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Sharpton: Comedian's apology not enough
cnn ^ | 11-22-06

Posted on 11/22/2006 3:57:53 PM PST by LouAvul

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The Rev. Al Sharpton said Wednesday he refused to accept an apology from actor Michael Richards, who spouted a racist rant at a comedy club last week.

But Sharpton said he did agree to meet with Richards to try to start a process to address racism in America.

"I [told Richards] you need to sit down and deal with this," Sharpton told CNN. "This is not about accepting an apology, this is about starting a process to really deal with the continual problem of racism in this country." (Watch Richards' meltdown on stage -- 1:39 )

Sharpton said he got the call from Richards earlier Wednesday.

"I think that what he did was so injurious that he has to sit down with a group and decide how he tries to ... deal with healing the obvious problem he's got in his own mind and his own heart, because it couldn't come out of you if it wasn't in you," Sharpton said.

The incident took place Friday night at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, California.

In a video clip posted on the celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com, obtained from an audience member, Richards unleashed a nearly three-minute tirade punctuated by racial slurs at a group of African-American hecklers.

In it, he made a reference to lynching and added shortly before walking offstage, "That's what happens when you interrupt a white man."

TMZ.com is a subsidiary of Time Warner, as is CNN.

Richards apologized Monday on CBS's "Late Show" with David Letterman, saying he is not a racist.

"I was at a comedy club trying to do my act and I got heckled, and I took it badly and went into a rage," said Richards, who appeared on the show via satellite.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: antifreespeech; atleastmelwasdrunk; blahblahblah; botchedjoke; chipontheshoulder; freemumia; freetacos; freetawana; frymumia; getoverital; growupcrybabies; hypocrites; insecureminorities; makehimcrawlal; maumautime; racebaiters; racists; richardsreparations; shakedown; thehecklerwasracist
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To: California Patriot

Imagine a white person calling a black woman a "dumb c-word" that is generally used to describe her privates. That was just one of the comments this guy made to or about her.

I accept that some racial jokes are rather funny, if that isn't the whole act. If a black gets up there and tells a some great jokes at white's expense, then moves on to other good material, I've got no problem with it. I do think there are better ways to be funny, but what the hey.

Both these guys focused on whites for their whole act. It was just ugly, and I don't think many would think otherwise. If the tables were turned and a white guy had done this at Hispanic or Blacks' expense, I'd have thought it very problematic as well.


41 posted on 11/22/2006 4:19:37 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking it's heritage.)
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To: LouAvul

Um, how can an apology be "not enough" when it's not even legally required? It's out there. Either like the guy or don't, but move on.


42 posted on 11/22/2006 4:19:41 PM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: Popman

I hear ya...


43 posted on 11/22/2006 4:19:56 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking it's heritage.)
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To: LouAvul

No surprise, the uber-racist Al Sharpton has to jump into the fray when the issue should be dead and buried.

Jesse Jackoff cannot be far behind - Al and Jesse will now proceed to try to milk "Kramer" in every way possible -- for money, publicity, shameless self-promotion......

Hey, Al Sharpton, when are YOU going to start a "process" for getting past the virulent vicious racism YOU represent, from the Tawana Brawley scam right up to the present day???


44 posted on 11/22/2006 4:20:38 PM PST by Enchante (America-haters and Terrorists Around the World Embrace Chamberlain Democrats)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

I'm just sarcastically pointing out that a pound of flesh is never enough for the likes of Sharpton. Sharpton would be one of those ghouls like in Iraq who drag bodies around because killing someone wasn't satisfying enough.


45 posted on 11/22/2006 4:20:48 PM PST by PeterFinn (Support the Troops by supporting their mission.)
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To: Dog

Richards better get funny real fast, his pockets gonna need it.


46 posted on 11/22/2006 4:21:12 PM PST by dforest (Don't get fooled, the bigger struggle is still out there, and growing)
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To: LouAvul

I've fogotten - what atonement did Sharpton make for inciting a mob to burn down a clothing store, killing the owner in the process?


47 posted on 11/22/2006 4:21:46 PM PST by stop_fascism
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

It was very unusual. I am a wisecracker and every wisecracker knows that sometimes what sounds incredibly witty and hilarious inside your head has almost zero comedic power when it is released into the real, 3-D world.

I really have no idea what he was thinking. I honestly think he wasn't thinking, or that his thinking (for whatever reason) was seriously impaired.

It will be hard for him to bounce back from this one, I think.


48 posted on 11/22/2006 4:22:25 PM PST by HitmanLV ("Lord, give me chastity and temperance, but not now." - St. Augustine)
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To: DoughtyOne

I think some of these comedians must be absolute scum.
Customers need to draw the line with the managers of these places. Walk out and say why. Publicize the names of these extreme comedians and their clubs. Hit them in the pocketbook. Yes, more scum will probably come to hear them, but decent people will tend not to, and ultimately, decent people are better for business.


49 posted on 11/22/2006 4:22:27 PM PST by California Patriot ("That's not Charlie the Tuna out there. It's Jaws." -- Richard Nixon)
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To: Dog

Stick it Al.


50 posted on 11/22/2006 4:23:17 PM PST by billhilly
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To: California Patriot

I agree with your comments. Good points.


51 posted on 11/22/2006 4:24:25 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking it's heritage.)
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To: Logophile

"Why? Was Sharpton in the audience when Richards blew up?"


That was my reaction. The guy is a comedian, hellooooo. Not a head of state or even a congresscritter.


52 posted on 11/22/2006 4:24:50 PM PST by gidget7 (Political Correctness is Marxism with a nose job)
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To: LouAvul
So, fat Al refused to accept an apology from actor Michael Richards? Who appointed him the arbitor of apologies? I wish somebody would put him on the spot and ask him to apologize for the interloper incident or, paying the policeman in NYC that he slandered in the Tawana Brawley lie.
53 posted on 11/22/2006 4:24:54 PM PST by capydick (Better to Fight for Something Than to Live for Nothing)
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To: DoughtyOne

As a percentage, I believe blacks to be the MOST racist of any people, it's on full display every day.

The fact that someone like Sharpton is not treated like a crackpot that he is shows how far we've slipped, he has no place in respectable society with his track record. I see no difference between Sharpton and David Duke, except for the fawning over Sharpton, hosting Saturday Night Live, etc.


54 posted on 11/22/2006 4:25:14 PM PST by word_warrior_bob
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To: LouAvul

Why did it take 3 days for this fat blob of hipocrisy to say anything publicly about this incident?


55 posted on 11/22/2006 4:25:34 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Res firma mitescere nescit)
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To: LouAvul
three-minute tirade punctuated by racial slurs at a group of African-American hecklers.

Has anyone considered that Richards may have been just trying to say the most offensive things - whether or not he's a racist - just to piss off the hecklers?

Saying what he said isn't necessarily his true beliefs - it may have been what he felt would offend the most. And there is a difference.

56 posted on 11/22/2006 4:25:43 PM PST by Lizavetta
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To: MayflowerMadam
I'm still waiting for the black comics at Laugh Factory to apologize to (1) the other blacks for peppering every act with the N word,a nd (2) all the whites who they offend frequently in their acts. When that happens, I'll re-think this Michael Richards thing; until then, I have no problem.

Agreed.  Since the beginning of this thing, I've been waiting for any sort of public statement or comment from any of the numerous wealthy and successful black 'comedians' who constantly use "the N word".  I haven't heard of any....have I missed it?  Has Chris Rock been completely silent throughout this whole spisode?

57 posted on 11/22/2006 4:26:31 PM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: HitmanLV

Maybe someone suggested he take meds, and they are out of balance. He is acting bizzare. But come on, he is a has been comedian, what difference does it make to Al Sharpton, that he should take time out of doing his job(now THAT would be unusual, Shartopn doing his job!) to meet with him. People need to get a grip.


58 posted on 11/22/2006 4:27:48 PM PST by gidget7 (Political Correctness is Marxism with a nose job)
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To: LouAvul

"But Sharpton said he did agree to meet with Richards to try to start a process to address racism in America.'

Apparently Sharpton doesn't think there's enough racist rhetoric between whites and blacks so he's going to get together with Richards to figure out a way to make it worse !!!


59 posted on 11/22/2006 4:27:52 PM PST by Obie Wan
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To: LouAvul
The Rev. Al Sharpton said Wednesday he refused to accept an apology from actor Michael Richards

I'm groping for an analogy.....

got it

That's like Joseph Stalin refusing to accept Joseph McCarthy's apology. 

I mean, McCarthy was a demagogue and a drunk, but c'mon.  Uncle Joe was a mass murderer.  Michael Richards is a disturbed Hollywierdo who is (most likely) expressing his truly racist inner prejudices, but Al Sharpton is a racist and peddler of hate of epic proportions with decades of hate speech to atone for.

60 posted on 11/22/2006 4:28:00 PM PST by Phsstpok (Often wrong, but never in doubt)
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