the right wing Bush apologists are using right now.
He is obviously a shill of the right wing and extremely offensive to any african american in this country.

"IMO, that is a racist point of view that is all too prevalent lately. African-Americans are just as capable of making political decisions (either right or wrong) as anyone else, but I don't see people acknowledge that much."

The man is defending a man that made one of the most offensive statements against an entire race of people that I have ever heard. The man insulted me, my family, and HIS family as well but somehow he thinks that the comments that were made *exclude* him.
They don't.

"We can keep taking the African-American vote for granted if you like, but if you haven't noticed it is trending away from us, slowly but consistently."

This is a totally true statement, though it is out of place for purposes of this thread.

"Such stereotypical points of view, as presented by some on this thread, are going to ensure that this trend continues at an accelerating pace."

I've seen nothing on this thread insulting except for the statements of the persons in the original article.
Des

And, I would hope you still wouldn't condone the use of racial stereotypes (the most egregious being the use of dialect) to combat someone you think is a racist.

The poster didn't say he was an Uncle Tom because of disagreement. He was called an Uncle Tom because of the obviously offensive and racist comments he made in attempt to justify obviously offensive and racist comments made by Bill Bennett.

And because he surfaces only when needed to shill for racist comments coming from republicans.

Yes, he is bought and paid for, look at his website and see who he represents, do you honestly believe his non-profit organization is funded at the grassroots level of any black community in this country.

Direct comments on a persons words is not stereotyping, Jesse Lee Petersen's words were very racist.

You should take your right right blinders off at least every once in a while.

SHEESSSHH!!!

are based on my experiences growing up and my hatred of racism whether it comes from the right, the left, white, black or brown.

The use of racial stereotypes (e.g. using "Stepin Fetchit dialect") is racist whether you are attacking perceived racism or not. If you don't see that, I wonder what blinders you are wearing.

And please read my post #22 and others to learn that I was talking generally based on many similar threads lately...not about this specific one.

If hatred of racism is your true feelings.

I was born black in 1944 in a very racist Arkansas, and grew up in very racist south St Louis during the 50's and 60's. Experienced a very racist United States Navy ending in 1965, and back to a very racist South St. Louis to complete my young adulthood.

I won't doubt your experience with racism cause I can't speak to it first hand.
but, I also don't see what gives you the right to judge or lecture anyone else as to how they should react to racist and/or racism.

My life history I believe gives me a more unique perspective on racism than yours probably does, but I will never attempt to define what others perspective should be or how they should express themselves when addressing this issue.

The blinders comment was about your remarks addressing everything except the topic of the post and comments made in response to the topic.
I consider race an important issue that needs to be discussed openly and honestly.
I do more reading of DU than I do posting, and I feed on the wealth of knowledge here. I get very angry when I see a post on an important issue only to see the thread hi-jacked or diluted by side issues.

If you read my other posts, hopefully you realize that I was talking more generally. Maybe that was rude of me to do. I don't take back anything I said though about the general situation.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

I always used to see him on Fox News sounding like he was straight out of the KKK. This man is racist and hates blacks although he is black himself. I don't agree with the Uncle Tom label for Colin Powell or even Dr. Condi Rice--but people like Peterson, Justice Thomas, Ward Connerly etc are perfect examples of Toms.

I think you'll agree with me then....I think? :)

whereas democrats are safe with 90+% of the black vote, including mine. and yeah...petersen, and other *independent thinkers* like him are uncle toms.

In many areas in the South, that's enough to tip an election.

closer to 90%. even still...using your percetages, it's a CLEAR majority. as far as "tipping an election"...let's compare the percetages for whites and latinos :eyes: aren't you the one standing up for so-called *independent thinkers*, like peterson? i wouldn't think you'd be arguing that black people are obligated to vote democratic so elections arent' "tipped."

I can provide the link in a few minutes.

53% latinos
56% asians
54% other
so...african-americans are more loyal to the democratic party than any other racial/cultural group. petersen is among that 12% of african-americans who voted for bush, but a majority of white americans voted for bush, with latios, asians, and others voting approx. 50/50 republican/democrat. who do we need to be worried about again?

for a Democrat.

and people like petersen are getting paid to sell their souls to the republicans.

and oiver 90% of african-american made that same great political decison in 2004. you seem to repeating the conservatrive cannard that black people vote democratic because jesse jackson tells us to, while *independent thinkers* like petersen vote republican because they are *independent thinkers*. at least that's the way i read your post.

I agree that voting Democratic is the better way for African-Americans in MY opinion. I even stated that in another post on this thread.

But, I don't knee-jerk generally against African-Americans that vote Republican by saying they must have been paid shills (note I said generally....I believe strong cases can be made specifically like Rev. Patterson). To believe that African-Americans in general don't make political decisions, right or wrong though they maybe, on their own and must have some nefarious reason to do so just seems racist to me.

Btw, you have the percentages reversed. 90+ in 2000, 88% in 2004 (I gave you that link earlier). And in many districts in the South it doesnt take a much bigger shift to tip elections. That's one big thing that concerns me.

If Rice were to run in 2008, and Democrats vocally called her an Aunt Jemima and called her a house n**** (examples of which I saw as recently as this morning on DU threads) do you think the 88% will hold?

black people don't think highly of the bush administration, or its employees, including the black ones. whether it's by 88% or 90+% (a 2% point difference, btw), whether it was 2000 or 2004, the message of that overwhelming rejection of bush, inc (and rice, and powell) should be clear, even to you.

there isn't a single african-american in this thread who has complained about the term uncle tom being used for peterson, or rice or powell, or any other black republican for that matter.
ONLY YOU and few others seem to have a problem with the FACT that ACTUAL black people do not think highly of black people who support bush, inc. :wtf: is wrong with that picture?

a suggestion: perhaps the 59% of white voters who thought bush, inc deserved another term should be of more concern to you than offending the sensibilities of the 12% of black "independent thinkers" who voted for bush. clearly black voters aren't the problem, or the solution, because we are voting democratic, and clearly white voters, in particular, are not. so PLEASE stop talking out of both sides of your mouth, and listen to what you have been told several times, by several people in this thread.

i'll repeat it once more: those few black people you are so concerned about are either voting democratic, or they are not, but it's white folks, in particular, who are supporting bush, inc and "tipping the elections" for republicans. you are either terminally naive or intentional dense...either way, you are way off-base with your savior of the black race act, especially since none of the actual african-americans in this thread has expressed any of YOUR supposed concerns, and more importantly, the numbers you cite don't back up your claims either.

but they certainly back up my assertion that white people are supporting bush, inc in far greater numbers than any other demographic. if you must be concerned about trends, that trend is the one that should concern you most, since there was a 4% INCREASE in support for bush in that demograhic in 2004. do the math...you will see that a 2% increase in a minority demogaphic translates to far less actual people and votes than a 4% increase in the majority demographic. again...the numbers don't lie (well, they do, but we can thank diebold for that).

He is one of the best Bush suck ups there is. He is shameful. :mad:

It's probably the first time I've seen a black person parrot white supremicist crap. I wrote him an email last week telling him off about a rotten article he wrote about Katrina. This man is so ignorant, I almost fell out of my chair. He needs a real hard-core liberal to smack him down, instead of a weakling like Alan Colmes. I think Uncle Tom is to good a word for this guy, he's like a Jewish person in WWII agreeing with Hitler.

"PETERSON: -- but most of them lack moral character. Look what they did to the Dome. In three days they turned the Dome into a ghetto."

Yeah, even though we later found out that most of the stories about problems at the Superdome were untrue. Hope it's not too cramped under that rock, Mr. Peterson.

As far as the mess that refugees created, I'd like to see you cram about 4,000 upper middle class white Episcopalians in the dome with inadequate food, water, toilets, ventilation or beds. I'm sure they wouldn't trash the place either. Jackass.

Bennet does not seem to be a stupid man. How he could have used this example to argue against the issue that was raised is baffeling. He must have known that his words would cause an uproar. Is he really that stupid?

it's about incompetence, along with moral superiority.

they are so sure of themselves and their power, and their hold on power, that they let their guards down.

they do it every day.

of course he didn't think his words would be pounced on. Thankfully, Katrina worked for us the same way 9/11 worked for them. In the area of the press finally doing their jobs, anyway.

given him credit for.

republican supporters. Imparting the the latest message that racism does not have to be so deeply hidden anymore.

He knew that the controlled corporate media would not repeat his words, but he underestimated the power of the bloggers.

I'm sure he hiself fully expected to be defending some Joe Blow who repeated his statements as their own rather than having to defend them himself.

Just like Rush Limbaugh, who dispenses repub talking points, rumors, and wild allegations, while never having to personnaly defend them.

Stunning.

for doing that, he gets to called an "indenpendent thinker" and not a racist, as would a white person.

Regardless of their qualifications, he said he wouldn't hire them. When confronted by Larry Elder (!) if Peterson would not hire Condoleezza Rice, his exact quote was "No, that's different." :eyes:

nothing like a soul saved by the green ($$$$$)

to first work as a slave and then get lynched. Only because so many people died and had to suffer so that idiots like him could get on national TV and spout the BS that he is spouting. It should have been him instead. I know its wrong but that's how pissed off and disgusted I am with his comments.

This guy needs to think of more than himslef - selfish bastard.

or simply a racist dimwit? often black people, like petersen, who is clearly a self-loathing mental midget, are called *independent thinkers* when spouting racist or crazy conservative claptrap. but, even the white house condemned bennett's remarks...at least publicly. so my question is: why doesn't that *independent thinker* crap come up with folks like bennett spout racist or crazy conservative claptrap? thanks.

I'm calling on all black Republicans to stop calling themselves black. As a black woman I am insulted and disgusted. I wonder if masta Bush slapped the black off of them before he sent them to do his bidding? Republicans bother the hell out of me but black Republicans make me want to cry. Instead of showing the country how to react to injustice they coddle and use injustice for their own agenda. They can take their moral character crap and stick it where the sun don't shine. I guess if your in the business of brainwashing people to fatten that bank account all is well, especially if you do in for the lord, god, almighty.

I'm sorry to get so pissed but these people are not helping the community they claim to be a part of. They spit on our community and look down on those less fortunate than them. Maybe they should take a trip to a black neighborhood and teach black people how to pass around a collection plate that way we all can be on the same playing field. I'm sure all black people want a piece of that moral character they love to talk about. Without their brand of moral character you are destined to be a poor, hands out nigger.

Sorry if some of you take offense to that word but I'm not in the mood to beat around the shrub. This is exactly how white racist see us and these people are no different. If you didn't know any better you would think the above quotes came from some white supremacist not some so called black reverend. They can all turn over their shiny, new, race card and kiss my proud to be liberal, black ass. They offer no respect they get no respect.

A lot of people here are trying to be all proper and shit and not call these MFkers what they are...POS Race traitors. That's what they are and F**k em if they can't deal with it.

I have no problem with someone being a Republican. If you believe that the repubs offer a political message that can help us, then so be it. But don't spit on your own people. Don't stand there and laugh while they take a large steaming dump on your own people.

Goddamn it, draw the line somewhere.

For me Katrina will always be the event that showed how puny and impotent Black Republicans are. With their party in power and Mehlman making all this noise about wanting to reach out to Black folks, that the Republican party was really a better way......when the shit hit the fan, they and their party left our people to die.

So either their political allegiance is bullshit and they are neutered dogs within the party they swear allegiance to or they had no problem with old nobel Black American women having to sit huddled in a dark sports stadium trying to keep warm with the American flag as a garment.

Either way, they deserve all the contempt being hurled their way

in the old menaing of that term. he was president of his local NAACP chapter, and worked to desegregate the city of san francsico. if he were alive today, i know he's be voting democratic.

Yeah, he's a conservative douchebag. No question about it. In this situation he worded something poorly, but the reaction to this is just ridiculous. Of course, thats whats going to happen in this day and age. I don't think Bill Bennett is really a racist, he just made a stupid comment. Really what entertains me the most is that he was trying to come up with an extremely abhorent idea to put out there to counter the caller (which is consistently overlooked) and with the reactions I've seen I think he succeeded greater than he ever could have expected.

about his comments being overblown. but i wouldn't go so far as to say he isn't a racist because i don't know that he is or isn't, and neither do you.

I don't believe I'm a racist, however I've made racial comments before. Sometimes without fully thinking it through. I agree with you on this that we don't know for sure, but I'm just saying that at this point I have no reason to believe he is truly a racist.

PerpetualWinter wrote:

"The reaction to Bennetts comments are just overdone...Yeah, he's a conservative douchebag. No question about it. In this situation he worded something poorly, but the reaction to this is just ridiculous."

Damn, that just pissed me off.
Why is it ok with you that he made those comments?

He just WORDED something poorly?

How do you word "kill all blacks before they are born" correctly?

How?

It is just that lax attitude that contributes to the society that makes this guy believe he can get away with a comment like that with NO repercussions.

Because, besides blacks, who's REALLY going to get angry at what he said?

The outright racists in this country have apparently decided to use Katrina to further *desensitize* whites to overt racist comments and it's working.

"Of course, thats whats going to happen in this day and age."

Because everybody is just too *sensitive* these days, right?
It couldn't possibly be that maybe blacks have GOOD reason to be insulted by all that's been spoken about us since the right embarked on this strategy, right?

"I don't think Bill Bennett is really a racist"?

Why not? Just what does he have to actually say before you do start to wonder if he is one?

"he just made a stupid comment."

Again, your attitude is mind boggling to me.
How does a man make a comment like that and NOT be a racist?
How?
You truly see NOTHING wrong with what he said other than it being an "unfortunate choice of words?"

"Really what entertains me the most is that he was trying to come up with an extremely abhorent idea to put out there to counter the caller (which is consistently overlooked) and with the reactions I've seen I think he succeeded greater than he ever could have expected."

So what? Now YOU are excusing his behavior? And you find it entertaining. In what way?

When you become desensitized to any group of people, it becomes very easy to allow all sorts of injustices to happen to them.
It's a techinque used by tyrants all over the globe to pacify the majority into allowing the minority to be decimated.
While they turn their heads.
I never thought it would happen here.
Again.
Des

however, i will say this. my issue with the fuss made over comments is that bennett will apologize (he probably has already), and the matter is settled. it will be just about "an unfortunate comment" and not the fact that a few million people in this country agree with him. and yes, he probably IS a racist, but that will never be explored seriously, except in the black press and on the internet. so the all the focus on the comment won't do anything to address what you are talking about, except in the black press and on the internet. if we lived in a sane or even somewhat rational society the connections you made to bennett's comments and the katrina exericise would be on the teevee instead of that despicable peterson.

noiretblu wrote:

"i was too tired to respond to this person at length however, i will say this. my issue with the fuss made over comments is that bennett will apologize (he probably has already), and the matter is settled. it will be just about "an unfortunate comment" and not the fact that a few million people in this country agree with him."

Agreed. I think that there is a large part of the white community in general that is simply in denial about race. They would prefer, more than anything else, for you not to expose their failures in this aspect and therefore leave themselves open to the claptrap by Repubs that all boils down to "YOU are just fine. No need to continue any vigilance as far as civil rights are concerned. Haven't you done enough? Geez, they can vote now For God's sake!"
The only reason why this upsets me so is because we will wind up suffering because of it in a very real way.

"and yes, he probably IS a racist",

How do you make a comment like that and NOT be a racist? Even the person above can't answer that question.

"but that will never be explored seriously, except in the black press and on the internet. so the all the focus on the comment won't do anything to address what you are talking about, except in the black press and on the internet."

But the purpose that it will serve is that yet another white person will get away with making a blatantly racist remark for all the country to see (including all the racists that are just waiting to climb out from under their rocks after 50 years) with no repercussions whatsoever. One step closer to overt (and completely acceptable) racism.

"if we lived in a sane or even somewhat rational society the connections you made to bennett's comments and the katrina exericise would be on the teevee instead of that despicable peterson."

Karl Rove made sure all that came to an end quickly. He turned it around so that all the blame is placed on the victims. But the country is still holding Katrina against Bush and the Repubs anyway.

Des

That it implies that blacks are criminals. Though statistically speaking there is a much higher percentage of black convicts in this country (which I firmly believe has a lot to do with racism, either that or we have the baddest "niggers" in the world), so using the logic that his caller was using towards the economy and abortions it was actually very fitting. Just about everyone I've seen jumping on this comment has been in my mind a fanatic. The left wing fanatics playing the racist card, and the right wing fanatics jumping on the "abortion is worse than racism" card. Its all just bullshit sensationalism in an attempt to gain ratings. Really something like this should have been buried pretty much immediately.

as you say--doesn't that make him a racist? The whole 'aborting Black babies' bit was a 'modest proposal', he clearly didn't mean that part of it. But the underlying logic of the proposal he explicitly stood by, he even said, I believe, "it's true".

And note that he didn't advocate getting rid of Black adults, who might actually commit crimes. If he had, that might almost have some warped statistical validity, I'm guessing. But no, he said 'let's abort Black *babies* and that equals a future drop in crime'. That's implying that Black people are *inherently* more prone to crime than other groups, not merely that existing adults, because of any number of economic and social factors, are more prone to crime.

So, I'm sorry, but I think the uproar is fully warranted when you have a person of Bennett's high government-associated profile out there telling the world that Black people are congenitally responsible for America's crime problems. He IS a racist.

he could make a serious argument for it. Though he wouldn't, neither would I, simply because he pointed out that extrapolating data like that is extremely complex and still unpredictable. However going on the numbers alone, as crude as it is, it could be argued that it would right. As I said though, the huge disparity of our percentage of black criminals and the rest of the world is quite ridiculous and I believe is caused by societal racism. Thus making his comment inherently false. None the less it doesn't matter, its all about sensationalism and "racism" = ratings, period. It just amuses me to watch the sheep fall in line.

There are other studies that say the complete opposite... Our crime rate has shot up since the legalization of abortion, not to mention child abuse and suicide.

To assume that aborting children based on skin color is racist, because you are assuming that black children will grow up to be criminals.

That it implies that blacks are criminals. Which unfortunately in this country statistically speaking there is a much higher percentage of black convicts (which I firmly believe has a lot to do with racism, either that or we have the baddest "niggers" in the world), so using the logic that his caller was using towards the economy and abortions it was actually very fitting. Just about everyone I've seen jumping on this comment has been in my mind a fanatic. The left wing fanatics playing the racist card, and the right wing fanatics jumping on the "abortion is worse than racism" card. Its all just bullshit sensationalism in an attempt to gain ratings. Really something like this should have been buried pretty much immediately.

as you admit, then the caller's comment made no sense whatsoever. if the there more black convicts because of racism, bennett might have suggested aborting all white babies to eliminate racism. of course...that wouldn't have made just as much sense as his original comment, perhaps more.
it was a racist comment, and the focus on that comment is overblown. and since the focus is on the comment, yet another opportunity for a real discussion about race, crime, the criminal justice system, inequality, discrimination, racism, etc., etc., etc., has been sacrificed as people pat themselves on the back for "condemning" the comment.

PerpetualWinter wrote:

"The only problem with his statement is That it implies that blacks are criminals."

Mind boggling. It implies that ALL blacks are BORN criminals.
But that's all, in your opinion, that's wrong with that statement. But that fact that it is blatantly racist, doesn't seem to make a connection to you. Nor do you see anything offensive about that.

"Which unfortunately in this country statistically speaking there is a much higher percentage of black convicts"

No. There are more white criminals overall. Blacks are in jail disproportionately to their numbers in the general population in this country though. So are Latinos.
But what's your point? That Bennett has a point?

"(which I firmly believe has a lot to do with racism, either that or we have the baddest "niggers" in the world), so using the logic that his caller was using towards the economy and abortions it was actually very fitting."

His comments that we should "kill black babies" was actually very fitting? Is that what you are saying? I just really want to be sure I am actually hearing what I think I am.

"Just about everyone I've seen jumping on this comment has been in my mind a fanatic."

I'm not sure who you are talking about when you say "everyone" but I think it is blatantly unfair to call everyone that has a reaction to this blatantly RACIST comment a fanatic.

"The left wing fanatics playing the racist card, and the right wing fanatics jumping on the "abortion is worse than racism" card."

I am not a left or right winger. I am a black female insulted by a flagrantly racist remark about my people. It was unnecessary, uncalled for, and cruel. I am sorry you can not see that on a purely HUMAN, and not political level.

"Its all just bullshit sensationalism in an attempt to gain ratings."

Bill Bennett doesn't NEED ratings, he was a guest. And you are dancing around the one simple fact that this was a racist remark, and AS such, deserved to be "jumped on"

"Really something like this should have been buried pretty much immediately."

Why should it have been buried? Because there is nothing to be upset by? Your cavalier attitude is stunning to me. I don't usually see it here on this site.
Des

Most black "criminals" are in jail for something as stupid as drug possession. That doesn't make a person a criminal. I've never been a fan of the drug war...

What Mr. Bennett said was outright racist, and not something to be swept under the carpet.

Abortion - or in this case, supporting the outright genocide of children based on skin color - is not something to be taken lightly.

Or maybe you support eugenics, because his comments bordered on it.