Joe Conason (Journ0list): The Racists Return

New York Observer ^ | August 10, 2010 | Joe Conason

[maggief]

Among the most revealing aspects of life during the Obama presidency is the panoply of responses to a black family in the White House. What made so many of us proud of our country on Jan. 20, 2009, has increasingly provoked expressions of hatred from the far right. That is troubling, but not nearly as troubling as the behavior of conservatives who excuse, embolden or simply pretend to ignore the bigots surrounding them.

Last spring, after unruly Tea Party protesters on Capitol Hill were accused of spewing racial epithets at civil rights hero John Lewis, an African-American congressman from Georgia, conservatives rose up in furious denial. Where was the proof? How could anyone suggest that racial prejudice lurks behind the festering right-wing hatred of President Obama (and his family)? Anger over that episode still lingers in certain quarters, motivating the deceptively edited video attack on Shirley Sherrod and the N.A.A.C.P. by a Web site called Big Government, Inc.

Even if the alleged assault on Representative Lewis and other black congressmen did occur, argued prominent commentators on the right, it somehow only proved that there is no racism in America worthy of concern. A writer for National Review (the conservative magazine that historically opposed civil rights legislation) confided that the whole subject made him yawn:

[fatnotlazy]

Blah, blah, blah.

The racist thing is getting old.

[anniegetyourgun]

"Most conservatives were late in taking responsibility for their movement's immoral opposition to civil rights."

You sniveling idiot - that was your side that opposed civil rights.

[Carley]

John Lewis may have been a hero at one time. Now he is nothing more than a race hustler doing nothing for his community except exploiting them for votes.

[alecqss]

unruly Tea Party protesters on Capitol Hill were accused of spewing racial epithets at civil rights hero John Lewis,

Without even mentioning that those accusations went unsubstantiated, not a single video (showing entire event) recorded anything harsher than "Kill the bill".
Looks like jornos can not write even a sentence without the help of an outright lie.

[skeeter]

The Left has got NOTHIN' but the same old crap.

No sale, Joe. You may have to actually defend your marxist hero by engaging your brain, that is if thats possible after all these years.

[jimfree]

Race will truly become irrelevant in 2012 when we prove that we can both elect and defeat an unqualified black candidate for the presidency.

[rex regnum insanit]

“Racist” and “racism” have become empty, meaningless words thrown around by left-wing idiots who can’t defend their beliefs. Their only recourse is the ad hominem attack. It simply shows how intellectually bankrupt they’ve become.

[Eagles6]

And last week a racist black thief shot and killed 8 White co-workers, wounding more, and the victims were blamed for supposed racist acts that pushed him over the edge.

The fact that absolutely no evidence of any instances of racist behavior on the part of the victims can be found doesn't appear to matter to the msm.

One of the problems is that the killer was raised with the same mind set as this author: Whitey owes me, Whitey is racist and he's keepin' me down, any criticism or holding to account by Whitey is racist.

[Tzimisce]

Well the latest email from my fellow journalists says I’m supposed to call you racists....

[Yardstick]

Where was the proof?

Yeah, where was the proof?

It seems pretty obvious that it didn't happen.

And the rest of the items on his list are pretty silly, and make the National Review writer's point about racism being at "de minimus" levels while charges of racism increase.

[Interesting Times]

More lies from the leftists...

[flintsilver7]

Last spring, after unruly Tea Party protesters on Capitol Hill were accused of spewing racial epithets at civil rights hero John Lewis, an African-American congressman from Georgia, conservatives rose up in furious denial. Where was the proof?

I agree, how ridiculous is it that we ask for proof when accused of something? That's absurd. Can you imagine the calamity that would ensue if a justice system were constructed that way? Wow. Who the hell asks for proof? Any wild accusation is good enough for me.

Anger over that episode still lingers in certain quarters, motivating the deceptively edited video attack on Shirley Sherrod and the N.A.A.C.P. by a Web site called Big Government, Inc.

Anybody capable of reading should know two things by now. The original text of Breitbart's post is available. He never made any statement about Sherrod but was intending to show the reaction of the crowd (who cheered her racist story but were dead silent when she admitted she was wrong). Also, the video was not edited at all. What it intended to show was the racism of the NAACP, not the racism of Shirley Sherrod (who, by the way, is not at all innocent nor is she in any way heroic).

The rest of the post is even more sophomoric than the above lines. Whoever this guy is, he should not have an audience.

[Osage Orange]

Sharks following old slave shipping routes...did it for me.

What a moron....

[dalebert]

falling on deaf ears

[dalebert]

falling on deaf ears

[Osage Orange]

Falling on dumb ears or lying ears....would be more like it.

Take your pick..........

[Altura Ct.]

to a black family in the White House.

You mean the 'Rev' Wright loving, Holder choosing, black panther protecting, African American agenda supporting black family? That black family?

[cripplecreek]

That is troubling, but not nearly as troubling as the behavior of conservatives who excuse, embolden or simply pretend to ignore the bigots surrounding them.

Even more troubling when we ignore the tired old mewling of "racism". Time to play a new song.

[WashingtonSource]

Since we now know that Mr. Conason is a member of the JournoList, everything he says has to be viewed through that prism. He is a propagandist for the extreme left wing and it’s his job to malign conservatism. This column is par for the course. I was actually present at the time the alleged incidents occurred on Capitol Hill. I can vouch for the fact no one used any racial language whatsoever. Nancy wanted so desperately to provoke a racist reponse and she didn’t get one — so someone had to make one up. This is standard operating procedure. It was the Republicans who got the Civil Rights Law passed in the 1960s. It was Democrats who were slaveholders. Of course, facts don’t matter when you are a mindless polemicist like Joe.