No, not THAT anniversary. Today my blog is one month old. Now while I don’t plan on celebrating every month, I think the fact that I’m still at it after one month says something. My friend Chris warned me that this would become an obsession, and he was not wrong.
Before I start my post today, I want to recognize a few of my new blog friends I have made over the last month. I hope that as you visit my site you stop and visit a few of the folks I have links to. Today I’d like to invite you to visit three: My new friend Jody at http://www.iowageekonline.com/, my new friend Brent at http://coptalk.blogspot.com/, and my old friend Chris at http://www.redhogdiary.com/. Please give these folks a visit (or any of the other links at the right), and while you are there drop them a note and let ‘em know you found them from the Lost Iowan diary.
Okay, on to my rant. I was surprised the other day to hear that the NAACP
was supporting a Republican candidate for the state legislature because the Democratic candidate referred to one of her African-American campaign helpers as “Buckwheat”. Buckwheat of course was the timid black child on the old “Our Gang” comedies.
Now I wasn’t surprised that there was outrage at this remark, I was surprised that the comment was made by a Democrat, and she wasn’t being given a pass by the NAACP. No one doubts that if this women was a Republican she would have been crucified, but those that cry “racist” at the slightest remark are usually quiet when the racist in question is a Democrat. Now let me stop for a moment and say that I think this was at best a poor choice of wording, and at worst a racist comment. I don’t know for sure what it was because I don’t know what their relationship is.
But here’s the rub: It turns out that Jerome Boykin, the president of the Terrebonne Parish chapter of the NAACP is the SON of Hazel Boykin, the woman that Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez called “Buckwheat”, so the attack was personal in his eyes.
“I've never had no one talk to me that way, and I considered it a racial slur," Hazel Boykin said. "I know the meaning of it; it's just like the N-word."
Now I doubt that Ms. Dartez was in effect calling Ms. Boykin “the N word”, or at least I’m sure that was not her intent. She probably thought she was being cute or funny, she was neither. In her defense she has apologized, although apparently not directly to Ms. Boykin or her son. Should that apology be accepted? That’s not for me to say, that decision should be Ms. Boykins.
The thing that bothers me the most about this entire situation is Where are Al and Jesse. When Don Imus makes a remark like these, he is fired. When there are racial incidents in Jena Louisiana, Al and Jesse are there. What makes this incident different? Simple: She’s a democrat. And if the son of the object of her slur hadn’t been the president of the local NAACP, she would probably still have their support as well.
Is Ms. Dartez a racist? I don’t know, and neither do you if you don’t personally know her. She could be, or she could just have an incredibly bad sense of what is funny or not. All I ask is that you keep this incident in mind the next time Al & Jesse show up.
Before I start my post today, I want to recognize a few of my new blog friends I have made over the last month. I hope that as you visit my site you stop and visit a few of the folks I have links to. Today I’d like to invite you to visit three: My new friend Jody at http://www.iowageekonline.com/, my new friend Brent at http://coptalk.blogspot.com/, and my old friend Chris at http://www.redhogdiary.com/. Please give these folks a visit (or any of the other links at the right), and while you are there drop them a note and let ‘em know you found them from the Lost Iowan diary.
Okay, on to my rant. I was surprised the other day to hear that the NAACP
was supporting a Republican candidate for the state legislature because the Democratic candidate referred to one of her African-American campaign helpers as “Buckwheat”. Buckwheat of course was the timid black child on the old “Our Gang” comedies.Now I wasn’t surprised that there was outrage at this remark, I was surprised that the comment was made by a Democrat, and she wasn’t being given a pass by the NAACP. No one doubts that if this women was a Republican she would have been crucified, but those that cry “racist” at the slightest remark are usually quiet when the racist in question is a Democrat. Now let me stop for a moment and say that I think this was at best a poor choice of wording, and at worst a racist comment. I don’t know for sure what it was because I don’t know what their relationship is.
But here’s the rub: It turns out that Jerome Boykin, the president of the Terrebonne Parish chapter of the NAACP is the SON of Hazel Boykin, the woman that Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez called “Buckwheat”, so the attack was personal in his eyes.
“I've never had no one talk to me that way, and I considered it a racial slur," Hazel Boykin said. "I know the meaning of it; it's just like the N-word."
Now I doubt that Ms. Dartez was in effect calling Ms. Boykin “the N word”, or at least I’m sure that was not her intent. She probably thought she was being cute or funny, she was neither. In her defense she has apologized, although apparently not directly to Ms. Boykin or her son. Should that apology be accepted? That’s not for me to say, that decision should be Ms. Boykins.
The thing that bothers me the most about this entire situation is Where are Al and Jesse. When Don Imus makes a remark like these, he is fired. When there are racial incidents in Jena Louisiana, Al and Jesse are there. What makes this incident different? Simple: She’s a democrat. And if the son of the object of her slur hadn’t been the president of the local NAACP, she would probably still have their support as well.
Is Ms. Dartez a racist? I don’t know, and neither do you if you don’t personally know her. She could be, or she could just have an incredibly bad sense of what is funny or not. All I ask is that you keep this incident in mind the next time Al & Jesse show up.
2 comments:
It's funny how the rules change depending on who you are, your political affiliation, etc.
Thanks so much for the linky love. I hope you have gotten some new visitors from me.
O'Tay then! Happy Anniversary Bob!
...or it could be that the offense in question was an insignificant state legislature race in Louisiana. Al and Jessie are media who...um... lovers first and foremost. This little offense couldn't possibly generate enough media to make it worth their while.
Where do you get all this "if it had been a Republican stuff?" A bigot is a bigot. Maybe you are just defensive about it because you guys have more bigots so you get called on it more.
Post a Comment