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The Tea Party is Not Racist

Unabogie

Philosopher
Unabogie
Joined
Aug 5, 2005
Messages
9,692
Location
Portland, OR
No, really. Stop laughing. So the leader of the Tea Party Express gets on TV to defend his group from charges of racism. Then the next day, he writes this.

Highlights?

Perhaps the most racist point of all in the tea parties is their demand that government "stop raising our taxes." That is outrageous! How will we Colored People ever get a wide screen TV in every room if non-coloreds get to keep what they earn? Totally racist! The tea party expects coloreds to be productive members of society?
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Performance art. There's really no other explanation. The Tea Party is being secretly run by Andy Kaufman.
 
Wow....he knows us "coloreds" so well. I know I want my taxes lowered simply so I can get a big screen t.v. And his use of "coloreds" is not inflammatory at all. :rolleyes:

Seriously. Is he a contortionist because it seems his foot is firmly in his mouth. :confused:
 
Juniversal said:
Wow....he knows us "coloreds" so well. I know I want my taxes lowered simply so I can get a big screen t.v. And his use of "coloreds" is not inflammatory at all. :rolleyes:

Seriously. Is he a contortionist because it seems his foot is firmly in his mouth. :confused:
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Though I don't doubt that this guy, as well as many other Tea Partiers are racist, the term "coloreds" is a remnant of bygone days, but a name that many blacks still attach to themselves. What does NAACP stand for?
 
Tricky said:
Though I don't doubt that this guy, as well as many other Tea Partiers are racist, the term "coloreds" is a remnant of bygone days, but a name that many blacks still attach to themselves. What does NAACP stand for?
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It's an interesting question, and one I bet they wrestled with. The group, of course, was named when people still used the term "colored". So there's a historical aspect to it. Do you change the name of an old organization to reflect changing times? I guess it's possible for the name to outlive its usefulness. That doesn't give license to this racist jerk, though.
 
Tricky said:
Though I don't doubt that this guy, as well as many other Tea Partiers are racist, the term "coloreds" is a remnant of bygone days, but a name that many blacks still attach to themselves. What does NAACP stand for?
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As was the word negro. But it's 2010. Hence it's inflammatory in nature. I understand his usage isn't paticularly deragatory because of his "role playing" but I can't say I know many black folks, myself included, who refer to themselves as colored or (or the apparent plural) "coloreds". Person of color? Yes. Colored? Nope.
 
Unabogie said:
It's an interesting question, and one I bet they wrestled with. The group, of course, was named when people still used the term "colored". So there's a historical aspect to it. Do you change the name of an old organization to reflect changing times? I guess it's possible for the name to outlive its usefulness. That doesn't give license to this racist jerk, though.
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Yes, his rhetoric is racist, but I would back off on suggesting that the mere use of the word "colored" implies racism. My mom, who taught me not to be a racist and encouraged me when I integrated a formerly all-black high school in Alabama, used the word "colored". Relic? Yes. But if you want to say it is in and of itself offensive, then you are simply looking for something to be offended by.
 
Tricky said:
Yes, his rhetoric is racist, but I would back off on suggesting that the mere use of the word "colored" implies racism. My mom, who taught me not to be a racist and encouraged me when I integrated a formerly all-black high school in Alabama, used the word "colored". Relic? Yes. But if you want to say it is in and of itself offensive, then you are simply looking for something to be offended by.
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I never said it is racist to use the term. I think racist language communicates racism. So it's technically possible to use a racist term in a non-racist way, depending on its usage. That said, this isn't one of those times.

Basically I'm saying I think we agree.
 
Tricky said:
Yes, his rhetoric is racist, but I would back off on suggesting that the mere use of the word "colored" implies racism. My mom, who taught me not to be a racist and encouraged me when I integrated a formerly all-black high school in Alabama, used the word "colored". Relic? Yes. But if you want to say it is in and of itself offensive, then you are simply looking for something to be offended by.
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Can't dispute that. I do think a lot has to do with perceptions. Generally speaking there's an expectation that your average American knows that words like colored or negro isn't considered appropriate or polite. There's a perception that when someone does use it they're trying to communicate some sort of disdain or dislike. Especially since the words are percieved as being condescending.

I do know where you're coming from though. The word eskimo isn't considered polite as opposed to Inuit but i'd also imagine many people aren't aware of it's currently offensive connotation.
 
Nice quote mining out of context, but hey that's the liberal way.

For a wacky, fringe group of people the Tea Party sure gets enough attention here.
 
ProBonoShill said:
Nice quote mining out of context, but hey that's the liberal way.

For a wacky, fringe group of people the Tea Party sure gets enough attention here.
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:rolleyes:

Here's Mark William's letter in its entirety:

Mark Williams said:
Dear Mr. Lincoln

We Coloreds have taken a vote and decided that we don’t cotton to that whole emancipation thing. Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves, and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us Colored People and we demand that it stop!

In fact we held a big meeting and took a vote in Kansas City this week. We voted to condemn a political revival of that old abolitionist spirit called the ‘tea party movement’.

The tea party position to “end the bailouts” for example is just silly. Bailouts are just big money welfare and isn’t that what we want all Coloreds to strive for? What kind of racist would want to end big money welfare? What they need to do is start handing the bail outs directly to us coloreds! Of course, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is the only responsible party that should be granted the right to disperse the funds.

And the ridiculous idea of “reduce[ing] the size and intrusiveness of government.” What kind of massa would ever not want to control my life? As Coloreds we must have somebody care for us otherwise we would be on our own, have to think for ourselves and make decisions!

The racist tea parties also demand that the government “stop the out of control spending.” Again, they directly target coloreds. That means we Coloreds would have to compete for jobs like everybody else and that is just not right.

Perhaps the most racist point of all in the tea parties is their demand that government “stop raising our taxes.” That is outrageous! How will we coloreds ever get a wide screen TV in every room if non-coloreds get to keep what they earn? Totally racist! The tea party expects coloreds to be productive members of society?

Mr. Lincoln, you were the greatest racist ever. We had a great gig. Three squares, room and board, all our decisions made by the massa in the house. Please repeal the 13th and 14th Amendments and let us get back to where we belong.

Sincerely

Precious Ben Jealous, Tom’s Nephew NAACP Head Colored Person
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I defy you to explain how this utterly nasty piece of doggerel could be anything but racist in the extreme. Go ahead and try to explain how the Tea Party isn't racist now; if the Tea Party doesn't condemn Mark Williams for this, nobody is going to believe it. This letter is an abomination.

Here's a handy link to the letter and a few other disgustingly racist things Mark Williams has said:

http://blog.reidreport.com/2010/07/...tes-open-letter-to-lincoln-from-the-coloreds/

Really, go ahead and try to explain this one away. When you're done with that, explain how Glenn Beck didn't really mean it when he said that the Jews killed Jesus. I'm all ears.
 
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2553127/posts

Think Progress Caught Using Three Year Old Film, Liberal Plants to Smear Tea Party as Racist

The leftist group Think Progress has taken down and edited a video smearing the Tea Party movement as racist after being caught using three year old footage. The group kept in footage and images of leftist provacateurs who were caught infiltrating Tea Party rallies with racist messages.
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It was rather interesting watching the exchanges between one of the Tea Party types (who claims that no one is actually in charge) and a rep from NAACP on CNN yesterday.

The Tea Party guy of course immediately called the NAACP a "racist" organization...

Also claimed that the various folks showing up with racist banners and such were just fringe weirdos who didn't represent the actual aims of the Tea Party movement.
 
Can anyone point me to the source of that quote? All I get is the media matters arm, a few nutbars saying racist things on a cnn vid and what looks like a far left blog.

Not saying he didn't say it. But I'd like a few more somewhat neutral sources before i condem or defend what he said.
 
Unabogie said:
I never said it is racist to use the term. I think racist language communicates racism. So it's technically possible to use a racist term in a non-racist way, depending on its usage. That said, this isn't one of those times.

Basically I'm saying I think we agree.
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Juniversal said:
Can't dispute that. I do think a lot has to do with perceptions. Generally speaking there's an expectation that your average American knows that words like colored or negro isn't considered appropriate or polite. There's a perception that when someone does use it they're trying to communicate some sort of disdain or dislike. Especially since the words are percieved as being condescending.

I do know where you're coming from though. The word eskimo isn't considered polite as opposed to Inuit but i'd also imagine many people aren't aware of it's currently offensive connotation.
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You're both correct, and I agree that we agree. Racist connotations are not brought on by the words themselves, but by what are intended by them. Using "colored" or even the n-word might only signify the era one grew up in. But for a person who is conversant with current events and terminology, it is hard to view it as anything other than a deliberate slur.

I just want to make it clear that there are reasonable people who use old fashioned terms. Most Teabaggers are not among them. Their choice of words is deliberate and full of hate.
 
Apology said:
:rolleyes:

Here's Mark William's letter in its entirety:



I defy you to explain how this utterly nasty piece of doggerel could be anything but racist in the extreme. Go ahead and try to explain how the Tea Party isn't racist now; if the Tea Party doesn't condemn Mark Williams for this, nobody is going to believe it. This letter is an abomination.

Here's a handy link to the letter and a few other disgustingly racist things Mark Williams has said:

http://blog.reidreport.com/2010/07/...tes-open-letter-to-lincoln-from-the-coloreds/

Really, go ahead and try to explain this one away. When you're done with that, explain how Glenn Beck didn't really mean it when he said that the Jews killed Jesus. I'm all ears.
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It was a fictional letter from the head of the NAACP to Abe Lincoln, meant to be satirical. Does it say anywhere those are the views of Mark Williams?

I happen to agree with Williams in the sense that black people don't need the Democrats, NAACP or anyone else to hold their hands. There are many great black Americans, it only demeans them when it is implied they need special treatment.

Pulling out the race card ad nauseum is getting a little tired.
 
Colored is still used in at least one country on this planet,and when my colored friends from there visit here,people are always shocked to hear them refer to themselves as colored.
 
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