Senator Miller Must Apologize for “Lynching” Remark, Says Civil Rights Coalition

LCCR ^ | 11.17.03 | Michelle Woolley

[mhking]

Washington – Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the nation's oldest, largest, and most diverse civil and human rights coalition, with over 180 member organizations, today called on Senator Zell Miller to apologize to the American people for his outrageous comments during last night's Republican talk-a-thon on judicial nominations.

"Senator Zell Miller's comment equating opposition to the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown to a lynching is despicable on its face," Henderson said. "Either Senator Miller has conveniently forgotten a frightening period of American history, or he is willfully demeaning all those African-Americans who were hung from trees throughout the period of racial segregation in the South," Henderson continued.

LCCR believes that all Americans value civil rights progress and would be deeply offended by Senator Miller's comments. His ugly lynching remark has no place in any debate. "Senator Miller, you owe a deep apology to all those whose family members were murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan and White Citizens Councils and those who fought to end lynch mob violence. Just as Senator Lott apologized for his insensitive comments, so should you," Henderson stated.

[mhking]

Just damn.

[mhking]

And my comments from my blog this evening:

You need permission to call an injustice a lynching?

US Senator Zell Miller has been taken to task by Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) for comments the Senator made during last week's Senate 40 hour debate-a-thon.

Miller's crime? Calling the Democratic filibuster of federal court nominee (and California Supreme Court Justice) Janice Rogers Brown a modern lynching.

Well, as a duly-born black consultant, and citizen of the great state of Georgia, I hereby give former Georgia governor and current US Senator Zell Miller permission to use the term "lynching" to describe any injustice perpetrated by anyone.

For Henderson (or anyone else for that matter) to go up in smoke over something as basic and inconsequential as that is just plain nuts. It certainly diminishes any efforts that Henderson's group may have. You know the drill: keep crying wolf, and no one will pay attention when you really need to get their notice.

Simply nuts.

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[Rodney Dangerfield]

Why aren't they calling for Kennedy to apologize for his "Neanderthals" remark?

[ServesURight]

[Corin Stormhands]

Did they release this with the call for Kennedy's apology for the "Neanderthal" remark?

[areafiftyone]

Oh and FAT B@#$ST#RD Teddy Kenndy gets away with the Neanderthal remark?

[onyx]

FGS! Had they HEARD him speak, they'd be blasting the democrats for denying the woman an up or down vote. Idiots.

[suzyq5558]

Well ole Ted needs to do some apologizing too... those dem's need to do a bit of thier own house cleaning before screaming about our dirty house HARUMP

[JZoback]

Zell Miller should apologize right after Ted "swimmer" Kennedy does

[Tax-chick]

Well, at least he didn't say they were niggarly. That would be just too much!

[Reagan79]

Zell Miller sure is right. He should not apologize because African Americans have used these comparisons before. Clarence Thomas affirmed it when he cast his case as a "high tech lynching." Oh wait...I forgot Clarence Thomas is not an "official" Black. Ted Kennedy just implied that Bush's minority court nominees are "neanderthals." The double standard is out of control folks.

[per loin]

I object to the implication that trees were involved in those lynchings.

[GOPyouth]

"Senator Miller, you owe a deep apology to all those whose family members were murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan and White Citizens Councils and those who fought to end lynch mob violence.

This man needs to look at his own party when talking about lynching and the KKK. The Dems can always be proud that they started the Klan and the lynchings.

[Slings and Arrows]

Congratulations, Senator Miller, you're officially One Of Us now. Keep fighting the good fight.

[Slings and Arrows]

Well, at least he didn't say they were niggardly. That would be just too much!

Minor correction.

[Liberty Valance]

Please correct me if i'm wrong but i think Zell Miller was absolutely right.

[Tax-chick]

Yep, I was typing a little too fast! Must be time for me to retire for the night, before I spit out something REALLY insensitive!

[RobFromGa]

If the facts are on your side, use the facts. If the law is on your side, use the law. If neither, rant and rave.

[JulieRNR21]

Kennedy described minority nominees 'Neanderthals'. Where's the outrage over that?

OOPS....forgot about the double standard.

[Frank_Discussion]

"Just Damn" is right!

I am absolutely SICK of the egregious bashing a white man gets when he meantions a word like "lynching". Like Jesse "Shakedown" Jackson and his ilk have a copyright on certain words or concepts as off-limits for "white" discussion.

A Lynching is what has occurred with the the justice blocks, and Sen Miller was right, dead-on right, to call them so. It was NOT a misuse of the word, and it was NOT racist!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....