Choice Of Speaker Could Cut Turnout (Rev. Wright barf alert)

The Washington Post ^ | October 28, 2009

[khnyny]

Perry Ealim was elated to learn that he had won a local business award from the Anne Arundel County NAACP, and he sent a mass e-mail asking friends and associates, largely fellow Republicans, to join him at the Nov. 20 award ceremony.

But most aren't so eager to dine with the evening's guest speaker, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., who is President Obama's controversial former pastor.

"I am happy for your honor, however I cannot support an organization that would have a racist/bigot such as Mr. Wright as [its] speaker," wrote James Pelura, chairman of the Maryland Republican Party.

"I am disappointed that you are not reprimanding the NAACP," another wrote.

Local Republican officials, including County Executive John R. Leopold, who have honored Ealim for his work on minority businesses, aren't going. Most of the Democrats Ealim knows happen to be busy that evening, too.

[MarineBrat]

"We believe he should not be judged by snippets of newscasts, but rather on citizens having the opportunity to hear him for themselves and make their own judgments," Allsup said.

We've heard him. We've judged. He's filth.

[mrsmel]

Ealim, who is black, said that refusing to attend Wright's speech is "more divisive than anything he could say." He said he does not agree with some of Wright's comments and does not support all of the NAACP's positions.

"I am intelligent enough that I can listen to someone talk and separate truth from non-truth," he said.

Yeah, I bet he'd say the same thing if David Duke was the speaker.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

The fastest way to make a statement is to get up and walk out. The fastest way to send a message of what is tolerable and what is not is to walk out. The fastest way to have impact on what services and products are made available to the public is to vote with you feet, refuse to support or attend or walk out.

It conveys the message without having to deliver the knock-out punch. I suggest that we use it early and often when we hear something we cannot tolerate. Early Christians used to call it shunning. Nothing more was necessary, just make the “shunnee” feel like a civil war ghost or don't feed it — it will just follow you home.

[khnyny]

Yes, agreed.

The problem is, the NAACP is giving this fool legitimacy by having him speak. It also reveals a certain mindset by (at least) this local NAACP chapter. Who gets the speakers - the local chapter or are they booked (or at least approved) on the national level? Does the national office have any oversight on local chapters? I would suspect that the answer to both of those questions is yes, which if correct, opens another can or worms...

[RipSawyer]

They are certainly quick enough to judge Republicans by snippets of anything, even snippets of BS.