"Let’s have a national debate on race!"
We know how that goes. We first had that discussion when Glenn Beck targeted African American Val Jones who the White House immediately threw under the bus for political things he said long ago. Obama’s numbers went down no matter. Blacks are the racists.
On the heels of that big win for Glenn Beck and Fox News, the discussion on race moved forward when Andrew Breitbart funded the "Pimp and the Ho" videos, highly edited (the two did not wear the outfits and horribly chopped the audios.) ACORN, an African American organization to help the urban poor in housing and getting out the vote – was thrown under the bus by the White House. Obama’s numbers went down and the Tea Party began. Blacks are the racists.
Fox News ran the arrest of Professor Gates story ad nauseum, the President sided with the black Professor who was arrested in his own house by the police. Obama has a Beer Summit to shake it out. Obama’s numbers went down. Blacks are the racists.
Fox News runs wall to wall videos of crazy anti-Semitic, white baby killing New Black Panthers who say crazy anti-Semitic white baby killing crap. Obama’s numbers went down. Blacks are the racists.
Tea Party Express leader Mark Williams was kicked out by an umbrella Tea Party organization for his racist rants directed at the NAACP. Obama’s numbers went down. Blacks are the racists.
Fox News, Breitbart and Beck singling out African Americans for destruction is not racism, it is just what these KIND OF PEOPLE have been doing since the Civil Rights Act of 1965 when the racist wing of the Democratic Party went to the Republicans in mass.
The racism in this nation is not only the fault of Blacks, but they are the real perpetrators of racism in America. The concept of slavery, Jim Crow, white privilege, economic segregation, and who are the oppressed and who the oppressors does not enter into the slush slopping around between these KIND OF PEOPLE’S ears. The Kick! pages on Race
Here is the gist of this somewhat complicated issue. It does matter that Shirley Sherrod’s father was killed by the Klan.
In March USAD official Shirley Sherrod made a speech to the NAACP. It was an anecdotal story from 24 years ago when she was working for a non profit organization to help poor farmers save their farms in Georgia. She reminisced about how she did not want to give a farmer the full extent of her help because he was white and treating her in an inferior manner. But instead she had an epiphany, that all poor people were in need of help, not just African Americans. She ended up helping that white farmer who with other white farmers became fast friends with Shirley Sherrod. The reality of her speech was a lesson to the NAACP to not fall to racism in their work.
Enter Andrew Breitbart with a video of Shirley Sherrod which was edited to show exactly the opposite of what the speech was about. It is how Beck, Limbaugh, Breitbart, Drudge and Fox News work. And it works so very well concerning matters of race.
Within hours the NAACP attacked her and the Administration forced her resignation.
The NAACP has subsequently given a groveling "snookered" apology and the Administration said it will review their decision. Shirley Sherrod has told them to take their job and shove it, rightly so.
Neither Andrew Breitbart or Fox News – who are most responsible for getting that dishonest edited video gone viral and this woman wrongly condemned and fired – has not apologized. Instead they are now attacking the President for firing an innocent black women, while laughing at how the White House is shaking in their boots over the power of Fox News!
Any discussion of race – no matter how much proof there is of how dishonest, disgusting or racist Republicans make it – is a win for them come November. Which the White House is well aware of.
Racism is the FIRST RAIL of American politics. It is why we no longer have AFDC, it is why the GOP is voting in mass against extending unemployment (for everyone), it is why Americans so hate universal (the word includes African Americans) health care and why as soon as the Republicans gain power what little health care recently passed will be repealed. Count on it.
Rachel Maddow covers the issue best.
The NAACP apology by Ben Jealous
The original unedited speech by Shirley Sherrod.