Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Former President Carter: Anti-Obama Sentiment Has RACIST Feel

Carter: Rep. Wilson comments 'based on racism'

Bottom line - there is no downside to every Democrat alleging that all that we see against President Obama is due to RACISM. If they can put such a cloud over all of his opponents heads - they are able to drive through their own agenda unchallenged.

I cannot speak for the motivations of all who are in disagreement with Barack Obama's policies.
For me as a proud Black man I can only make measure of the threats that are present to me, my family and my interests. From this I will make an evaluation as to what is actually a threat and that which is actually a political ploy.

I keep hearing about those Whites who will never accept a Black man as president. When I hear this I struggle to understand how THEIR ACCEPTANCE materially impacts the FACT THAT BARACK OBAMA IS PRESIDENT. This is but a obfuscation.

In the midst of these diversions an increasing number of Black people are looking past the key issues that are harming them LOCALLY as they take up Rep Hank Johnson's warning that Joe Wilson might drive a new Klan revolution in America. If the Klan starts killing us again - I will instantly change this blogs focus away from the pirates that are killing us toward the klansmen.

ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst to President Barack Obama during a speech to Congress last week was an act "based on racism" and rooted in fears of a black president.

"I think it's based on racism," Carter said at a town hall held at his presidential center in Atlanta. "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president."

The Georgia Democrat said the outburst was a part of a disturbing trend directed at the president that has included demonstrators equating Obama to Nazi leaders.

"Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care," he said. "It's deeper than that."

Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, was formally rebuked Tuesday in a House vote for shouting "You lie!" during Obama's speech to Congress last Wednesday.

The shout came after the president commented that illegal aliens would be ineligible for federal subsidies to buy health insurance. Republicans expressed their disbelief with sounds of disapproval, punctuated by Wilson's outburst.

Tuesday's rebuke was a rare resolution of disapproval pushed through by Democrats who insisted that Wilson had violated basic rules of decorum and civility. Republicans characterized the measure as a witch hunt and Wilson, who had already apologized to Obama, insisted he owed the House no apology.

Wilson's spokesman was not immediately available for comment, but his eldest son defended his father.

"There is not a racist bone in my dad's body," said Alan Wilson, an Iraq veteran who is running for state attorney general. "He doesn't even laugh at distasteful jokes. I won't comment on former President Carter, because I don't know President Carter. But I know my dad, and it's just not in him."

"It's unfortunate people make that jump. People can disagree — and inappropriately disagree — on issues of substance, but when they make the jump to race it's absolutely ludicrous. My brothers and I were raised by our parents to respect everyone regardless of background or race."

South Carolina's former Democratic Party chairman said that he doesn't believe Wilson was motivated by racism, but said the outburst encouraged racist views.

"I think Joe's conduct was asinine, but I think it would be asinine no matter what the color of the president," said Dick Harpootlian, who has known Wilson for decades. "I don't think Joe's outburst was caused by President Obama being African-American. I think it was caused by no filter being between his brain and his mouth."

Harpootlian said he received scores of racial e-mails from outside South Carolina after he talked about the vote on Fox News.

"You have a bunch of folks out there looking for some comfort in their racial issues. They have a problem with an African-American president," he said. "But was he motivated by that? I don't think so. I respectfully disagree with President Carter, though it gives validityto racism."

Carter called Wilson's comment "dastardly" and an aftershock of racist views that have permeated American politics for decades.

"The president is not only the head of government, he is the head of state," he said. "And no matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect."

___

Associated Press Writer Seanna Adcox in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report.

2 comments:

Paul said...

South Carolina has a long list of dignitaries that includes Lauren Caitlin Upton (Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant contestant), Board of Education Chair, Kristin Maguire, Governor (and avid Appalachian hiker), Mark Sanford and now Joe “the hater not a debater” Wilson or the “screamer not the dreamer” as others have dubbed him. I did enjoy him cut and running through his apology, which only goes to show that he stands for nothing. He is just another good old boy where in the morning these married men preach to you that there should be prayer in our schools and in the evening they are on their cell phones setting up a date with their other women on the side, hypocrisy has been bred in. I am not surprised that he felt compel to yell like he was at some Friday night game. So long Joey, you too will be seeing the unemployment lines.

Constructive Feedback said...

OK. Possibly so.

Where are the Black man that are being lynched in South Carolina Paul?


Seriously it would be cathartic to your position if you were to step back and set up the situation in which opposition to your position and Obama would NOT be considered RACIST.

This is little more than a framework for you all to tenderize the environment to get your agenda through.