Enough for what? To prove that, out of millions of TP participants or sympathizers, that an idiot has been spotted?
It is laughable to compare the NAA-A-A-P's actions with the Tea Party's.
The former has statements from its leaders to its formally gathered members making false claims--claims that are racially motivated. The latter--at best--shows (possible) footage of an idiot with racist views. (Keep in mind, we don't know if it's even authentic. And also keep in mind, the "verbal attack" on the Congressman & his aides has not been corroborated--even though dozens of cameras were at the event).
So....systemic, public statements from leaders, versus possible stupid statements from a face in the crowd. Sorry...but in your attempt to be "even-handed," you're ignoring facts.
I will agree that both sides need to speak the truth.
But in no way can I go along with, "they're both equally to blame."
The NAA-A-A-P's behavior in recent days has been more egregious and more systemic than the Tea Party's. Leadership for the NAACP versus individual rank and file of the Tea Party.
I didn't say "both are
equally to blame". I said a
fault on either side... does not make one side all right, and the other all wrong". The point was, and what the picture was "enough" to show, is that there are racist elements in the organization, and thus
a cause for likely concern, which people seemed to be denying altogether; as if it was all being entirely made up.
Nope, it's real simple: I'm just saying the NAACP, the "Pot", was planning to call the Tea Party, the "Kettle", black. The NAACP, a racist group if there ever was one, just about always takes the racist approach. Will they every muzzle their own attack dogs? It's amazing how many people out there still keep trying to make excuses for them.
Now
this is the best example of what this whole discussion is about:
SOURCE
SOURCE2
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democratic race-baiter with a propensity to make profoundly stupid remarks, addressed the NAACP. Here's her words:
Quote:
All those who wore sheets a long time ago have now lifted them off and started wearing [applause], uh, clothing, uh, with a name, say, I am part of the tea party. Don’t you be fooled. [voices: "That's right.", applause] Those who used to wear sheets are now being able to walk down the aisle and speak as a patriot because you will not speak loudly about the lack of integrity of this movement. Don’t let anybody tell you that those who spit on us as we were walking to vote on a health care bill for all of America or those who said Congresswoman Jackson-Lee’s braids were too tight in her hair had anything to do with justice and equality and empowerment of the American people. Don’t let them fool you on that [applause]….
And what reaction does she get from this tripe?
Well...enthusiastic support. So much for "color blind."
The line about about folks spitting on members of congress prior to the health care vote? Absolute lie. $100,000 rewards are available for anyone who can prove these allegations are true: those rewards remain unclaimed.
So enough with the "tea party and NAACP are just alike, just on opposite political sides."
No, they're not. Not even close.
I didn't really say "they were exactly alike", either.
The difference is that one is established, and fighting for relevancy, which you all will gleefully point out. The other is newer and more
reactive, with fresh passion, and the concern is, just as that quote suggests, that racists have gotten involved in it.
They did not all drop off of the face of the earth, or give up.
Of course, if the NAACP is the most racist organization now, then I guess the Klan and the Neo-Nazi's
did just disappear. But of course they didn't. Many simply changed their tactics, and made more of an effort to
blend in more with the general conservative movement.
To me, part of their modern tactic is to keep casting blame (directly or indirectly) on minorities for the nation's financial problems, by focusing on "taxes spent on social programs", and speech about "vast hordes of lazy grasshoppers" (sometimes cast as some class of "well-fed poor") to the exclusion of all other government waste, and other destinations of "wealth redistribution".
This touches upon many average taxpayer's concerns, and if they don't pay attention to the real issues, they might be none the wiser of the intentions, and then be shocked when someone points it out.
So the defense seems to be to totally cast the other side as totally off the wall, and one's own side as totally innocent, or then admit "a few kooks" when it can't be denied.
I think both sides need to refocus. I'm not saying anything about "equal" or "blame"; both sides of the issue have been led to blame each other, and I believe it is a distraction, as nothing ever gets better this way.
Just for fun, here are some other brilliant statements by Ms. Lee (Jackson-Lee? How do you refer to hyphenated women? Oh well, it doesn't matter...if I do it wrong, it's because I'm a racist anyway. She'll probably sue me for a civil rights violation):
- Lee "educated" Congress on the current levels of cooperation between "North and South Vietnam." And no...it isn't a mis-statement. The whole speech is about how the two countries are working together.
- On a visit to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2005, Rep. Lee made embarrassing news by asking if the Mars Pathfinder had taken an image of the flag planted there in 1969 by Neil Armstrong.
- She has also urged better relations between the U.S. and Venezuela, which she describes as a friendly nation. She said the U.S. should reconsider its ban on selling F-16 fighter jets and spare parts to that country.
How can someone that stupid, and that racist, possibly be elected to a national office?
Of course, to oppose her would be...(join with me in saying)....
racist.
Well, she sounds like the Palin of the Left.
And your side keeps mocking that way, but I don't actually see anyone saying that to oppose any of these people in instances like this would be racist. I do see the other side saying that any opposition to them is the "true" racism, or socialism, or anti-America, and a host of other pejoratives.
