2nd Black President????? NOT

[Dreadsox]

Civil Rights Group Seeks Kerry Apology
Mon Mar 8, 8:49 PM ET


WASHINGTON - The head of a civil rights and legal services advocacy group wants Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) to apologize for saying he wouldn't be upset if he could be known as the second black president.


"John Kerry is not a black man ? he is a privileged white man who has no idea what it is in this country to be a poor white in this country, let alone a black man," said Paula Diane Harris, founder of the Andrew Young National Center for Social Change.


Last week, Kerry told the American Urban Radio Network: "President Clinton (news - web sites) was often known as the first black president. I wouldn't be upset if I could earn the right to be the second."


Kerry's spokesman Chad Clanton said: "This was intended as a light-natured remark about President Clinton's strong legacy with African Americans It is a legacy that John Kerry would like to build upon if elected president. John Kerry has a record of fighting for civil rights and as president he will continue this fight."


Harris also criticized civil rights leaders who "sit back and ignore these types of comments, a practice that further insults African Americans."


"It seems that all these leaders care about is their personal agendas in how a 'John Kerry' will keep up their personal causes," she said.


The Andrew Young National Center for Social Change, based in Harrisburg, Pa., provides legal services to the poor.

 

[Liesje]

The thing I hate almost as much as racism is people falsely accusing other people of racism.

 

[Dreadsox]

The thing I hate almost as much as racism is people falsely accusing other people of racism.

However, the thing I like is one person playing the race card and getting called on it. It was a stupid comment to make.

 

[Liesje]

You know, I totally agree that racism is 100% WRONG and unjust, period. But sometime I can't help but think "it takes one to know one". Some people, both black and white, look WAY too far into things. I've had various experiences with race relations. I grew up in the worse part of town and there were plenty of loosers black and white. This big fat white kids who were actually in their 20s and still lived at home used to tormet us by stealing our Barbies and Big Wheels. When my brother and I were about 6 and 4 we were shot in the head and knee by some punk wannabe gansta with a pellet gun who insisted to the police that he was firing at dogs even though we were up in a tree. Racism is something I've struggled with all my life b/c when I was little, if you so much as LOOKED at certain people the wrong way, you'd get "what you lookin at, white bitch?" etc and I lived in fear until the day we left. I have to tell myself everyday that those thugs CANNOT be what represents the African American race in my mind and I CANT let my childhood experiences taint my beliefs about an entire race. But I can't say that it isn't hard and that there has to be effort from both sides. I don't regret any of my past experiences and I'm especially thankful that my parents put me in a private school that had the most diversity in our city.

My dad also struggles with racism, not because he's ever had racist feelings, but he's on the board of directors of a non-profit that provides day-care, food, clothes, and a free clinic in a less priviledged neighborhood. My dad has always been my role model when it comes to dealing with race relations. One night he came home fuming because the board members were supposed to attend a weeklong racial healing clinic. Now, my dad was all for this, but when he went to the first session, the first step they were supposed to take was to basically admit racist feelings in order to begin "healing". He, and I too, thought that was just wrong. Race relations training is one thing, but accusing people like my dad who devote hours and hours of unpaid time and energy to closing the racial gap of being a racist is so inappropriate and insensitive.

OK, enough with this random rant....

 

[Angela Harlem]

Last week, Kerry told the American Urban Radio Network: "President Clinton (news - web sites) was often known as the first black president. I wouldn't be upset if I could earn the right to be the second."

How is this offensive? It's all well and good to claim this might not be what Kerry meant at all, but to prove this would take mind reading. Why is it not enough to explain further, when a comment is taken out of context? Why do people refuse to believe someone? It happens everywhere.
Let people wallow in their false offense.



*this is not a support of any kind of racism. More that it is tiring to call a spade anything but a spade.

 

[melon]

Last week, Kerry told the American Urban Radio Network: "President Clinton was often known as the first black president. I wouldn't be upset if I could earn the right to be the second."

Kerry's spokesman Chad Clanton said: "This was intended as a light-natured remark about President Clinton's strong legacy with African Americans It is a legacy that John Kerry would like to build upon if elected president. John Kerry has a record of fighting for civil rights and as president he will continue this fight."

I agree. Ms. Harris is overreacting.

Melon

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

it's only insulting and racist if trent lott says it... if john kerry says it it's just being funny.

 

[verte76]

This remark was perhaps silly, but I don't see any harm done. It wasn't divisive or malicious. The reason we in the South don't like Dixiecrats like Strom Thurmond, for example, is because they played a divisive role in the history of our states, and in my case, even my city as Birmingham hosted the Dixiecrat convention in 1948. This legacy of division is holding my state back in 2004. The story of the Dixiecrats is in Diane McWhorter's excellent "Carry Me Home", a book I recommend to anyone trying to understand the historical context of the whole thing. I wasn't pissed off at Trent Lott because he's a Republican, or a conservative, and heaven knows it wasn't because he's from Mississippi. (Two of my cousins were born in Missisippi, as was Diane McWhorter) His statement about Thurmond was alot more than just silly, it hurt people around here, both black and white, and Bill Frist doesn't have any skeletons in his closet the way Lott does. Frist is also a Southern conservative. He's a much better representative of the South I want than Lott is, and I suspect is what Republicans in the South want more as well. During the controversy people around here circulated petitions advocating Frist for the Majority Leader's post. It was quite a difference to us.
Just my purple tuppence's worth.

 

[BVS]

Last week, Kerry told the American Urban Radio Network: "President Clinton (news - web sites) was often known as the first black president. I wouldn't be upset if I could earn the right to be the second."

First of all I never heard Clinton called the first.

But I don't see the harm in his comment. Taken in context if Clinton was called the first "black president" then he did something in some peoples eyes to make him earn that title. Kerry just said he would mind if he could EARN the right to the second.

 

[nbcrusader]

However, the thing I like is one person playing the race card and getting called on it. It was a stupid comment to make.

Exactly. Kerry was trying to further the presumption that African Americans should line up and support him. He hasn't earned anything and he got called on it.

 

[deep]

it's only insulting and racist if trent lott says it... if john kerry says it it's just being funny.

1. Their statements were not equivalent.


2, Looking at their records, you are right.

 

[deep]

Exactly. Kerry was trying to further the presumption that African Americans should line up and support him. He hasn't earned anything and he got called on it.

W. has proved his record on Civil Rights is abyssmal.


Gore got 90% of the black vote in 2000.


Uncle toms have the right to vote for W.

 

[deep]

Re: Re: 2nd Black President????? NOT

First of all I never heard Clinton called the first.

But I don't see the harm in his comment. Taken in context if Clinton was called the first "black president" then he did something in some peoples eyes to make him earn that title. Kerry just said he would mind if he could EARN the right to the second.

Clinton was called this many times.

It is not about skin color, but about policies.


The overwhelming majority of Black Americans would consider Clinton "blacker" than Clarence Thomas or Larry Elder.

 

[nbcrusader]

Re: Re: Re: 2nd Black President????? NOT

The overwhelming majority of Black Americans would consider Clinton "blacker" than Clarence Thomas or Larry Elder.

The overwhelming majority or a small, vocal minority of African American leadership who determines what "proper" African Americans should think?

 

[Dreadsox]

Uncle toms have the right to vote for W.

So any African American who comes to the conclusion that Bush is a good president and votes for him is an Uncle Tom?

 

[deep]

Re: Re: Re: Re: 2nd Black President????? NOT

The overwhelming majority or a small, vocal minority of African American leadership who determines what "proper" African Americans should think?

Gore got 90% of the black vote in 2000.



Who dilutes themselves in this conversation?

 

[Popmartijn]

Exactly. Kerry was trying to further the presumption that African Americans should line up and support him. He hasn't earned anything and he got called on it.

He maybe hasn't earned it yet, but that was exactly what he was saying. If he COULD earn it, he wouldn't be upset. He hasn't earned it yet, but maybe can...

 

[Ft. Worth Frog]

Ah yes, the good ol "Uncle Tom" issue. Just another way to brand someone who thinks different from you instead of confronting their ideas with some original ideas of your own. Come on people, why should a certain "race" only think and vote a certain way? Isn't that somewhat racist in and of itself? I think that is having your head in the sand when it comes to issues if one only votes according to what ones skin color determines.

 

[verte76]

I agree that it's not really fair to talk about the "black vote" as a block. I have an African American friend who's a Republican and one who's a Democrat. The Republican is not an Uncle Tom; he came to his convictions honestly. An "Uncle Tom" is an African American who believes he or she should be in a servile, second-class citizen situation. It's dumb to talk about any group as a voting block. I know from personal experience that it's ridiculous to talk about the "Catholic" vote. There are Democrats and Republicans in my own parish. I've seen Bush, Dean and Kerry bumper stickers in the church parking lot. Ideally no race cards would be played in this campaign, but this is American politics.

 

[nbcrusader]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 2nd Black President????? NOT

Who dilutes themselves in this conversation?

It was diluted when "Uncle Tom" was brought in.

 

[vincent]

Ah yes, the good ol "Uncle Tom" issue. Just another way to brand someone who thinks different from you instead of confronting their ideas with some original ideas of your own. Come on people, why should a certain "race" only think and vote a certain way? Isn't that somewhat racist in and of itself? I think that is having your head in the sand when it comes to issues if one only votes according to what ones skin color determines.

I agree with this statement.

vince peal

 

[vincent]

I agree that it's not really fair to talk about the "black vote" as a block. I have an African American friend who's a Republican and one who's a Democrat. The Republican is not an Uncle Tom; he came to his convictions honestly. An "Uncle Tom" is an African American who believes he or she should be in a servile, second-class citizen situation. It's dumb to talk about any group as a voting block. I know from personal experience that it's ridiculous to talk about the "Catholic" vote. There are Democrats and Republicans in my own parish. I've seen Bush, Dean and Kerry bumper stickers in the church parking lot. Ideally no race cards would be played in this campaign, but this is American politics.

I also agree with this statement

vince peal

 

[Kieran McConville]

Blah blah fucking blah. I should start taking bets on who will say what, cause it's always utterly predictable.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

it's sad that many of today's black "leaders" label any african-american who disagrees with what would be considered to be the ideas of the "black majority" an uncle tom. i would like to think those who vote a certain way based soley on the color of the skin rather than on their own personal ideals would be more harmful, more like an "uncle tom," than someone who was a republican. but hey... that's just me.

"people need to just think for themselves. i'm neither conservative or liberal. i'm a little bit of both. for example, on crime, I'm conservative. on prostitution, i'm liberal."
-chris rock

 

[Kate1]

EERM I don't really class my self as a racist but i don't like the idea of immigrants coming over to stay for free!!!

I can't believe there letting millions of Gypses into Britain!!! We only av a small country!!!

This means that TAXES ARE GONNA RISE HIGHER!!! Im out of here, lol!!!

 

[BVS]