Matalin: "I think these civil rights leaders are nothing more than racists. And they're keeping ... their African-American brothers enslaved"
SUMMARY: Commenting on Fox News' Hannity & Colmes about the speakers at Coretta Scott King's funeral, Mary Matalin said, "I think these civil rights leaders are nothing more than racists" who are keeping "their African-American brothers enslaved."
Apparently referring to some of the speakers at Coretta Scott King's February 7 funeral, Republican political strategist Mary Matalin stated that "these civil rights leaders are nothing more than racists." Continuing, Matalin claimed that "they're keeping constituency, they're keeping their neighborhoods and their African-American brothers enslaved ... by continuing to let them think that they're -- or forced to think that they're victims." Matalin's comments came during the February 8 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes.
Several speakers at the funeral included political messages, some critical of President Bush, in their addresses, drawing sharp criticism from numerous conservative figures.
From the February 8 edition of Fox News's Hannity & Colmes:
MATALIN: Well, when you're -- have no facts -- you know, there's no facts, there's no vision. Therefore, there's no hope, it's all hate, and it's all anger. So it's -- I'll say again, it's sad. Look, this -- we're at a time in our nation's history where we need all the best brains involved in the process, and one whole party has taken itself out of the game here.
SEAN HANNITY (co-host): Yeah.
MATALIN: And the reason that -- it's not their face. It's not their message. There's no policy, there's no facts. I mean, the attacks on the president yesterday completely missed the progress that's been made in the African-American community, which can be credited to President Bush. African-American homeownership at an all-time high --
HANNITY: Well --
MATALIN: -- the achievement gap between the white and black students at a high, closing, narrowing. I mean, you know, I think these civil rights leaders are nothing more than racists. And they're keeping constituency, they're keeping their neighborhoods and their African-American brothers enslaved, if you will, by continuing to let them think that they're -- or forced to think that they're victims, that the whole system is against them. Articulate it better, Sean; it's so sad to me.
Man. Wow.
I keep wondering if right wing talkers go back and read over what they've said and think to themselves, "What was I thinking?"
These are very sick people who I don't think really have much time between ranting to have any kind of self reflection.
The only Civil Rights leaders the right wing likes are the dead ones.
My my my....how soon they forget. If it wasn't for some of the same civil rights leaders that Ms. Matalin is bashing, she wouldn't be on television giving any kind of opinion. The civil rights movement wasn't just about the rights of black people, women's rights were fought for as well. She should thank civil rights leaders for her having a job.
It's also nice to see that Ms. Matalin has such a wealth of knowledge about the black community that she can actually speak to their needs. *sarcasm alert*
I mean, the attacks on the president yesterday completely missed the progress that's been made in the African-American community, which can be credited to President Bush. African-American homeownership at an all-time high. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Oh yes Bush is the Black man's best friend. BTW, I think home ownership is at an all time high for all Americans especially when you factor in the practices of putting people in houses they really can't afford to maintain by providing 100% financing. I understand foreclosures are at an all time high as well. More smoke and mirrors.
According to the most recent polls, President Bush scores in the low single digits (about 2%) in terms of popularity among African Americans. With a margin of error at about 4% it is entirely possible that Bush has an astounding 0% popularity rating in this area. (Some of the pollsters have said that they have never seen such a low rating for an American President.)
Bush may actually have a negative approval rating among African Americans. The man truly can work miracles!
tooth decay
I wouldn't go as far as calling these civil rights leaders racists, Matalin shouldn't be throwing around that label so loosely. But I have no doubt they play the race card, and race bait whenever it's advantageous for them.......they have a vested interest in promoting the "us vs. them" victim mentality, because it keeps them relevant and furthers their agendas, both financially and otherwise.
Thankfully, they speak no more for all African American's than do many white leaders speak for all caucasians.
First I didn't hear anything during the funeral about civil rights leaders stating that it is us vs them, or how its white people's fault for their predictament. What I did hear was criticism of George Bush's policies (WMD, Katrina, NSA spying). However what are black people to think when you consider what George Bush has done. He has held 2 elections in which they have prevented black people from voting. They overthrew the only democraticly elected president in Haiti's history. They didn't give a spit about Hurricaine Katrina. Dick Cheney was a huge supporter of apartheid South Africa. What do you expect black people to think. We are bombarded with George Bushes message they just don't except it. It has nothing to do with an "us, them" mentality.
Anytime anybody on this board even comes close to using the word "racist", you jump all over them. Now here is Mary Matalin on national TV using the dreaded "R" word, and you come up with a lame "I wouldn't go as far as calling these civil rights leaders racists" but then you go on to agree with what she says. If this were somebody on the left in a similar circumstance you would be outraged. Sorry Tommy, your credibility on this topic is pretty much zilch as far as I'm concerned.
Wanderwoman,
Read my comments again before you post so ineptly. I have no clue if they are racists or not, I don't accuse people of that because it goes more to their heart than to their stupid statements. I am not surprised you fail to see the distinction.
However, race baiting is common among the civil rights leaders she is referring to..........whether they are racists or not is between them and their conscience.
You have often chided people on this board for using the term racist, and yet you fail to chide Matalin here. You apparently think it's ok if she uses the word? Looks like hypocracy to me.
Chide? The only people I may have chided are those that have called me a racist - you misrepresent, once again. I have said I disagreed with Matalin using the term racist, what would you have me do - call for her arrest?
I know some liberals throw the term racist around whenever their is any disagreement on liberal politics regarding minorities, I happen to prefer to be more prudent and cautious when using such an inflammatory accusation.
Matalin was wrong in calling them racists, in my opinion, but her comments about race baiting were not.
Satisified?
I disagree with you in your blanket statement about race-baiting, but at least you have stated that she was wrong, which is a bit more consistent.
Of course, you have a selective memory when it comes to who you chide about using the word racist. If a liberal poster on this board uses the word, you jump all over them whether it is directed at you or not. If a conservative poster uses it, you generally ignore it. I'll be sure to point it out next time it happens so you will see what I am talking about. Just as a public service. >:]
Can you clarify the race baiting that went on at the funeral. BTW, I love that we're all discussing a funeral that probably wouldn't have gotten any of this coverage if Bush hadn't attended. Of course, this wasn't the story they had planned on covering....
Now you know Tommy makes no mistakes, he's perfect. Tommy Wander has you here. If this statement had been made by a White woman on the left you would have said she was 'pandering'. Admit it.
I have no idea what you are talking about? A white woman on the left? Saying what? That civil rights leaders are racists? Who on the left would say that?
I have said I disagreed with her.............what would you like? To satisfy you?
Face it, anytime anyone other than a black liberal offers up any mention of race you somehow feel you have some moral authority to speak to it better than anyone. But you do not.
Face it, anytime anyone other than a black liberal offers up any mention of race you somehow feel you have some moral authority to speak to it better than anyone. But you do not.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Oh Tommy you wound me deeply. Nevertheless I beleive the fact that I have maneuvered the world in this beautiful brown skin does provide me with a unique perspective that someone who doesn't have beautiful brown skin wouldn't have. It doesn’t mean I believe that I am the only one with the moral moral authority to comment on race. I think an HONEST discussion about race by all Americans is healthy thing. I sincerely mean that whether you believe I do or not. But my dear friend, I have noticed that number 1 -you don't take criticism well and number 2 - You can't admit when you're wrong. Now this is off off topic so I'll stop now since these posts are gonna get the boot anyway
Read many of my posts, I have admitted several times making a mistake. I take criticism well if it's intellectually honest and not misrepresented.
I do agree with you on one thing, healthy discussions of race is a welcome thing in this country. What is not is marginalizing those that disagree with you by labeling them to avoid discussing the real problems and issues.......that happens much too often here.
"What is not is marginalizing those that disagree with you by labeling them to avoid discussing the real problems and issues.......that happens much too often here."
The basic disagreement between the right and the left on most everything is this:
The right: "Nobody's a victim, quit your whining and pull yourself up by the bootstraps. Hey, she was ASKIN' for it, look at the way she was dressed."
The left: "Let's all pull together and help each other out for the greater good of society."
See, the problem is that the Right loves to blame the victim, and doesn't understand the concept of The Greater Good, because they're too busy getting THEIRS, and to hell with everyone else. This mindset will never be accepted by the left, or people with a conscience or morals.
race baiting is common among the civil rights leaders she is referring to ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Race baiting is common among the Foxites and their guests. This segment was supposed to be about how the right feels that inappropriate politcal statements aimed at the president were made at a funeral. How and why did this turn into a discussion about race? They were race baiting as usual because the Fox's audience eats this stuff up. This is also another example of the continued effort of the Foxites and the political right's focus on discrediting civil rights leaders and their mission. It's having the opposite effect, the AA community are rallying around these people who they feel are being unfairly attacked byt the right.
meant to say how the right felt that the statements were inapropriate.
But I have no doubt they play the race card, and race bait whenever it's advantageous for them - from tommy
So tell me, when are pointing out legitimate instances of prejudice and discrimination and when are they race-baiting? On whose judgment should we rely? Yours? I don't think so.
I see the accusation of race-baiting used far too often when genuine discrimination is being addressed. It's a cheap and easy way of casually dismissing a issue that one doesn't want to deal with.
This is a white man's language trying to frame a black man's point of view. The people who assert this rhetoric today are the same ones who were behind the firehoses forty five years ago. Same language, same people, different year.
When Mary Matalan says blacks are doin' good for themselves, narrowin' the gap, pullin themselves up by their bootstraps, it's considered gospel. When civil rights leaders point out there is still systematic bias, lack of opportunities, and *gasp* racism, they are vilified.
The entire conservative discourse around this funeral has been to neutralize the politics behind the civil rights movement to the benefit of Republicans. Kinda funny, since today's Republicans for the most part represent yesterday's Democrats on the issue.
These neocon scum got it backwards again. Civil rights leaders aren't the racists. They have given their lives in civil war against the white racist society which kidnapped, enslaved, brainwashed, segregated, lynched and brutally expolited blacks in every conceivable fashion. We do not thank white racists for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 we thank civil rights leaders. Get it right bozo.
Some of these civil rights leaders are living off the backs of the very people they claim to help. They make many people feel they need this civil rights leader in order to survive. Let's face it, if many of the followers felt empowered by themselves or by support of their families ,some civil rights leaders would be out of a job & their fame.
Don't get me wrong, I completely understand the need year not too long agowhen many couragious people sacraficed greatly to demand equalityand I am so forever greatful. Today, however, when I see people like Jesse Jackson saying the things he does while living off the donations of others it sickens me.
>>>Some of these civil rights leaders are living off the backs of the very people they claim to help.
You know, these unnamed "civil rights leaders" just might be sincere, too, and might be trying to help their fellow man for idealistic reasons, and/or because of their religious beliefs. Certain people sadly seem to find those motives hard to believe.
You're right Dave, I said "SOME of these civil rights leaders". People like Jesse Jackson, Julian Bond, Al Sharpton, and Louis Farakhan make their living telling black people how bad the people of our country are how much they need the "leaders" to speak for them. I never said ALL!
I wonder if you speak out as publicly and vocally about white leaders who make their livings off white people.
In any case, I stand by my comment. Sadly enough, idealistic, humanitarian values -rather than monetary ones- are difficult for some on the right to fathom.
She was stumbling on to something and then went way out of bounds.
I'm a black American who was born and raised in a predominently black suburb of Washington DC. The problem with some black leaders (not all ) is that they focus to much on the negative. Yes, it is harder for blacks than whites. Yes, blacks were abused for centuries in the US. Instead of telling people that the deck is stacked against them, say "Hey, it is harder for blacks than whites in the country but if you work harder enough you can succeed. Here why I say that.
My father came from this country from Jamaica to Washington DC, 16 years old and completely illiterate. His was ostricized by classmates and called stupid by his teachers. He was a "jungle bunny" and a spear chucker". He worked a full time job cleaning office building.s Today he mechinal engineer for a multinational corporation who he has worked for the past20 years. His classmates? Most of them are dead, drug addicts or are in jail. The difference? Mentality. The one lesson he learned growing up where you work a full time job as soon as you can walk was that LIFE IS TOUGH AND HARD WORK is the key to success. I' m not saying you don't fight the injustices on our country. I'm not saying you don't highlight racism and bigotry. BUT, that needs to be done by our black civil rights leaders COUPLED with a message of hard work and determination. Maybe that is happening and I'm uniformed. But living in Prince Georges County Marland right outside Washington DC, I don't see that attitude from a lot of our black countrymen.
"An overwhelming percentage of our users agreed that Minister Farrakhan made the most positive impact on the Black community over the past year and chose him as the person most worthy to receive the honor of BET.com's 2005 Person of the Year," said Retha Hill, BET.com's vice president for Content.
Of all the black leaders, this is who we choose? A guy he blamed Bush for blowing up the levees in New Orleans? I hear that and I want to cry.
Instead of focusing on what others do to us, we instead need to focus on what we can do for ourselves.
Couldn't agree more.
So You're saying that most Blacks DON'T work hard??
Sounds like you're playing right into the common stereotypes propagated by the right wingers...
I like to think that the message of working hard/being productive is one of those "understood" messages...
As for Matalin, well she is a conservative commentator and it should be surprising that she'd be race-baiting..
After all, if i were to use the language of many right-wingers, a "lot" of right-wingers/conservatives are quite skilled at it (race-baiting), and considering it was part of the republican party platform...
Just because a conservative pundit says it, doesn't make it so.. Just my opinion, as always..
I meant "it shouldn't be surprising" with regards to Ms Matalin..
Race baiting is what Ms Matalin is doing. Civil rights leaders directing our attention to instances of racism, discrimination, inequality and yes, the incompetence of the Bush administration is simply speaking of the reality of the American scene. And anyway people in minority status and out of power cannot be racists. Sure, there are instances of dislike and prejudice but this is not the same as racism.
Thank you, race baiting is extactly what she is doing. I've noticed it to be a rather common practice on the right. It's also rather common for them to attribute their own bad behavior to others. And if somebody (on the right or left) uses the words slavery, enslaved, plantation in the poltical context with AAs again I think I'll scream.
"And anyway people in minority status and out of power cannot be racists."
Of COURSE they can- anyone, of ANY race, can hate ANY OTHER race at any time. That's the definition of Racism- hating someone of another race. It doesn't say ANYTHING about subjective status applied to that race.
Yikes, get a clue please.
Aarebeeo wrote: "And anyway people in minority status and out of power cannot be racists."
Yo've got to be kidding me! Anyone, anywhere, anytime can be a racist. Please!!
hey im in a wheelchair. that makes me a minority. i can hate anyone i want. in fact, you should see me hate. it's impressive
How does she have the nerve to say something like "forced to think that they're victims".
The people of New Orleans weren't forced to BE victims by the civil rights leaders. They were victimized by the storms and left to die by an administration that chose to ignore their suffering. FEMA was working very well under Clinton but the current administration merged it into Homeland Security and cut funding. they also added several layers of political hacks at the top.
Do you know how tiring it is to listen to these knuckleheads telling me what I think. Maitlin is a disingenous right wing hack and she could give a damn about my "African American Brothers". It makes her soooooooo sad, give me a break.
According to those recent university studies, racists favor the GOP.
Also, Dictionary.com defines "racist" as "a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others." I doubt many civil rights leaders believe that blacks are superior to whites. She probably should look that up before she speaks.
I 'm saying that in this country the message from some black leader discourages some blacks from applying themselves fully. If you keep telling someone that the Man is going to hold them down- that has an effect. No, blacks are not lazy, but some are discouraged.
Thanks Tommy, I like a lot of your posts. I think it is good that there are posts that aren't necessarily left of center. Debate allows you to see different perspectives and test the soundness of your arguements; it is actually a good way to learn. So, I encourage people to disagree me because maybe I will learn something.
Nothing but fake, phony concern for "African-American brothers" from Matalin here.
you can totally tell she hangs with the brothers. she's probably down with the N.B.A and watches lots of Yo MTV Raps. Rumor has it she's got a bad '64 impala too.
"But I have no doubt they play the race card, and race bait whenever it's advantageous for them.......they have a vested interest in promoting the "us vs. them" victim mentality, because it keeps them relevant and furthers their agendas, both financially and otherwise.
Can you tell us when a how this has been, Tommy? You simply conjured that up.
Can you tell us when a how this has been, Tommy?
*Can you tell us when and how this has been done, Tommy?
...are the dead ones.
You're right about that. When they're alive they either villify them or ignore them.
Nobody has worked harder in America than enslaved black people. No matter how hard your father worked or didnt work, if it wasn't for the civil rights movement he'd still have no right to vote and be considered 3/5 human.
Black people were never 3/5's" human", they were 3/5's a vote! The time of slavery was a terrible mark on our country's history and I wish it would've never happened. That ugly past however is not an excuse to not succeed in life. I am greatful for the courageous people who demanded a change, but lets not forget many races have been involved in discrimination & dealt the repercussions of anothers evil.
Most black people in America HAVE made it despite slavery, segregation, discrimination and all of the other race-based injustices conservatives throughout history fought so hard to preserve.
People like you can't seem to recognize that. You just want to continually point out those who haven't "made it" and heap your scorn and judgement upon them.
Blacks counted for 3/5 of a person in determining the population of slave states in the apportioning of members of the House of Representatives. They counted for 0/5 of a vote, because they weren't allowed to vote.
I apologize I was not a precise as you were. The pointI was trying to make is for districting purposes Blacks were considered 3/5. If not, the South would have had far more respresentation in Washington.
Because you're in SERIOUS need of a wake-up call. Don't make statements that are just manifestly untrue- READ the Constitution before you claim to know what it says, OK? Otherwise, you'll just continue to look the fool here.
3/5's myth Black people were never 3/5's" human", they were 3/5's a vote! The time of slavery was a terrible mark on our country's history and I wish it would've never happened. That ugly past however is not an excuse to not succeed in life. I am greatful for the courageous people who demanded a change, but lets not forget many races have been involved in discrimination & dealt the repercussions of anothers evil. - shannon ---------------------------------------------------------
The arrogance and blindness of mis-educated whites in a white supremacy society never ceases to amaze me. There is no 3/5 myth o blind one, it is a fact. Read your Constitution. Blacks were counted as 3/5 of a person; they didnt have 3/5 of a vote, they had no vote at all because devils didn't consider them fully human. Only devils were allowed to vote.
If you really believe that the white race did not consider blacks to be subhuman, you have a fatal case of amnesia. The perverted idea that blacks are subhuman was the core of the devil's justification for kidnapping, torturing and enslaving them. This is why your Supreme Court once held that blacks had no rights that a white man was bound to respect. This is why Darwin advocated genocide of the Black race which he called anthropomorphous apes. One could go on forever because it is hard to find white literature before the 1960s which does not portray blacks as subhuman. If you have never seen such a reference you were either born yesterday or you have never read a book.
White racism is not past. It is past, present and continuing. Slavery was but one modulation of a variety of forms white racism has taken from segregation to apartheid, disenfranchisement to discrimination.....
You NEVER know what you are talking about
how in tune with the African-American community Mary Matalin, George Bush, and Bill O'Reilly are.
Black people were never 3/5 human, but they were counted as such to determine representation for congressional districts, even though they were 100% human.
But, no, they didn't have 3/5 of a vote. They couldn't vote at all.
Ironically, their oppressors would have held less political power if slaves were not counted at all.
100% human beings who had 0% representation of their interests in the congress.
... is that programs designed to relieve poverty by giving people money destroy their ability to support themselves by working. Welfare is not mandatory, and believing that you suffer from injustice does not make you unable to succeed.
When civil rights leaders rail against racial injustice, they are reacting to population-level statistics on wealth, education, life-expectancy, employment, compensation, and incarceration that show racial inequalities in all those respects. If those averages are not the result of social injustice, they must be the result of a race-correlated failure -- some congenital lack of virtue. The only other explanation is that attempts to redress those inequalities are destroying peoples' ability to redress them themselves.
The first explanation is that of progressives, and demands social change that is unacceptable to conservatives. The second is patently racist and outrageous. So, conservatives have settled on the third, and engage in Matalin's type of arrogant and patronizing exercise in telling other people what it's like to be them, and forming paranoid conspiracy theories about the ulterior motives of the other side.
The argument that the solution to social inequity lies in those who suffer from it working hard and living right, and avoiding "moral mistakes" (what a charmingly patrician and condescending term, Tommy), rings pretty hollow after 100 years of hard work and clean living by black Americans who still suffer disproportionately from the burdens of poverty. Just what "moral mistake" has someone committed who works his whole life at a benefitless, minimum wage job, and never gets ahead?
That is a question that an increasing number of Americans are going to ask the conservatives as the Baby Boom retires; I wonder what their answer will be.
"Aarebeeo wrote: "And anyway people in minority status and out of power cannot be racists." "Yo've got to be kidding me! Anyone, anywhere, anytime can be a racist. Please!!"
There really needs to be an encyclopedic, rather than dictionary, treatment of this. I would refer readers to the more comprehensive wikipedia definition of "racism" (the whole thing is very much worth a read), but most specifically, the following passage:
"Some commentators on racism use the idea more narrowly to refer to a system of oppression, as in institutional racism; a nexus of racist beliefs, whether explicit, tacit or unconscious; practices; organizations and institutions that combine to discriminate against and socially marginalize a class of people who share a common racial designation. For these commentators, 'racism' as a term is usefully applied only to the dominant group in a society, because it is that group which has the means to oppress others. The backlash from weaker groups with what would be described, on a broader conception, as "racist" beliefs or attitudes are said to display "racial prejudice", but it is not theoretically appropriate to refer to them as "racist" or as displaying "racism". In short, this view limits racism to the effective repression of “racial” groups due to racial prejudice."
In other words, anyone can be racially prejudiced, but it takes dominant systemic power to exert "racism." The latter obviously is much more vicious in its roots and in its effects.
Ok, the real evidence that Matalin "race-baited" (besides being presumptuous and--yes--racist-- enough to tell black people what they should and shouldn't say for a funeral of one of their own) is that she made a blanket statement about "civil rights activists" without giving a single specific example--not even one from the funeral! What on EARTH is she talking about? She could not cough up a single quote from 10 hours of funeral talk to justify her accusations.
I would like to know exactly what celebrated civil rights leaders have encouraged black people to believe they are simply victims and thus need not work hard. One example? Please? If a person can't come up with one, s/he has no business making such inane statements.
For those of you who think there is no white-against-black racism in this country, I have an experiment for you. First, read "Black Like Me." Or even better, find yourself some black friends to help you (if you can), and put on black face and neck makeup, get a black afro wig, wear sunglasses (eyes can give you away if you are white), and take a drive in the rural deep south. (Have a really nice car.) Drive by yourself out in the country. Then find a little town. Go shopping in upscale stores. Walk around the streets. Apply for a job several nice places. Apply for tenancy in several nice apartments. Walk up and sit next to white guys at bars and lunchcounters. Apply for membership at some nice country clus. Ask white women to dance at a neighborhood hoedown or a neighborhood dance club. Start this experiment in the fall and go to a primarily black voting district on voting day. See what happens to you. Seriously.
Then come back and tell us about how racism is over.
"...their neighborhoods..."
"...their brothers..."
These are racist phrases. They make THE OTHER out of African-Americans.
If Matalin weren't racist, she'd use her mouth and position to figure out a way to bring black people into her neighborhood. "Their" and "our" are indicators of someone comfy with racial division.
Good points. Curiosity got the best of me and I surfed some of the right wing blogs to see what was being said about the CSK funeral and oh God! One post particular stood out a poster said that the "BLACK COMMUNITY had disrespected an American president" Implication in my opinion is that we (Blacks) are something other than Americans.
Yes, Lynn, that is another example of racism, of framing Americans as The Other based upon race. We reveal far more than we wish with our words.
Lynn, I wish I could describe your example as fine. It's not. It's foul. It comes from the foul assumption that the BLACK COMMUNITY is so far removed that the American president isn't their president. And in key ways, he isn't.
Your astuteness, however, is fine. So fine.
If Ms. Matalin shared coffee with me, I would say, "Black Americans are not THEIR African-American brothers. They are yours too. But to make this real, you must live in multi-racial neighborhoods. You must have these fellow Americans in your home. Feed them. Love them. And you must behave in ways that enable reciprocity."
But far too many white people live behind walls: in gated communities.
To lift a line from the Great Communicator, I say: "My fellow Americans, tear down those walls!"
It just rings as completely condescending and detached to hide behind statistics in order to tell ME how well I'M doing, and how much better I'VE got it these days. "Achievement Gaps" and "Home Ownership" have nothing to do with erradicating racism; they are merely vague statistics used as tools that enable white people of privilege such as herself to pat themselves on the back, as is they're doing us some sort of favor.
If racism and racial prejudices did not exist in the first place, then there would be no NEED for any favors of any sort.
Again, just unbelievable.
Well said! I think at the root of all of this is the willingness on the part of the Republican'ts/Neocan'ts to make presumptions about what an African American might want said on behalf of them them at their funeral. They presume they have some special insight into their philosophy while, when they were alive, they'd feel uncomfortable sharing a park bench with them.
Isn't that the height of arrogance? The mere notion that Rev. Lowry did some kind of disservice to the memory of Coretta Scott King by pointing out the folley of this president's "war" is preposterous.
Martin Luther King's, Jr.'s own words in 1967 (should any of president's gum beaters ever have troubled themselves to study them) should have given them pause when publicly wringing their hands in honor Martin Luther King's wife!
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NOVEMBER 1967 “It is disgraceful that a Congress that can vote upwards of $35 billion a year for a senseless immoral war in Vietnam cannot vote a weak $2 billion dollars to carry on our all too feeble efforts to bind up the wound of our nations 35 million poor.”
I guess he was "race-baiting" then too?