Black racist from the Dept of Ag

[Tiz]

YouTube- shirley sherrod reveals her past racism

[WashingtonBay]

...Heh.... was *just* watching this play on Hannity.

[HoustonFarrier]

I remember some time ago, Jesse Jackson saying that black people could not be racists because they had no "power" over white folks.

Well, I guess according to Jesse, this woman is indeed a racist, because she now has "power" over white people.

I just LOVE the new hope and change we have now:D

Steve

[mare]

Why do I get the feeling she got past her feelings about race, when she said, "I realized it wasn't about race, it was about being poor versus those who have." I think I have that close. I would prefer to hear the rest of her statement about the incident.

Racism is ugly regardless of who is guilty of it and no matter which group is the target.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Apparently, this woman has been fired. Transparently, is the thing that she was fired because of the media coverage, not her fundamental racism. She got caught.

Thing two: Your honor, I present exhibit number 2,734 for the defense showing how race relations in this country have been set back at least three, maybe four decades.

Thing three: This really ticks me off. Look, as your Average White Boy, I've spent my entire life trying to reconcile within myself whatever feelings of race-prejudice I might have. I've tried to face it squarely and honestly. It's not my doing that I was born white and grew up around people that pretty much looked like me. My high school was as white as Wonder-bread. Of course we had our "token" black kid... the son of a local dentist, IIRC, but I didn't really meet or ever know him. It wasn't until I joined the coast guard that I was actually put in a multi-racial environment. It was, for me... intriguing. When I got assigned to my first unit, an ice-breaker in Seattle... it was curious that one of the first people I ever started spending much time with, and became fast friends with, was a guy that had been (funny enough) the "token" black kid at his entirely-white high school in Texas somewhere. We both had enlisted with Bachelor's degrees, hoping to go to OCS. This guy was more Republican and more conservative than I was back then. In many ways, he helped me firm up my political and economic arguments. He was sharp. And he blew all the stereotypes I had... totally out of the water. Thanks DB! Wherever you are.... :-)

But troglodytes like this woman just go to show that truly: Race relations have not in fact progressed AT ALL since the 1940's or so. For so many, the last several decades of "progressiveness" have just been a false veneer. It's all been a massive lie. And it really ticks me off.

After all this time. What a waste. We've gotten nowhere. If this woman is still harboring such a vile race-centric hatred... and you know she's not alone out there... it's all been a pathetic waste of time and effort. As it turns out, MLK was wrong. It's not about content of character. It's all about skin color after all. Well... color me disappointed.

[FredRock]

After all this time. What a waste. We've gotten nowhere. If this woman is still harboring such a vile race-centric hatred... and you know she's not alone out there... it's all been a pathetic waste of time and effort. As it turns out, MLK was wrong. It's not about content of character. It's all about skin color after all. Well... color me disappointed.


I agree with this, as I grew up in a white school with maybe 1-2 black kids, plus some China transfer students in HS, and that was pretty much it.

Then I went to college, where it's predominantly white. My friends are pretty much all minorities. My roomate was a black girl from NYC, in a town that doesn't even have a movie theater. We actually ended up not getting along so well and I'd never room with her again, but I think it had more to do with her personal experiences and personality than being black or white. We did have good times in the beginning and there's stuff we can still laugh about like friends.

But all this comes down to race, in the end. I sat at a table with just black people with her, and they were talking about ethnic diversity class. They went on about how the teacher is racist, or how the entire room seems to think they can speak for all black people just because they're black. They also talked about how no one who is white could ever understand what a black person goes through, because there is no stigma against white people. It was really awkward for me to be there, since I couldn't really relate.

There is stigma against white people too, though. My ex's roomie was black, and one of his black female friends refused to come into the room when me and him were there. I didn't even know this girl, and niether did my ex (actually pointed out that she didn't have to stand and talk in the hall, she could come inside and sit down). And apparently, one black girl from my HS that came to the same college made my roomie feel uneasy, because she "tried to act black" but really wasn't because she was "white."

So racism is still out there, even in the younger generation. It's easier to think it doesn't exist when we're all in our little races, than when we conglomerate. That's not to say we don't have friendships and coexist peacefully, but it's there.

I actually feel kind of racist sitting here and typing out "black girl" and "white girl/guy." I never usually use race unless asked for a description.

[WashingtonBay]

After all this time. What a waste. We've gotten nowhere. If this woman is still harboring such a vile race-centric hatred... and you know she's not alone out there... it's all been a pathetic waste of time and effort. As it turns out, MLK was wrong. It's not about content of character. It's all about skin color after all. Well... color me disappointed.

I do actually think that's bunk. She's a troglodyte, no more representative than the occasional white racist they try to pin on us.

Don't be like them. This is wonderful timing, like winning the lottery, in a sense, for everyone to say "OK - knock it off". Stop taking the bizarre, rare examples of messed up thinking and painting them on the whole. Be it someone's success, failure, good, or bad ideas. Progressive or Tea Party. People are people. There's a little bit of everything out there... make your own way through it best and fair as you can.

[mare]

I do actually think that's bunk. She's a troglodyte, no more representative than the occasional white racist they try to pin on us.

Don't be like them. This is wonderful timing, like winning the lottery, in a sense, for everyone to say "OK - knock it off". Stop taking the bizarre, rare examples of messed up thinking and painting them on the whole. Be it someone's success, failure, good, or bad ideas. Progressive or Tea Party. People are people. There's a little bit of everything out there... make your own way through it best and fair as you can.

I agree.

[WashingtonBay]

BTW, I think the timing is wonderful, due to the recent attempts to paint the Tea Party folks as a racist group. It's as bunk as this is representative of black thought. We need to call it as such :)

Just clarifying. :)

[Tiz]

I agree with RD, but I wonder if a great many black people have hated white people all along. It could be that we've been working on what was supposed to be our racism all this time, and didn't really notice that.

I do think it's deeeeelish that Mr. Jealous, NAACP prez, was screeching about the TEA Party being composed of racists just last week. Justice prevails.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

BTW, I think the timing is wonderful, due to the recent attempts to paint the Tea Party folks as a racist group. It's as bunk as this is representative of black thought. We need to call it as such :)

Just clarifying. :)

I wish this was just a bizarre or rogue example of "black thought".

It isn't.

That's what is so disappointing.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

BTW, I think the timing is wonderful, due to the recent attempts to paint the Tea Party folks as a racist group. It's as bunk as this is representative of black thought. We need to call it as such :)

Just clarifying. :)

But merely by identifying with the "Tea Party" movement, you understand that we're now branded as "racists"... and that's all the "Tea Party" is about?

[DarsMom]

Racism is ugly regardless of who is guilty of it and no matter which group is the target.

I absolutely agree.

[saddlebum]

I couldn't watch the video. Didn't have to. There are some really good posts on this subject. Racism was defined by the likes of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and some psudo academics from Harvard and Yale. Under their definition minorities cannot be racist. I don't believe that was an accident.

Like others who served in the military, I had the opportunity to live and work with people of every race, creed, and color. What I found, like others, is that skin color has very little to do with who or what you are. I also learned that half the racist garbage in this company is kept hot by the likes of Jesse, Al, and others with a vested interest to keep that fire burning. Yes, racism is still a problem but it is a two way street.

My problem is the dual standard imposed when it comes to racism in this country. We have politicians and a news media both so stifled by fear and political correctness that they can't or won't deal with the isssues. By the way, it is now official. According to our Attorney General and the Justice Department. The Civil Rights act is NOT race neutral. Yes, that means if you are white you cannot be a victim of a civil rights crime.

I could go on and on about this garbage but it just makes me an angry old racist white guy. WB is correct. Don't be like them. On the other hand if we continue to allow politicians, news media, and the Jesse and Al types to define us, then we are headed for some real trouble.


My 3.5 cents

Ron

[Tiz]

"On the other hand if we continue to allow politicians, news media, and the Jesse and Al types to define us, then we are headed for some real trouble."

With so much going the wrong way, I think we've technically already arrived. Welcome to Real Trouble.

[mare]

Well, dang. I was hoping the video was just a clip taken out of context. Reality tramples optimism, sometimes. :(

[Tiz]

It appears that your wish may be granted, mare. It is out of context, and for some reason the NAACP isn't releasing the rest of the tape. It's actually getting more interesting as we go.

She was talking about an experience she had 24 years ago, that caused her to rethink her racist inclinations.

[gabhainn]

. What I found, like others, is that skin color has very little to do with who or what you are.
Excellent point Ron, My Granddad told me when I was a boy "A mans skin color only tells you who his daddy was, not who he is, his actions, lifestyle, and the value of his word do"........Kevin

[mare]

It appears that your wish may be granted, mare. It is out of context, and for some reason the NAACP isn't releasing the rest of the tape. It's actually getting more interesting as we go.

She was talking about an experience she had 24 years ago, that caused her to rethink her racist inclinations.

Good. I read she was asked to resign, though. Poor lady.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

[...]

She was talking about an experience she had 24 years ago, that caused her to rethink her racist inclinations.

I heard that too. And... it really is a quite reasonable explanation of her comments.

I believe her.

She's owed any apology from me and lots of other people if that's in fact true. If true, I'd be happy to take much of my comment back, at least whatever of it was directed at her.

However....

What is still illustrative is the crowd reaction to her comment, in real time. The crowd there cheered and chest-thumped at her story about cheating "whitey"... way before they heard the payoff lines about it ultimately changing her attitudes about race.

I will stand behind the remainder of my earlier post.

[Tiz]

Another piece of the tape doesn't exonerate her, or the people she was speaking to. Um huh. The rest of the story yet to be revealed.

[Tiz]

Like so many happenings since this administration took office, this story just isn't adding up. I wonder if it was all purposely planned as a propaganda opportunity. It just isn't making any sense.

I saw Ag secretary Vilsack answering questions from the press, and wondered about his repeated references to working this last eighteen months to root out the racism in the DOA. Did any of you know that this administration's DOA inherited a department that routinely discriminated against blacks, and latinos?

I look forward to the rest of the story.

[JackieB]

She's owed any apology from me and lots of other people if that's in fact true.

I jumped on and said she should be fired immediately. I owe her an apology. I chalked it up as a reminder to try to get the entire story before reaching a conclusion.

I guess we'll eventually get the full story, but I still feel bad for having reached an instant conclusion. I should know better and admonished myself to be a bit more careful.

[Tiz]

Don't cry for her, Jackie. She's already won one lawsuit against the DOA, and she is talking about suing again over this. As Blago would say, it's going to be "#*+!ing golden" for her.