UPDATE on the racist and the farmer story: CNN just had the farmer from the NAACP situation on (you'll see it on FOX tonight, I'm sure) and he says he "never met a nicer person" than Shirley Sherrod, the woman who said how angry she'd been at having to help a white man. Wolf Blitzer is saying it's a terrible 'blunder' by Obama not to have looked into this before demanding her resignation and his liberal journalists are agreeing that this was a terrible thing all the way around. I guess it's completely lost on ANY liberal that the NAACP audience laughed up a storm (he was white, she couldn't bring herself to help him) before she talked about finally having helped the farmer. Herein might lie the biggest problem with our media: Maybe they honestly DON'T have any integrity when they're more intent on their agenda? YATHINK!? :-) Are they really missing all the terrible things she said?
I'm not so sure Shirley Sherrod is what people are painting her to be, but she made ME feel uncomfortable as I listened to her explaining her thought processes when she was first confronted with having to help a white man.
And I shudder to think what would have happened to her had she been white talking about having to help a black man. (No, I don't really have to think about that..we know)
z
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Maybe she's nice but her comments were not acceptable.
I wonder if those media go interview the liberal friends of tea party members to see if they're nice, too.
Amazing morons.
They're all going to obscure the real problem here with their dredging up the actual happenings of 24 years ago, getting the farmer to testify that she's a nice helpful lady and all that.
The whole point, and the only thing we're all reacting to, is WHAT SHE SAID to that group and the fact that they all loved it. That she could even THINK of cheating the man of his rights because he's white and admit it without apology is the problem.
Even though she was going on to say Oh but I learned it isn't all about black and white, it's really about poor and rich, that STILL shows her partisan mentality -- it's still OK with her to cheat SOMEONE -- in this case the rich, and favor her chosen victim class. It's no longer "racism" at that point but it's certainly INJUSTICE.
This mentality is scary. It's like the politician (Stark) -- and just about every other leftist -- who couldn't see anything in the objections to illegals flooding into Arizona except racism, to such an extent he simply could not hear what the people were saying to him; or the other politician who is willing to trash the Constitution in favor of his own idea of what's good for people. This is how leftists think. It's the essence of injustice, the essence of irrational rule, and it will bring down the country if it continues.
Hear that sound, z? It's your corner yelling , "Stay down!"
Whatever her intent, saying things like she sent to see "one of his own" is racism.
I do love how the media goes into overdrive to disprove any negative news story about a fellow lib.
Read it and weep , z
This was a cheap railroading of a decent person. Breitbart should be proud.
Ducky, she DID go on to say how she realized it isn't about race, it's about poverty -- without showing the slightest remorse for her racist attitude that had won her the applause and laughter of the group.
I don't doubt that if the rest of her speech changed the basic meaning of what she said, Breitbart would not have left it where he did.
Interesting that the rest of the video is not available, so how do we know what the truth is anyway? How do YOU know? What she SAID is still crystal clear. She admitted to not using her full force to help a white man, and she referred to a white lawyer as "his kind" -- pretty clear racism there -- and her audience appeared to support that attitude.
The only way this could change, by the way, is if she shows genuine remorse for her racist thinking -- AND her implied partisan thinking pro-poor people too -- by the end of the whole video.
But the rest of the video isn't available.
If she does, I'll change my opinion too.
AND if people would stop calling Tea Partiers racist WITHOUT ONE IOTA OF EVIDENCE, it would help with the paranoia all around.
"as I listened to her explaining her thought processes when she was first confronted with having to help a white man."
For me...that's enough to have an insight into the heart and politics of this farm animal. White? Too bad...black...what can I do fer ya? This is the result of the empowerment...the affirmative action...the quotas...the set asides...the point system that America has been held hostage to for too long. A result of Americans quietly accepting demotions...no promotions...no advancement due to political correctness and the holier than thou..."level playing field". The mantra of the leftists and racists in order to get back at da man. Except the "man" is now...and AA. Whom millions upon millions of whites voted for.
One needs to look no further than the WHITE fireman in Connecticut who were denied promotions...cause the tests...they studied and prepared so diligently for.....were denied and swept aside...cause the "minorities" couldn't pass. Hence...the tests were "racist / biased" in favor of: smart men who were qualified and prepared to be promoted.
The soft bigotry of low expectations.
BZero....who's the coward? You? Holder...or the blacks that demand they be advanced over more qualified people?
The "racism"...is alive and well...in the new, approved....American racism.
Major
Faith, racist is just the start.
As far as this incident goes. Keep spinning it but the who;e universe of fringe right blogs who were in on this railroading should be ashamed.
The woman was talking about her growth as a human being, something the likes of Breitbart and the tea bags aren't going to be able to match.
This incident was a disgrace for everyone involved including the gutless Black Bush administration.
//This was a cheap railroading of a decent person. Breitbart should be proud.//
Once again you have no idea how the union/mob/thug model works.
I have worked in government under a Democratic Administration in my state. I know how the sacrificial lamb tactic works. You can claim intellectual superiority in this matter all you want, you don't know a damned thing of what you say.
If you had any critical thinking skills at all, you'd ask yourself who leaked it to Breitbart so long after the fact? And why now?
But as a good lockstep left winger, you are predisposed to point your fingers right at Breitbart and the Tea Partiers for publishing what was leaked to them.
Try pitching to the catcher, Ducky, not the left fielder.
Ducky IF that is true WE NEED THE EVIDENCE FOR IT, and then I'll agree with you. I have not seen the evidence yet, and that woman's words are still ringing in my ears as her true attitude.
But if there is evidence that she was that seriously taken out of context, then Breitbart should take back his attack on her and everybody else as well. And that would be a HUGE relief to many of us, me for sure, that this racist attitude isn't as rife among blacks as she made it appear.
But stop calling it "railroading." I'm sure Breitbart believed what he saw too, and evidence to the contrary would change his mind. Evidence. Evidence.
AGAIN, WHERE'S THE EVIDENCE???
And again, STOP CALLING THE TEA PARTIES RACIST IF YOU DON'T WANT US LOOKING INTO THE FACTS ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE.
" Oh but I learned it isn't all about black and white, it's really about poor and rich"
Spot on. Sheer demographics would / should dictate that poor whites far outnumber "poor" blacks. But why..after 50 years is there a disproportionate number of blacks...who are still "poor"?
Major
"The woman was talking about her growth as a human being"
So was Van Jones in his racism and radicalism.
The point is...racism is a wholly owned subsidary of the CBC and the NAACP...as well as the Panthers.
Not...Tea Party folks.
Major
"Hear that sound, z? It's your corner yelling , "Stay down!""
Play it for all you're worth Ducky. The administration fired her, not us! Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
You know, people are going to be so sick of the race card, they're just going to want it gone!
You can have your race card, your class card or any other card.
You bought it, you own it!
This is not our game. It's yours, and you can have it.
We have a country to save. That's our card, you gave it up years ago!
Pris
Z, this comes as no surprise to me. In the mid 70's when between jobs I tried filing for unemployment in North Texas. I filled out the paper work, waited in line and finally reached the large black female bureaucrat on the other side of the window. No "Hello", no "how can I help you?" Her words were "What are you doing here?"
I tried handing her my application and said "I'm filing for unemployment."
She replied, "You're white, male and over 21. Just go get a damn job."
I was stunned. After a moment I tore up the application and dropped it to the floor. I resolved then and there never to ask for anything from the government. I decided things were very screwed up and they were only going to get worse. They certainly had no problems withholding their fee from my earnings each week, even if I was an adult white male!
I will say this issue must threaten the duckster a lot considering his repeated attempts to disrupt the discussion with whatever distraction he's trying.
~ Will
Just in:
Ducky is a douchebag.
This issue isn't about Sherrod. It is about the NAACP who stood up in righteous indignation and accused the TEA PARTY as an organization of racists.
Breitbart simply illustrated: get your own house in order.
Breitbart didn't participate in the firing of Sherrod. That was another "throw the granny under the bus" initiative by the Obama administration. No one in the government should be surprised by this ... not now.
And did I mention? Ducky is a douchebag.
//Breitbart did full background on the tape just like he released the ACORN tapes which were heavily edited for a full forensic analysis.//
More Red Herrings from Ducky. Can't blame him, it's all he has.
Then let's release the tape in it's entirety. Shouldn't be a problem should it? If what you say is right, it will be known to all.
Of course Breitbart is going to run with it. He didn't splice it, the didn't alter it, he just published it as a breaking story like any other reporter who cares about journalistic integrity. Neither did he do it to the ACORN tapes.
Again, you offer no proof and are merely trying to play bait and switch again. It is your MO. So.... save it for the pub. Someone there will believe you.
Go ahead, continue to assume that Breitbart and the TP are the culpable ones here. delude yourself all you want. Sometimes people who have no other acceptable outlets entertain great delusions like this. It brings them comfort in a stressful world. But know that your flight for Fantasy Island is leaving now, and you had better get on board.
Faith, you are SO right..it's the NAACP REACTION that's important here, as I've said over and over again to no avail for poor Ducky...Andrew Breitbart was just on TV saying he in NO WAY looked for that woman's firing..absolutely not.
Anybody who doesn't understand this just isn't thinking.
Oh, DUCKY..speaking of the devil...would you just take a deep breath? You're SO upset again. I'm only not deleting you (except your last was so full of misinformation I hate for you to embarrass yourself) so people can see the mindset. By the way, ACORN is edited!? Yes, as an editor, you should know that nobody doesn't cut dead air or when nothing's being said. My GOD, Ducky, come to think of it, this is very similar to that situation...it's WHAT THE ACORN PEOPLE SAID that matters, it wasn't edited beyond seeing WHAT THEY SAID! What's the damned matter with you? :-)
You said "STAY DOWN"? If you mean to Black Americans, take another breath and remind us all who passed the Civil Rights Bill, who filibustered it (Byrd) and which crowd believes Black Americans have the capability to be anything they want to be in this country..or WOULD had your ilk not changed our history to exclude them so they feel like stepchildren...
Oh, would that you'd open your mind and understand they don't NEED what the black 'leaders' think they need...voting Democrat is so less important than rising to your best self. Shame on you.
Will, I'm so sorry that happened to you. I'm SURE it was 'just edited', right? :-)
Pris, we have a lot of work ahead of us with people like Ducky in charge. It's positively scary.
EVERYONE: THIS IS ABOUT THE NAACP'S APPRECIATION FOR SHERROD BEFORE SHE DID HER PUNCHLINE. I don't think the woman's particularly evil, though as she describes her thought processes when she saw a WHITE FARMER NEEDING HELP (GASP!), you kind of shrink back, don't you?
IMAGINE IF A WHITE PERSON HAD SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT? THINK IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN TWO YEARS TO GET THAT OUT? wow (it's BREITBART'S ..the ex lib...FAULT, not hers or the NAACP! :-)
I thought we were past racism until the leftwingers started this all up again..sure does create a terrible distraction for what O's up to, eh? What a very dangerous distraction. The WH is playing with fire, in my opinion. His calling for SHerrod's firing before he got the details is sickening, too.
Ducky + Spencer Ackerman = douchebags.
Ducky, honest question: do you see Breitbart, Fox, et. al as something of a mirror immage of CBS, CNN, et. al. (One the right slant and the other the left) Or do you see Breitbart,etc as biassed right with CBS etc as neutral, down the middle?
tio
And to make things even more interesting, read this.
http://www.ruraldevelopment.org/shirleydirector.html
Hey, maybe their focus groups show that simply alienating liberals isn't going to impress those swing voters so they need to alienate the black vote too...
I'm actually annoyed by this story.
Maybe she has grown. But she still admitted to discrimination and a business discriminating would have a major lawsuit on its rear end.
I wished the video had never been edited out. Because she truly showed what this is all about: class warfare. And the left is using racism to push a class warfare agenda.
In this regard, she hasn't grown very much.
Does she deserve firing for something that happend 20 years ago, though? Maybe not.
Check out the full tape
The segment in question starts at 16:30 and goes for about five minutes. "You know," she starts, "God will show you things, and can put things in your path, so that you realize that the struggle is really about poor people." Then, after telling the story of Roger Spooner, she ends with this: "Working with him made me see that it's really about those who have versus those who don't. And they could be black, they could be white, they could be Hispanic."
How unchristian.
Check out the full tape
Wish the video wasn't so long. I don't think we've got enough download capacity at the moment.
H
FrogBurger, I so agree with you. She did not deserve to be fired AT ALL.
Jan "President Reagan abolished the USDA Office of Civil Rights" An OFFICE of CIVIL RIGHTS in the USDA? WHAT THE...!!??
tio, have you ever watched Rick Sanchez? He's more rabid than anybody on FOX. I can't BELIEVE how far he goes. It's like Keith Olbermann on CNN, amazing.
YOu ask a good question, however...what's a riot is when the leftwingers complain about bias at FOX and FOX almost never does a story without both sides represented and CNN has two sides MAYBE 3 times a week.
Ducky. STOP. YOu're not listening. Why should we?
She should not have been fired, she was telling an old story; and it's STILL horrifying to hear the feelings that woman had..OKAY?
I thought the statement you quote here (I've heard it 10 time already and thought it each time, too) was lovely. I like what I hear about Sherrod, I just wish she hadn't felt that way EVER and I wish the audience hadn't been right there agreeing...
I ask you AGAIN; imagine if she'd been a white woman with a white audience agreeing to "I decided I'll make it as tough as possible for that Black farmer.."
:-)
Breitbart: He's supposed to just stay quiet and be a polite, docile conservative, I guess we ALL are when we're called racists for no reason, huh? I won't. I'm glad he won't, either.
I'm looking forward to seeing Stephan Borden and Dr Alveda King with Glenn Beck next month in Washington...very powerful message.
As for alienating the Black vote; what do you think your leftwinger memo of "call them racists" is all about? I just wish you'd read my posts and THEN comment if you must.
Ducky, I have to admit you do wonders for riling some of us up!
Thanks, Ducky, you came through and I have changed my opinion as I said I would. That excerpt completely misrepresented her attitude -- and I think also the audience's attitude. I'm impressed that she could talk about God to them.
I DO think that she should have been fired AND prosecuted even about an old incident if all I'd heard before still represented her attitude toward white farmers. But it didn't. The only thing left of her racist attitude is the phrase "his own kind" and in context I think she can be forgiven that.
She should be reinstated to her position with apologies. Everybody who acted on scant information should apologize.
Far as I can tell, Breitbart was acting in good faith, only had the part of the video that is misleading, and there's no need to accuse him of wrongdoing of any sort. It sure LOOKED bad. I'm VERY relieved the woman is not anything like it looked, and while some in the group did laugh at her attitude, I think we can let that go too considering the entire context.
I think it's a case of playing to an audience. Even the full 16:30 tape doesn't mitigate the fact that she was cheered for her racist attitude towards the white farmer before she tied it up into a nice afterschool special hallmark moment for the civilizationally challenged.
We're supposed to breath a sigh of relief that this manipulative racist piece of filth had an epiphany AFTER she got the job?
Give her a cookie and pat her on the head for taking one for the team.
Who else in the Obama administration wants to sojourn the gauntlet, muhahahaha.
Mr. Holder, you're next.
It's disturbing that she is so convinced the white farmer was trying to show her he was "superior" to her. That does set my teeth on edge. That sort of paranoia can motivate all kinds of injustices, and in this case motivated her to see how little she could get away with to help him. That bothers me a great deal, but she did go on to see things differently, she is open to God's leading, and I'm for forgiving her everything and forgiving the group's nervous laughter -- which only shows the history of their own experience of racism after all.
It's disturbing that she is so convinced the white farmer was trying to show her he was "superior" to her. That does set my teeth on edge. That sort of paranoia can motivate all kinds of injustices, and in this case motivated her to see how little she could get away with to help him.
Yup. Bothered me big time. If you act as a victim in life, you'll be one.
I'm glad the Left is finally gaining the experience of having to empathize w/those falsely accused or actually repentant (as this woman appears to be) of racism and unjustly punished for the charges.
Perhaps they'll be less inclined to make the charge in the future... e-r-r-r-r... yeah, right.
btw - Mr. ducky, substituting "class consciousness" for "racism" is NOT a virtuous trade.
Resentiment makes for poor philosophy, no matter what the "charge" against the "other".
It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered. --Aeschylus
Ducky, after reviewing the segment of the tape in question, the questions become:
Who leaked the tape to Breitbart?
Why did the Obama Administration pull the trigger so quickly?
Why do you continue jump the gun and blame the TP and Breitbart for the advancement for this story, before these other two questions are answered? That's the very same thing you are accusing them of and meets the textbook definition of a hypocrite.
That's mighty un-Christian of you, isn't it?
Well, the thing was, her comments were taken out of context (an anecdote taking place 25 years ago about how she USED to only want to help black people).
I don't think what happened to her was fair, based on just the FULL video.
The point is that the Left NEVER grants the Right "Context" on the subject of racism. NEVER.
Just contrast in you mind the treatment Trent Lott received for honoring Stromm Thurmond vs the Obama eulogy for Robert Byrd.
They only give "their own" the benefit of "context".
The NAACP and the Administration and the Dept of Agriculture have all seen their error this morning and believe she should be reinstated in her job, which is all well and good, but it's VERY annoying that they are blaming "conservative blogs" for her ouster when only the NAACP had the full evidence available and no conservative blog had the power to fire her. It's disgusting that they are going to try to make political hay out of this. Same thing as their accusing the tea party of racism in the first place. Blech.
I just went to Breitbart and read and heard more of his take on all this, and finally I understand that his whole mission had nothing at all to do with Shirley Sherrod but only to show that the NAACP that had been aggressively and falsely accusing the tea party of racism had racist attitudes of their own.
I don't see how we can be expected to ignore what Sherrod said and focus only on the audience reaction. If the first excerpt available truly represented her mindset I'd be all in favor of her losing her job --and I still have a lingering feeling after hearing her that it would be best to avoid ever being in a position of dependence on a black person.
There is no doubt that Shirley Sherrod ONCE had racist attitudes that affected her job, and there are probably many others out there like her, and there is no doubt that her reporting on her attitudes elicited a laugh from her audience. But I'm not sure any more how to judge that laughter. They didn't laugh when she said she didn't use her full force to help the man, but only when she joked about how she was thinking about how MUCH to help him while he was supposedly acting "superior" to her.
I don't know. I don't think this incident works very well for Breitbart's purposes because Ms. Sherrod is naturally the focus of it, and now they are blaming him for getting her fired, which is pretty sleazy of them since that wasn't his aim.
At least maybe it gives him an opportunity after the fact, in explaining his position, to show that the accusations of the tea party are big fat lies.
Ducky. Ducky. Ducky.
Sherrod's arrogant attitude (yes, racist as well) and the response of the audience speak volumes about the attitude many blacks seem to have these days: "It's our turn now."
Now, if Sherrod really did redeem herself later in that same speech, then why didn't the Obama administration stand behind her? I'll tell you why: the Dems' fear of losing white votes in November.
America is racially polarized right now -- worse than I've seen in quite a long time. Sad, very sad. Tragic, even.
Perhaps in the 21st century we will persecute the purveyors of "class consciousness" as heartily as racists were pursued in the 20th.
One can dream.
Mustang said:
This issue isn't about Sherrod. It is about the NAACP who stood up in righteous indignation and accused the TEA PARTY as an organization of racists.
Breitbart simply illustrated: get your own house in order.
The NAACP made a huge tactical error in hurling epithets of racism in the direction of the Tea Party Movement.
Joe Conservative Perhaps in the 21st century we will persecute the purveyors of "class consciousness" as heartily as racists were pursued in the 20th.
Racism, classism, gender wars, religious bigotry (meaning truly hateful attacks as opposed to simply pointing out error) all are rooted in basic human pride. And all the aforementioned forms of active hatred are just different manifestations of that basic heart posture.
Those who succumb to the attitudes of fear and resentment that someone else might be "better" on some level believe it is essential to squash "the enemy" into nothingness in order to elevate feelings of personal importance and significance.
H
AOW: You are right of course that the reason for the sudden action to oust her reflects the political concerns of the administration, but to be fair, I don't think anyone had listened to the whole video but only to the excerpt that put her in the worst light.
Ducky posted a link to the whole video that I think exonerates her completely, and apparently the powers that had been condemning her have been rethinking it today in light of the whole video -- rightly, in my opinion. That is really all there should be to it. They should apologize and reinstate her without the slightest prejudice against her in my opinion.
It wasn't only later in the speech that the context was made clear, but in fact she introduced her topic by saying it was about how she'd learned it isn't all about race.
I also heard her interviewed this morning in which it came up that her father had been killed by the KKK and her story is a story of how she rose above race nevertheless. There's no way to avoid the repercussions of our history for some time to come, but she at least deserves credit for her own personal overcoming.
Now, if the NAACP would stop trying to pin this on "conservative blogs" and also apologize for accusing the tea party of racism there'd be cause for real hope.
Nevertheless the whole thing does leave a bad taste behind. We certainly are racially polarized and it really is sad, as you said.
P.S. Again, although Breitbart only had the reaction of the audience in mind and not Sherrod herself, I think he made a tactical error because there's no way this could avoid being about her, and I'm not sure the audience reaction is really as telling as he thinks. It really all depends on the whole context, just as our judgment of Mrs. Sherrod does.
Faith:
I also heard her interviewed this morning in which it came up that her father had been killed by the KKK and her story is a story of how she rose above race nevertheless. There's no way to avoid the repercussions of our history for some time to come, but she at least deserves credit for her own person overcoming.
I still need to look at the video link.
But wanted to let you know how much I appreciate this statement, and the demonstration of humility that has accompanied it, Faith.
It is often in the forgiveness of others for their offenses that true Christ-likeness is made known.
We all say and do things that are based in personal prejudice which is, in turn, shaped by individual life experiences.
The fact that various groups would use a person's humanness (and subsequent acknowledgment of wrongdoing) against her is just plain wrong. Regardless of political leanings, we all can agree on that.
H
Breitbart did not make a tactical error, Faith.
He was never about her except that what she said was horrid, of course...how she'd felt was horrid to hear so blatantly and to hear the agreement from the black audience is horrible, too.
Breitbart did the right thing because he's sick and tired of the leftwingers presuming racism among conservatives. He knows the truth and the truth has NEVER got out.
There are so many examples...for instance, the left lionizes Woodrow Wilson and he did awful things to Black America..etcetc. I'm not going to fight racism here with examples but Breitbart is a hero and because the Obama-media's twisted this makes him nonetheless one, at least in my eyes.
Consider this: The leftwingers have been slinging RACISM at the TPers...there's no evidence that the group is racism, quite the contrary.
YET, it's sticking because of the media. Nobody's really cared enough to want the truth spoken.
Consider this: Breitbart exposes NAACP racism and NOTHING is sticking to them because of the media and they've even managed to make it look like it's HIS FAULT Sherrod was fired instead of reminding America that Obama's thugs called her "at least 3 times" to resign WITHOUT HAVING LOOKED INTO THE FACTS!! Even telling her "You'll be on GLENN BECK!"
They wanted this story KILLED before Beck could tell it!!
ugh. I'm done.
Who'd have ever thought we'd be talking about racism in America...some 'bridge builder' this damned President's come to be. The man who's half white and put BLACK on his Census instead of half/half as he could have indicated. The man who called Mass. police 'stupid' before he got the facts of the professor's situation, remember?
And now he threatens Sherrod to quit so nobody'd notice the video?
I blame so much on our media. It's astonishing.
The TPers are being labeled RACISTS because of a few NUTS who wander onto the park grounds where they meet....and on MSNBC, Norah O'Donnell looks SO distraught at what Sherrod said and then says "But, that doesn't mean everybody in the USDA thinks that waY"
really, Ms O'Donnell? But ALL TPers are RACISTS because some NUT joins them?
I'm leaving for the day. I've had it.
By the way, one more thing while it's on my mind...SHerrod MUST be reinstated. And she MUST tell the truth about her demand for resignation. But she won't.
No human being needs to forgive her, it's between HER and her GOD. I certainly am not looking for anything for her but her job back and her reputation restored. She seems like a very good woman and what she said was rotten but she certainly isn't alone on that and our backgrounds DO make us feel ways we might be ashamed of before we achieve some form of our own personal grace in our life.......
Let's see what happens next.....I can only guarantee you that TPers will still be called RACISTS and the NAACP and the WH's awful treatment of this woman will be long forgotten in a week.
Faith,
Class hatred is as, if not MORE, invidious than racial hatred. The video doesn't "exonerate" her, it merely exposes her more contemporary and politically acceptable form of bigotry.
Her job is as a "civil" servant NOT wealth transfer facilitator. She should serve ALL citizens equally, regardless of race, sex, class, religion, etc. provided they qualify for the services offered under the law. Race and/or class of applicant/supplicant should not be a permitted to be a factor in her job performance. That is does remains a matter of some concern.
No human being needs to forgive her, it's between HER and her GOD.
I assume this was in response to my comment?
I wasn't referring to her being absolved from sin, but rather the release of the human attitude that causes people to hold grudges for whatever offense she may have committed.
When we keep ongoing records of the wrongs others do, it effectively feeds the "beast" and perpetuates the race/class etc. war. And people on both sides of the aisle can become suspicious, bitter and resentful of members of the opposing group.
H
I agree with you completely, Z, I simply think that Breitbart didn't anticipate that the focus would NATURALLY be on Sherrod in his attempt to show up the NAACP's accusations of racism in the tea party, and the focus on her has diluted the emphasis he hoped for.
The impact of what she said AND the audience response to it are BOTH much softened by hearing the entire video, I think. Don't you agree?
By the way, Breitbart has offered $100,000 for evidence of racism in the tea party because he's so sure there wasn't a single such incident -- not even anything about some racist "nut" or "nuts" that did join in with them. What's the true story here?
Joe Conservative, I would agree with you about her emphasis on poverty, and in fact I said as much earlier on -- fairness means you don't defraud the rich either -- but as I listened to the whole video I stopped seeing that as what she was saying, because after all she's working to help people who are threatened with foreclosure, that is, she just IS dealing with poor people and all she meant to say is that she no longer sees this as a race issue.
Class hatred is as, if not MORE, invidious than racial hatred. The video doesn't "exonerate" her, it merely exposes her more contemporary and politically acceptable form of bigotry.
Both attitudes come from the same source.
Who said one is "better" than another?
I'm not a proponent of the "social gospel". When it comes to meting out of justice, poor people shouldn't be favored any more than rich ones just as one skin color or culture or gender should not be automatically favored over another.
Civil servants are supposed to serve, and do it without partiality. But I've not yet met a single person who is truly impartial. She has apparently mentioned God in her statement, and, although I'm not sure what exactly that means to her, I know all believing Christians are in the process of learning and (hopefully) maturing as a result. If He has indeed shown her what was wrong about her previous racist stance, He can certainly continue to teach her concerning class based favoritism.
H
because after all she's working to help people who are threatened with foreclosure, that is, she just IS dealing with poor people .
There are many reasons why someone might be facing foreclosure on any particular piece of property.
Donald Trump faces foreclosure ALL the time. He's even gone bankrupt in the recent past. The fact that he is Donald Trump should NOT prejudice a civil servant in doing their job during a foreclosure proceding.
Whether a farm be of the 10 acres or 1,000 acres variety... BOTH need be saved and its' owners served equally (provided they qualify). Poor/rich has NOTHING to do with it.
I agree with you in principle, Joe Conservative, I just don't think there's any evidence that she has the class prejudice you are talking about. She may have, and at first I heard it that way because of the way the excerpt was originally presented, but the evidence really isn't there when you hear the whole thing. In context she was only saying that in dealing with the poor white farmer she learned that this kind of suffering transcends race.
No, she said it wasn't about helping "black" people... it was all about helping poor people...
It's not about either. Being a civil servant means helping Americans of ALL stripes. EVERY American is her customer, not just the poor ones.
Give her a break, Joe. It was about poor people because she was dealing with poor people. I doubt she ever had a rich client to test your view of her on. Again, maybe you're right that she has class hatred, it wouldn't be a big surprise, but it's all conjecture at this point and she's innocent until proven guilty in my mind.
...16:38 time stamp to 17:00
"The struggle is REALLY about poor people"...
...and again at ~18:28
...and again @ ~21:10 - 21:30
...and again 22:45-23:40 "the rich elites created institutional racism"... it's all about money.
...and again @ 25:25
She then said she signs off on $2-6 million dollar loans, but alas, none go to "people of color"... and do $6 million dollar loans sound like "poor" people to you?
She seems to hate rich/successful people w/$$$ instead of land.... for she also brags about HER grandfather having 515 acres debt free.... and how proud she is for having saved 62 acres of it.
She then pitches her great 100% loans from FHA @ 37:30 and again 39:45 stating "all you need is good credit"... "If there was ever a time for people to become homeowners, now is the time..."
Of course, who needs a subprime loan when she'll qualify you for a government $20k loan at 1%...
Welcome to government owned affirmative action banking era of 2008...
...because the free market is just "too evil".
OK, you made your case. I thought I'd heard the whole video, apparently not.
Also found this at FPM: Shirley Sherrod’s Real Sin is Her Marxist Outlook on Society.
Too bad, but it's not surprising.
The writer of the article at FPM also missed Andrew Breitbart's point, by the way, showing that he really just didn't get it across with the Shirley Sherrod example:
The NAACP’s release of the full video have helped Sherrod fight back charges that she’s a racist, but we also learned she’s a Marxist, which is no better. That’s not so surprising, but I would rather Breitbart have emphasized that, rather than her as a racist, the case for which became considerably weaker once the full video was released.
Breitbart wanted to expose racism in the NAACP to counter their charges of racism in the tea party. That mission has been pretty much lost in the details by now.
That was my point. All the woman has done is substitute something EVERYONE knows is wrong, racial animosity, for a more socially acceptable and morally self-righteous "progressive" class-based hatred.
And yes, I'd cut her slack. She really is trying to help people, even if sometimes only reluctantly.
Apparently, Sherrod's said some things that are pretty bad re whites and non liberals..stay tuned. I'm sorry to learn of this, but when they're given, I'll be posting them.
Interesting conversation and as usual the Duck is talking out of his tail feathers.
I, for one, am not in a forgiving mood.
1) I think she was making racist comments. Yesterday or 20 years ago, don't care
2) The reaction of the crowd adds context to her comments and makes them appear racist
3) I will give no liberal a break for being a "reformed" racist until we have a fully level playing field. (See the Jesse Helms v Robert Byrd deaths)
Call me petty if you will but it is time to push back. The same damned people calling for a break for her were calling Jesse Helms a racist while celebrating Robert Byrd's lifetime of public service.
No forgiveness from me for now.
Joe,
Good point. The take-away seemed to be that racial division is out and class-warfare is in.
If anyone cares what Ann Coulter says on the subject (and I always do): Like USDA official Shirley Sherrod's apparently racist comments excerpted this week from what was, in fact, a commendable speech about racial reconciliation...
tio
Ducky, I was hoping to get your thoughts on the right-wing media. Would you consider them to be similar to advocates of affirmative action? The affirmative activists saw an unjustice done to blacks and therefore advocate policies that, while biassed, bring the overall balance of things closer to even.
The Breitbarts don't claim to give a neutral take. But the CNNs give a liberal perspective. So Breitbart, while not unbiassed, is working to bring the overall balance of things closer to even.
Fair comparrison?
tio
Apparently, Sherrod's said some things that are pretty bad re whites and non liberals..stay tuned. I'm sorry to learn of this, but when they're given, I'll be posting them.
Well, let it all come out. I've seen some hints along these lines in my internet travels today too. Even if she was misrepresented in that excerpt and shouldn't have lost her job over it, it does seem that she represents a deep iceberg of black racism -- AND Marxism --that's generally ignored while only whites get called racist -- and falsely and calculatedly for the most part at that.
By the way, I don't think Breitbart misrepresented her -- I think he recognized that in context her remarks weren't all that damning when he posted the excerpt, and he's said he had no wish for her to lose her job and that she wasn't his concern in any case. He was ONLY concerned to show the racist reaction of the assembled NAACP members. It didn't work but that was his aim.
I for one see no reason to come to Shirley Sherrod's defense. It's not about Shirley Sherrod losing her job for making racist remarks (she did after all, make racist remarks), but rather about the NAACP hosting AND cheering her racist remarks.
It's been said that the video takes her comments out of context. Are the NAACP cheers of her racist remarks out of context?
Further, the full video (nearly 45 minutes) does not mitigate Sherrod's racist comments. It MAKES THEM WORSE.
The full video of her NAACP banquet speech has her accusing the Bush administration and Republicans of eight years of racism and whitewashing the clear racism of the Obama administration.
That would be the Bush administration that had a black National Security Adviser and Secretary of State. The Bush administration that tripled foreign aid to Africa. The Bush administration that nominated the first Hispanic Attorney General.
Compare that to the Obama administration dropping an air tight voter intimidation criminal case against the racist Black Panthers.
I'd say the left's glass house is fairly shattered on the subject of racism.
Should Shirley Sherrod get her job back? Hell no.
Should the NAACP be listened to as an authority on the subject of racism? Please, stop tickling me to death. Hell no.
No reason to back down on this. The NAACP hosted and cheered a racist.
Clearly I didn't hear that whole video or I wouldn't have been all that eager to champion Shirley Sherrod. Here's the latest information from FPM.
Funny I thought I had heard it all -- I guess I heard enough to change my mind about the particular excerpt in question -- that part seemed incontrovertible at the time.
And I think I would still have had to say that as far as that excerpt goes she was misrepresented by it and there was no cause in it for so precipitously calling for her resignation.
However, more is surfacing, from that same video I hope I will now get around to hearing all the way through, and from interviews she's been giving since this incident occurred.
True blue partisan leftist racist is what she STILL is. Blaming it all on -- guess who -- the right. Calling the conservative objection to Obamacare "racist."
Her "transformation" was worth
NOTHING.
Sorry I've been so lax myself in following this story out through all the necessary facts. I also apologize to Joe Conservative for putting him through tracking them down to make his point about her Marxist mindset. Wastes a lot of time.
Too many twists and turns in this story. Don't see how there could be any more surprises at this point though. Hm, better not predict anything I guess.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/Examiner-Opinion-Zone/Shirley-Sherrods-Disappearing-Act-Not-So-Fast-98846149.html
Faith, I haven't heard a word about this in the msn, and I don't stand behind it, but it sure does seem 'interesting' to me!
Don't be hard on yourself...many of us have been duped. There's something VERY strange in this whole thing. I'd sure like to know who edited that tape before he got it to Breitbart though Breitbart might have wanted to demand to see the whole thing before breaking the story. I think he was so sick of the RACIST moniker being thrown at people he respects, and himself, that he acted as quickly as any of us probably would have. Still, as he says, the reaction of the crowd was pretty telling, wasn't it.
i believe she called republicans STUPID today and much more, as you suggest.......she's not someone I admire, that's for sure. I like to think some people who are loving and intelligent can have enough of an epiphany to really change their hearts and minds: I don't believe that's the case here with Mrs. Sherrod, sadly.
Thanks for the link. I'd seen some references to that suit but this makes it sound like there could be some fraud going on there too.
When someone refers to God as she did on that video, advising "young people" to trust God for their life choices and so on, I tend to give her a BIG benefit of the doubt. Maybe I shouldn't. For all I know she isn't really a Christian, you can call on God and be a liberal Christian or a Jehovah's Witness or a Muslim after all.
True Christians may certainly have wonderful character-changing epiphanies, changing from the worst to the best overnight -- like John Newton who was transformed from a crass foulmouthed slave trader to a joyful loving Christian. I don't know if she simply had a limited change of heart or isn't a Christian. But as the article said, she's not going away for a while so maybe we'll eventually find all that out.
except for having a media as dishonest as ours, you'd have a point, Faith.xxx
I want a divorce. I want the leftists to go one way and the sane right go the other. I wish this were possible. I'm sick of their lies and slanders, their self-deceit and their evil plots to destroy the nation. Let them run their idiot Marxist utopia within their own borders until it implodes as all such societies eventually do, and let us run our Constitutionally grounded sane prosperous and peaceful society separately behind an armed wall as thick as the Great Wall of China until they see the light and come crawling for help. Oh we can send out missionaries to them, we can be loving Christians to them, but let's live SEPARATELY.
Speaking of great walls, in feudal times when the world was dotted with castle-fortified territories everywhere, armies trying to breach the walls would be met with a hail of arrows and boiling oil poured down on them from specially constructed vents. That's the only sane way to welcome illegal aliens.
Apparently I'm not in a very Christian mood today.
Faith, I can't blame you..not a bit. I feel like things are spiraling down SO fast and all we can do is stand there and watch us lose America.
Every day, faster and faster...things happening behind the scenes, bills passing without our knowing what's in them, news happening and people not hearing the truth........
It feels like an impossible situation.
man
It feels like an impossible situation.
regardless of what *she* is, those who are watching can choose to not respond on the same level and become overly emotional, angry and bitter.
If she truly has not been changed--and has been shown to be unrepentantly racist, dishonest or whatever, then it is important to be aware and act accordingly, but be mature enough to not allow the satisfaction of the race-baiting to be the determining factor.
Sometimes, the only thing you can *do* in a situation like this is illustrate by example a difference in character.
h
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