A soon to be released book, "Game Change", written by Time magazine Mark Halperin and New York magazine John Heilemann is a collection of observations made during the historic 2008 Presidential campaign. At the end of the week last week, many pundits salivated at the potential nuggets of talk to arise from the words in print. The latest in the discussion are the remarks made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) when he "described in private then-Senator Barack Obama as 'light skinned' and 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.' (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/01/10/reid_apologizes_for_comments_on_obamas_race/). Since his words have become known, Sen. Reid has offered an apology to President Obama to which President Obama accepted and said, "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed." Sen. Reid said, "I deeply regret using such poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African- Americans for improper comments" (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100109/ap_on_el_se/us_obama_reid).
While many in the Democrat camp are rally to Reid's support, RNC Richard Steele is singing a different tune. Steele pointed out that in 2002, then Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-), that the Democrats demanded Senate Majority Leader Lott to step down after making favorable remarks of 1948 segregationist presidential campaign of Strom Thurmond. Lott had apologized but was sent packing. "There is this standard where the Democrats feel that they can say these things and they can apologize when it comes from the mouths of their own. But if it comes from anyone else, it's racism. It's either racist or it's not. And It's inappropriate, absolutely" (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9D52IF80&show_article=1). Is RNC Steele correct that Sen. Reid's comments made are racist? Is there a double standard within the Democrat party?
The Democrats are in a conundrum as they are on the cusp of passing health care "reform" but also have a tough fight in the 2010 mid-term elections. Are the leaders in the Democrat party endorsing Reid's words in a trade off for possible health care "reform"? The President accepted Reid's apology, just as he did with "You Lie", but is his acceptance of Reid's apology wise politically? Reid is behind in the polls in and is likely not going to be re-elected. Whether or not President Obama is using Reid as a pawn in light of his comments, the overriding question is it a double standard? Is RNC Steele accurate in his assessment?
I don't think it was racist, it was just ignorant and stupid. He wasn't putting the President down or saying he was not qualified. To an extent, what he said was true.
ReplyDeleteI believe the rest of the quote was that having those charatersitics also greatly improved Obama's chance of winning appealing to the white populous. Whether that is right or wrong, I think it fairly protrayed the American mindset.
Unlike Lott's comment, Reid's wasn't full of hate nor suggesting this country would be better off if segregation was still the norm.
I'm not defending Reid, but I think many are too quick to call comments regarding race, as racist, rather than just inapprorpriate.
In order for there to be a double standard, you have to start from the same point (or at least a similar point) and then have two different outcomes.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very generic description but it gets me to my point. Like the previous commenter said, Reid's comment, while insulting, is nowhere near what Lott said. Look at Lott's statement:
"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for President, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years."
So ask yourself, what are "all these problems" that Lott eluded to?
Also...Trent Lott has the history of segregationist past. His comments about Strom Thurmond he may have stated as misdirected, but they come from years of alliances with the white southern way of life.
ReplyDeleteReid is unquestioned in his equality character.
However, is it possible that Republicans could just move on? I am starting to think of the governement as a three-ring circus instead of a governmental body....
So, if a Republican referred to Obama as "light-skinned" you honestly do not believe that that person would be demonized and kicked out of town? While I agree that the Trent Lott comparison may be a stretch, the fact that the majority leader did say these things and used the word "Negro" doesn't establish a double stantdard?
ReplyDeleteSaying Obama is light skinned is factual. It's not insulting. Trust me, he could have used a much more offensive term to describe the fact that Obama had a white mother and black father. And no, the fact that the majority leader did say these things and used the word "Negro" does not establish a double standard. In order for there to be a double standard, you have to start from the same point. The two statements couldn't be further apart. A poor choice of words to say "Negro" and perhaps "light skinned" as compared to a suggestion that "problems" could have been avoided had we kept whites and blacks separate through the policy of segregation.
ReplyDeleteIf a republican said it under the same circumstances and with the same error in judgment and Obama accepted that apology along with all of the other groups Reid apologized to, then no, the republican shouldn’t be treated differently.
ReplyDeleteOkay, then why did Congress look to Censure the "You Lie" Congressman as it was painted as being racially motiviated? He called Obama and apologized yet Congress went forward with Censure.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it a poor choice of words - Light skinned or Negro - since they are facts and the word Negro is still used by foundations, groups, and college funds?
Before I respond to your question about the outburst of "You lie!" by Joe Wilson, it is important to note that it is even more unrelated and even less relevant to the comparisons being drawn, poor that they are, between Reid's and Lott's statements.
ReplyDeleteThe censure (public rebuke) of Joe Wilson was a resolution expressing disapproval for his conduct: "Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 179, the President of the United States, speaking at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks interrupted by the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson; And Whereas the conduct of the Representative from South Carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009."
The fact that various foundations, groups or college funds use the term "Negro" does not mean that it is acceptable to use when describing or referring to an African American. It's about context. Perhaps you should write a letter to the United Negro College Fund seeking their opinion on this matter. Or better yet, ask why there's a double standard on the use of the word Negro.
Anon..I have taken your advice and wrote the following to the UNCF:
ReplyDeleteTo Whom it May Concern
I write a blog and the topic of race is often one item hotly discussed. I am a white male attempting to move the conversation foward on race. While many in our public realm shutter at the discussion a group of us in the private realm are not. A suggestion was made on a recent post that we contact the group to determine if the word Negro by Sen. Reid and/or organizations, like yourself, establish a double standard.
While I understand the UNCF is not looking to weigh in, on what some view as a poor choice of words by Sen. Reid, on the current political drama, may question is more broad in nature.
Does the UNCF view the word Negro when used in the title of an organization, foundation, or when used to describe a person creating a double standard of the term?
Sincerely
Christopher Lund
P.S. If you like to see the site it is www.thehamburgpost.blogspot.com.
Only time will tell if we will see a response. At which time I will post the response. A "light skinned" friend of mine, who will be a guest blogger soon, alerted me to this website to which I went to and inputted my two cents. I suggest we all do the same as we attempt to move the conversation forward: http://theconversationonrace.com/
I guess I should have been more clear in a previous comment. The suggestion that you contact the UNCF was a joke of sorts, made in a sarcastic way. I did get quite the laugh when I saw your most recent comment.
ReplyDeleteNo, I think it was a great suggestion. Why not go to a source that uses the word? Makes perfect sense to me.
ReplyDelete