Does that also mean that for one to say that all Democrats are wimps?

Being a wimp would have to be a staple in the belief system of a large number of democrats in order to rationally approach the conclusion that in deed all democrats are wimps. However, policies detrimental to minorities are present in all of the modern day republican administrations and congresses. This is not an outlandish claim made for shock value, as calling all democrats was. This is a substantiated statement with years of republican actions to back it up. Prove to me Republicans aren’t racist. While potentially not all racist on an individual level, the end of one’s republican vote is a policy agenda counter to the needs of the African-American community so, again, I say, prove to me that Republicans are not racist.

It’s good to see someone beside the Old Guard (Ryan R, chief- Or are they the same person?) posting on the blog. Still though, the race-baiting and grand generalizations continue. Keep up the good work.

That has to be one of the dumbest and the most uneducated post I have ever read in my life. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Progress can not be made unless both parties can stop bickering about trivial crap. Instead of trying to solve our problems, we enlist the blame game and cause rifts in our political system and the people suffer, the same people that you “try” to help. Maybe if you thought of ways to solve our problems instead of conjuring up new ones in order to put your respective party in office, we might actually improve our country.

Bennett did not give other factors that would figure into someone being predisposed to committ crimes i.e. education, income, childhood upbringing etc. Instead he focused on race. He implied that even thought it would be wrong to abort black people do committ more crimes and therefore aborting black babies would solve the nation’s crime issues.

He didn’t say fixing NCLB so that schools are funded would fix the crime rate, He didn’t say ending corporate welfare and giving the help where it was truly needed. He didn’t say that if we tactled any of the factors that contribute to crime then we would lower the crime rate.

What he said was that the unfortunate truth was that aborting black babies would lower the crime rate. So what Mr. Bennett was really saying without having the balls to come right out and say it, was that blacks are predisposed to commit crime.

These are ther type of people that the GOp has been catering to for decades. Then they have the nerve to ask for my vote as an African American by playing the Lincoln freed the slaves card and Democrats were once racist.

There is a reason why most dixiecrats left the Democratic party and Joined the GOP and remain there til the present and it is because the GOp caters to their racist intolerant ways. This incident is probably nothing out of the ordinary for that party. It was just one intsead of being said behind closed dooors at one of their conventions or leadership trainings it got airplay for millions to hear.

I hope that every Black person that voted for republicans has an aha moment during the midterms and sends these clowns packing.

2. Secondly to generalize a group is moronic. Lets look at an example, if I were to say that all African Americans were scum because the majority of people in prision are African Americans, then I would be an idiot. To say that ALL republicans are racist because of idiots such as Trent Lott and Bennet would be idiotic. Generalizing people is just another term for racism when you break it down, because you are grouping people based on the actions of a few.

So to end my statement, saying negative things about the republican party based on the acts of a few is racist, and therefore makes you one.

PS: Just to let you know, I am not a Republican, but an Independent, so just because I oppose your views doesn’t make me a Republican. Now, if you didn’t generalize people, you might open up your mind and look at different viewpoints than just good vs evil.

Let me break it down for you. Lincoln was in jepordary of losing the war needed to keep states that were comptimplating succeeding into staying with him. His advisors urged him not to issues the proclamation unitl he achieved a much needed victory in battle.

Lincoln also allowed states that stayed with the Union or that were under union controll to keep their slaves but don’t take my word it read his own words

That on the 1st day of January, A.D. 1863, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

It was never his intetntion to free anybody. Furthermore how can you free slaves in states that don’t even recognize you as their legitamate form of governement. The South had an army, consitittuion, currency, navy and its’ own president. Please don’t come hear and lecture me on my history.

The south has always been bitter about the turnout of the civil war and Southern Racist Democrats who refused to let go of their hatred during the civil rights movement succeeded from the Democratic party.

It was the GOP who saw this as an opportunity to cripple the Democratic party in the south and courted these racist and their philossphies for their vote. This is Fact! Even the Chair of The GOp Ken Melhman admitts it and has made an insincere attempt at apologizing for this tatic. This apology is nothing more than a tactic to split the African American Vote a solid base for the Democrats. Not one policy that the Republican lead Administration has implemented has benefited blacks. Not One.

And this pattern of catering to racist attitudes plus this unprecedented power that the republicans have has embolden them to the point were they make such blanket racist statement and think that they are justified in doing so and many of you come here and blast us for our post.

It’s called Sarcasim people get a clue. I didn’t see indies nor republicans getting bent out of shape when Bennett made his comment.

Certain people in this country have done an excellent job with the double speak when it pertains to talking about race and racism.

From a theoretical standpoint, I, of course, understand your point about societal power being necessary to support racism, but - just as one proud Democrat to another - I don’t think this assertion is necessary or even helpful to your larger argument. In fact, it flies in the face of what most people consider common sense - that any personal act of violence or even favoritism on the basis of another’s skin color is racist. Ultimately, I think such thinking will benefit society and should not be shot-down from a theoretical standpoint. What we need to do is make a distinction between “institutional racism” (which may well fit within the parameters Robin lays out) and “individual racism” which is solely a matter of the human heart and intellect (or lack thereof). They really are two different concepts (though linked) and should be addressed and CONFRONTED as such.

1. To be a racist, you don’t have to yield power. Racist simply means disliking a person based on race, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religion, etc.

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln He did oppose slavery, but you are right about him being credited too much for freeing the african americans. But you shouldn’t forget that Southern Democrats were very made about Republicans coming in and taking away their source of labor. The Republicans crippled the Southern Economy, but that is because it was based on the work of slaves. Many laws that were placed by Andrew Johnson basically made freed men into slaves binding them to contracts by their white owners. Radical Republicans opposed this and set up the Freedmen’s Bureau to help former southern slaves. Unfortunately, with pressures from Southern Democrats, a lot of these measures ended and we are still left with a racist and poor south.

3. History, and I will admit, is very slanted to someone’s viewpoints. Look at the US Revolution. US citizens believe the people were patriots, the British view them as traitors. Native American Studies will always cater towards Native Americans, Black Studies will cater to african american viewpoints, and the same goes to classes taught by anglo-saxons. You must open up your mind and respect all viewpoints. I agree with a lot of your statements, but there is also a lot I just do not agree with. I believe that racism exists on both sides of the party, as well as between the different groups. For every Trent Lott you will have an Ernie Chambers. Lets put this behind us and work towards finding a common ground other than hate between the parties.

While I wouldn’t have made the coment Tyler Made( hi Honey), I would like to know when the Republican party has used facts to back up any of their agenda. Oh let me see

You mean the “facts” they used for the case to going to war with Iraq? or the so called newsreports concering NCLB. How about the prescription drugs plan true cost? So please educate me on when in the last five years the Republican party has used actual facts to back up any claims.

I agree wholeheartedly, and I know that deep down, most republicans know that the world would be better off without them. They have a negative view on society anyway, one in which people cannot act rationally without being driven by religion and a fear of people with differences including but not limited to homosexuals, african americans, and especially muslims. If they hate the world they live in so much, why are they even here. I welcome a legitimate argument to my claim that they are useless to the betterment of society, hate the world they live in, and everyone would be better off without them.

Is speaking in absolutes the best way to express an idea? Saying that all black people are criminals or that all republicans are racist or that all conservatives/liberals are causing the country’s problems is a generalization.
Generalizations are not the best way to express something. It is what fuels the stereotypes that in turn fuel hatred and extremism.

The purpose of this post may have been for shock value, but it “was, at best, inappropriate.”

And that my friends, is ironic.

To say all republicans are racist is logically wrong. Again, follow me here, you can say that this or that republican is racist and I will agree if the evidence shows it. For instance, I absolutely know a close person was racist before he died. That person was a republican. I also know a republican that is not racist. So, the argument falls apart. Disagreeing politically does not make some one the opposite of you.

If you dismiss me as a racist; I would submit, since you do not know me, you can not judge me.

From the Political Center - JRF .. http://www.rhetoricbuster.com

I do not know who wrote the original commentary but you obviously do not know Republicans very well (especially African American ones) because you assumed there are none when you wrote this. And do not assume anything negative or write it. I take issue with offensive material and statements that are the same. I am proud of the party that I stand beside. There are a some bad apples in the group. But THERE ARE ALSO SOME RACIST DEMOCRATS AS WELL. Get the facts straight before you go labeling people.

From that Question a discussion was generated and yes some repsoned yes republicans are racist. No one from the GOP was even midly offended by Bennettes comments in fact they all rallied behind him. This embolden him to the point where he wasn’t even apologetic at even entertaining the mere possibility that his comments were inappropriate.

This is what I am talking about brothers and sistahs. Just because the Bush administration appoints a lot of minorities does not mean that the GOp his our friend. Not one I repeat not one of their policies have benefitted blacks unless you happen to be a wealhty one. We must all remember All my skin folk aint my kinfolk!

So, statements such as Bennettes that are defended by anyone come as no surprise to me this is just status quo politics for the GOP. The fact that no Republican sees these remarks as racist but take time out of their day to defend these statements, tells me everything I need to know about the true republican agenda toward blacks.

Also, your comment, “All my skin folk ain’t my kinfolk” separates us more. Just because I am affiliated with another political party doesn’t mean I don’t fight for discrimination, poverty issues, good schools for Black children, or other issues important to “our” people. You don’t know me and if you did you would have no idea what party I was with unless I told you. You keep looking at wealth as an issue and that is not the issue.

One thing that you said out of your whole tirade stuck with me the most it was, You keep looking at wealth as an issue and that is not the issue.

Myself and other community activist have been working with hurricane Katrina Evcauees since they came to Omaha. Tell them that wealth isn’t an issue. No better yet ask the 7.4 million Blacks that don’t have healthcare or the 13.7 million Latinos without healthcare.

Tell me wealth isn’t an issue when Household incomes for Blacks and Latinos have declinded by $2000 under the Bush administration.

Weatlh absoulutely does matter and so does racism and institutional racism. As for my statement about all of my kin folk. Racist having been using people from ethnic groups that they want to keep oppressed for a long time. If you support an administration that would but us further into debt and sell us off to the foreign countries with the deepest pockets,
If you are a minority that supports an administration that rewards blind loyalty with high level Jobs even you aren’t qualified for them, if you support an administration who would have the Audacity to show up to MS. Rosa Park’s furneral while at the same time doing everything they can to oppose affirmative action.

If you are a minority and support an Administration that Lies us into a war, an administration that only wants the nation to consider accepting any nominee of color on the basis of color only if that nominee happens to be republican and then pooh pooh’s the notion of color and wants us all to believe that society is colorblind when the issue of race is entered into the conversation then no you are not my kin folk.

Not one policy of this administration has been friendly toward blacks not one. Instead they use my blackness when it is expedient for them to do so and dismiss my black ass when they have no use for me.

So, not only does Wealth Matter but RACE Matters and Class Matters and Gender Matters.

All of this hideous racist legislation is that of your beloved party….turning able-bodied people into wards of the state…and lifetime Democratic voters to keep the gravy train coming in. And stealing from society’s achievers to give to the non-achievers.

If I was a fetus of any color who could express myself, I’d be a conservative Republican….because I’d CHOOSE to live…not be murdered.

Whoever created this thread should be ashamed of themselves.

iowa plowboy,
Here is a thought. Why don’t you use the time you waste on our blog and A) find a conservative website or B) join a campaign or movement to actually make a difference instead of arguing with liberals on OUR blog? I would not agree with your stance, but at least you would be more respectable. The UNO democrats actually go out in the community and fight for what we believe in. Until you do the same, I cannot even consider your ideas.

I stumbled into this site looking for an article about Pete Ricketts on Google search. Saw some of the ignorant and appalling posts about people who really make this country work. Wanted to make a few of you students think a little.
The leftist mantra the rich are evil, Republicans are racist warmongers, somehow stealing from those who do and giving to to those who don’t is fairness, requires no thought whatsoever. More importantly, Erin, it isn’t true.

You want to take random potshots at people you don’t know about things you obviously know nothing about. When your party, liberal or “moderate”, (whatever that means)throws out the racist term, your party needs to take a long look in the mirror. I would love to see how one of the vast minority of statesmen in your party, Ben Nelson, would respond to this thread. The people in the first paragraph, the true racists, the true poverty pimps, would cheer you in this hideous thread. I’ll bet Senator Nelson would be as sickened as I am.

Respectfully, Erin, maybe you should examine and be learned in your beliefs before you fight for them.

I find Ben Nelson to be a decent, solid public servant. If I could, I would vote for him.

“You want to take random potshots at people you don’t know about things you obviously know nothing about.” As for this, I have no idea what it means.

And poverty pimps? Who is making ignorant comments now?

There is one thing I can agree with you on. This is the greatest country in the world.

I agree with you on the runaway spending..But it would be delusional to think your party won’t make it worse when Pelosi and CO’s first pledge is to roll back the tax cuts..nice way to tell you she’s raising taxes without saying it..because virtually any time a liberal is honest about who they are, they lose in national elections…Stem cell research is legal…the question is whether tax dollars should fund it. Your party has done a great job of demonizing Republicans on a false premise concerning this yet again…Of course, they have CNN/Al-Jazeera-USA, the moe, larry, and curly networks, The USA/Democrat Party Today, and the New York/AL-Queda Times in their usual role of trying to manipulate the elections for you.

The rest of the stuff your party stands for as you stated it are talking points. I could go through them one-by-one but as you said, I have too much time on my hands already. I will say, however, in addition to the moral issue concerning gay marriage, it would already take a maligned industry (health care), and make it virtually unaffordable to anyone. You called my term “poverty pimp” ignorant. Seriously, Erin, with 35+ years since the Great Society with your party in control of the house. Do you honestly think your legislators wanted to make the minority family stronger by eliminating the father from the equation? Do you honestly think that they couldn’t see the staggering disparity of minorities in the prison population and see the wrong of their ways?? They, through legislation, perpetuated the problem by making out-of-wedlock birth a profit venture. Or do you think they are no different than Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, or Ernie Chambers? People who clearly have no interest whatsoever in making this situation better…because they would have no forum.

I will close by differentiating between our partys. When Mark Foley’s scandal is discovered, he is forced to resign. When Barney Frank has a gay prostitution ring running out of his apartment, he is censured…and re-elected. When Tom DeLay is ALLEGED to have committed a crime, he steps aside as to not be a distraction to his party. When William Jefferson’s freezer contains marked money from influence peddling, he is still in office…after a half-hearted request from your majority leader for his resignation. When the President of the United States perjures himself, has sex with an intern, gives nuclear technology to the Chinese in exchange for campaign dollars, he doesn’t resign, he, and his party try to create legislation to re-elect him for a 3rd term. Ted Kennedy should be in prison for life…he is the voice of your party.

Open your eyes, folks.

Okay, so I was not specific enough on the stem cell issue. Where do you think much of the money for research comes from though? Many of the research is done in government supported universities. If it was up to conservatives, it would be illegal. As far as my party demonizing the Repubican views of stem cell research (I believe this is what you meant), I think the Republicans are doing a fine job of “demonizing” stem cell research themselves. They like to relate abortions to stem cell research when they are two very different issues. Not all stem cells comes from aborted fetuses.

Concerning the deficit, taxes will have to be raised. How else will be ever balance the budget at this rate? And being deceptive in titles happens on both ends. Do you think the PATRIOT ACT would have ever been passed if it was called “the government is spying on you and going against the Constitution” act or something else less appealing?

As far as the difference between our parties, you list only a few examples which obviously are biased toward you point. What about Hastert? Why didn’t he resign? He is surely a distraction to the party if nothing else. And the real difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Mark Foley would not have had to hide his sexual orientation. As I understand it, he quit on his own and his party tired to cover up the scandal. Another example that comes to mind involves Jeff Fortenberry of NE. Since you are from Iowa, he, in short, accepted money he shouldn’t have and he is running for another term. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been accused several times of sexual harassment and he is still in office. Republicans just like Democrats do not always do the right thing.

As cliche as it sounds, I would rather have a president who screws his intern than the country. I was more enraged at the fact that they put Clinton under oath to ask about his personal life when it is none of our business. Yes, what he did was inappropriate but not illegal. We had the world laughing at us for that one. Never heard of Clinton giving intelligence to China so I won’t make a comment on that.

I wish you would stop brining up the Kennedy’s. That whole family is a joke to me. I certainly don’t think he is “the voice of my party.”

Don’t critisize networks like CNN for telling the straight facts. Sorry they don’t spin stories in a conservative light for you like Fox news.

I’m confused Erin? Who is the voice of your party? Ted Kennedy, who should be in prison? Joe Biden, who quit the 1992 Presidential race because he plagiarized his entire speech? Harry “Land Deal” Reid, who illegally used campaign funds to tip his employees? Nancy “Abramhoff” Pelosi? Chuck “Plame” Schummer? Christopher “waitress sandwich” Dodd? Barney “gay prostitution ring” Frank? John “I voted for it before I voted against it” Kerry? Bill & Hillary “name your favorite scandal here” Clinton? I’d sure be proud to call any of the above a spokesman. I’m sure you are as well.

It sure as hell isn’t Ben Nelson…too bad it isn’t.

“This despicable video showing the assination of an American soldier that their darling Anderson Cooper proudly called a CNN exclusive is a prime example.”
So CNN showed a newsworthy clip. Those bastards!

“I have 2 sons who have served in 2 different parts of Iraq for 2 different branches of the military. Both would go back.”
That’s great. It’s also completely irrelevant to the topic and doesn’t in any way affect the veracity of your claims.

“Both would give you a completely different account than your leftist anti-American networks.”
Who wants to bet that Iowa plowboy doesn’t have any sons in Iraq?

“While CNN-Al-Jazeera-USA shamelessly parades the pathetic and clueless Cindy Sheehan a senile John Murtha, and a treasonous John Kerry to call my sons and the amazing people who serve”
I think you should google “argument ad hominem.” Really.

“(the people who give the freedom for CNN-Al-Jazeera-USA to slant and distort…not to mention, create the news) terrorists, murderers, and rapists. Do you agree with that?”
Governments and the armed thugs they employ are responsible for freedom like virgins are responsible for STDs. And if you torture or murder people, you’re a torturer/murder. Wearing a uniform or “following orders” doesn’t excuse that. Cut the special pleading bullshit.

“Or since this is a thread on racism and Republicans…didn’t you love CNN/Al-Jazeere-USA’s “factual” and “honest” coverage of Hurricane Katrina? How they, proudly were the first to blame and to pull out the Republicans are racists card when it was the Mayor and Governor who (not to mention the citizens themselves) who failed to get their own people out? How long did they try to ride the Dan Rather story to manipulate the election even though it was known the story was fabricated before it was telecasted? I’m confused Erin? Who is the voice of your party? Ted Kennedy, who should be in prison? Joe Biden, who quit the 1992 Presidential race because he plagiarized his entire speech? Harry “Land Deal” Reid, who illegally used campaign funds to tip his employees? Nancy “Abramhoff” Pelosi? Chuck “Plame” Schummer? Christopher “waitress sandwich” Dodd? Barney “gay prostitution ring” Frank? John “I voted for it before I voted against it” Kerry? Bill & Hillary “name your favorite scandal here” Clinton? I’d sure be proud to call any of the above a spokesman. I’m sure you are as well.”
The really question is “how is any of the above at all relevant in any way to the topic at hand?” Answer - it isn’t, and you’re nothing but a Republican sycophant and a troll who has contributed nothing but recycled partisan rhetoric. How about you shut the fuck up unless you have something meaningful or original to say, k?