Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Dan Rather Apologizes for 'Watermelons' Comment (He really meant to say 'Fried Chicken')
NewsBusters ^ | March 10, 2010 | Goeffrey Dickens

Posted on 03/10/2010 11:29:24 AM PST by Zakeet

HDNet's Dan Rather, in a piece for the Huffington Post, apologized for his use of the word "watermelons" during a segment about Barack Obama's ability to pass health care, that was aired on the March 8 Chris Matthews Show. In his explanation Rather offers his Texas background as an excuse saying, "I used the analogy of selling watermelons by the side of the road. It's an expression that stretches to my boyhood roots in Southeast Texas" but then goes on to plead "I'm sorry people took offense."

The following is the most relevant portion of the statement, from the former CBS Evening News anchor, as it appears in The Huffington Post:

I was talking about Obama and health care and I used the analogy of selling watermelons by the side of the road. It's an expression that stretches to my boyhood roots in Southeast Texas, when country highways were lined with stands manned by sellers of all races. Now of course watermelons have become a stereotype for African Americans and so my analogy entered a charged environment. I'm sorry people took offense.

But anyone who knows me personally or knows my professional career would know that race was not on my mind. Reporting on the injustices of race was part of the reason I became a reporter. I grew up in segregated Texas on the same side of the tracks as the African American community. At the time, enlightened people called them Negros. Many people called them much worse. When I covered the Civil Rights movement, I saw sheer hatred in ways that still haunt and shock me. For doing my small part in reporting on the South in the 1960s, I was called a traitor to my roots and other names not fit for print. I was threatened with death by people who would have welcomed me to their church on Sunday on account of my white skin if they didn't know what I was there to do. I do not take this issue lightly.

I can understand why someone who just happened upon my comments could take offense or want clarification. But what has caused this comment to "go viral" is the trumpeting of an online and cable echo chamber that claims the banner of news but trades in gossip, gotcha, and innuendo. Furthermore, even for those who brook no prejudice, when everything is condensed to 140 characters or a small YouTube clip, many people who got this "news" did so without any context, just a headline that popped up on their phone or inbox.

For the full piece visit The Huffington Post.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: danrather; facebook; hollywoodreds; oldcoot; racismwatermelons; rather; ratherbiased; ratherisms; seebs; twitter
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last
Comment #1 Removed by Moderator

To: Zakeet

Keep digging, Kenneth.


2 posted on 03/10/2010 11:31:18 AM PST by Argus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zakeet
I was talking about Obama and health care and I used the analogy of selling watermelons by the side of the road. It's an expression that stretches to my boyhood roots in Southeast Texas, when country highways were lined with stands manned by sellers of all races. Now of course watermelons have become a stereotype for African Americans

This stereotype didn't exist when Dan Rather was a boy, it cam afterwards ("Now of course... have become...")?

Dan, you said Macaca and now must go on the air with Al Sharpton to apologize.

3 posted on 03/10/2010 11:31:42 AM PST by a fool in paradise
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zakeet
"I used the analogy of selling watermelons by the side of the road. It's an expression that stretches to my boyhood roots in Southeast Texas" but then goes on to plead "I'm sorry people took offense."

What a crappy appology. He did not say he was sorry for saying what he did. He said he was sorry that some people took offense. He took no responsibility for his statement; rather he appologized because some people took it the wrong way. What a wimp.

4 posted on 03/10/2010 11:31:50 AM PST by mlocher (USA is a sovereign nation)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zakeet
In his explanation Rather offers his Texas background as an excuse saying, "I used the analogy of selling watermelons by the side of the road. It's an expression that stretches to my boyhood roots in Southeast Texas"

I've lived in Texas all my life, and I've NEVER heard that expression used.

5 posted on 03/10/2010 11:31:52 AM PST by VRWCmember
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zakeet

I love it when a-holes step on the same landmine they buried.


6 posted on 03/10/2010 11:32:11 AM PST by Pavegunner72
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zakeet

It’s a good thing he didn’t say “pistachios”. The muzzies would be all over his SeeBS-looking @$$.


7 posted on 03/10/2010 11:32:37 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (A proud American-American since 1949.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VRWCmember

But I bet ol’ Dan’s busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest trying to backpedal over that remark.


8 posted on 03/10/2010 11:35:00 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Argus

LOL!


9 posted on 03/10/2010 11:35:14 AM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear (I don't have a 'Cousin Pookie'.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Argus
But anyone who knows me personally or knows my professional career would know that race was not on my mind.

Dan, you don't have a mind. We figured that out when you were trying to bring down Pres. Bush with a phony made up story.

10 posted on 03/10/2010 11:35:24 AM PST by kcvl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Dan Rather gets hoisted by his own petard.


11 posted on 03/10/2010 11:35:45 AM PST by reagandemocrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Dan, the gift that keeps on giving. And thats how it is America.


12 posted on 03/10/2010 11:38:29 AM PST by equalitybeforethelaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Argus
"echo chamber that claims the banner of news but trades in gossip, gotcha, and innuendo.

And who would know gossip, gotcha and inuendo better than you Dan?

13 posted on 03/10/2010 11:39:07 AM PST by Michael.SF. (At least Hitler got the Olympics for Germany)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Argus

Poor Dan and his fake ‘folksy’ persona. He is under enourmous internal pressure, trying to maintain two false-self systems at the same time (country boy and urban liberal). The watermelon comment is a ‘freudian slip’, a ‘tell’, or an ‘indicator’.

Most inconvenient.

Most difficult for political progressives to constantly monitor what they say, and keep the list of forbidden words and phrases up to date.


14 posted on 03/10/2010 11:41:35 AM PST by olepap (God help us)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Argus

I hate the speech police, so in an effort to be fair to all sides, I give ole Dan a pass.


15 posted on 03/10/2010 11:41:55 AM PST by freespirited (We're not the Party of No. We're the Party of HELL NO!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: freespirited
I hate the speech police, so in an effort to be fair to all sides, I give ole Dan a pass.

It was Dan Rather and the scumbag left who gave us "the speech police".
..So screw that closet racist Dan Rather.

16 posted on 03/10/2010 11:46:09 AM PST by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Zakeet; a fool in paradise

17 posted on 03/10/2010 11:46:12 AM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Argus

“.. that claims the banner of news but trades in gossip, gotcha, and innuendo.”

Well, if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black!


18 posted on 03/10/2010 11:47:02 AM PST by Pessimist (u)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Argus

Courage, Dan!


19 posted on 03/10/2010 11:48:20 AM PST by razorback-bert ( if you're doing an experiment, you should report everything that you think might make it invalid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Argus
I'm sorry people took offense.

*sigh*

Yet another liberal non-apology.

20 posted on 03/10/2010 11:48:43 AM PST by TChris ("Hello", the politician lied.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson