Posted on 10/04/2011 10:44:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
Someone told me recently she liked reading my blog but it seemed like everything I wrote about was race. I guess I’m going to live up to that person’s perception today. Admittedly, I write from the perspective of a black woman, so I can’t help notice these type of stories. For the record, the purpose of my blog is to educate people on politics, awaken black liberals to a new way of thinking and encourage people to vote based on issues not party.
I don’t intentionally sit down at the key board each week itching to write about the intersection of politics and race, but it seems there is always a politically racial story staring and at times smacking me in the face. Like today, when the only black Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said it was "insulting" for Governor Rick Perry and his family to lease a hunting camp in Texas known as “Niggerhead.”
This racist word used to describe blacks is emblazoned on a rock prominently situated at a gated entrance to the camp. The Washington Post broke the story, detailing how the rock has been painted over, turned over but not removed since Perry’s father and later the governor himself began leasing the spot in 1983.
Cain condemned Perry for being associated with such a word, saying on This Week:
"Since Gov. Perry has been going there for years to hunt, I think that it shows a lack of sensitivity for a long time of not taking that word off of that rock and renaming the place. . . .Yes, it was painted over. But how long ago was it painted over? So I'm still saying that it is a sign of insensitivity."
One would think conservatives, including those who call themselves Republicans like me and Tea Party Patriots, would be applauding Cain’s response. After all, many of these same conservatives have said they whole hearted support of Cain as a candidate has nothing to do with the color of his skin but his positions on ALL issues, one would assume they would be supportive of Cain’s position on racial equality and inclusion.
So, you can surmise I was surprised when people on my tweeter stream turned on Cain, blasting him for “using the race card.” Yes, these good PATRIOTS who supported Cain were now defending Perry’s complicit endorsement of the use of the N-word by not removing the ugly rock form the camp site.
One true patriot tweeted: "Turns out Cain is no different than members of Congressional Black Caucus. He should apologize to Governor Perry #tcot #teaparty #Perry2012"
But the tweets below are worse and demonstrate conservative voters need to come to grips with the reality that we live in the 21st century where there is no place for the word nigger in the American discourse nor should it be associated with any presidential candidate who actually wants to win in 2012.
"Herman Cain playing the race card on Rick Perry will end the Cain campaign. And it was totally unnecessary, too. WaPo carrying that water" said one tweet.
"@TheHermanCain Sorry you have turned out to be just another race baiter. Thought we were trying to get rid of that stuff. Thks, but no thks" said another tweet.
"@impoTex @TheHermanCain The GOP cand. should renounce this kind of slanderous reporting. Mr Cain I have lost respect for you, fueling this" another tweet reads.
It truly boggles the mind how some conservatives can support Cain in one breath because he’s got winning solutions then dump their support for him and unfollow him in seconds because he stands up against racial hate. Apparently, talking about race as a conservative candidate is taboo. You can’t mention it PERIOD, even when it’s slapping you in your face.
Does the GOP want to win in 2012 or become known as party of hate? Ask yourself and change that tune, please! This is exactly what the GOP doesn't need right now. It won't endear voters to us in 2012. Excelsior Herman Cain!
That is so weird, I’ve been thinking the same exact thing. He did support him in the last presidential race.
Uh, according to named witnesses, it still goes by that name among locals. This is not something out of the 1880s. When I have time later tonight, I will give you the names. One is someone named Waller Overton.
Me thinks there is something rotten going on in the state of ...wherever Mitt calls home these days. :)
***the term itself got it’s name b/c of a likeness to black folks***
Yes, it’s unfortunate. But in the Middle Ages, Rubeckia was known as “Golden Jerusalem” which could be interpreted as being too Catholic or too Jewish, and it’s known now as “Black-eyed Susan” which could be interpreted as “too sexist.” Somebody always has to be offended about something.
I found the words on the rock 'insensitive.' They should have been removed, but the fact that they weren't is not a sign of racism.
I am also old enough to remember when Brazil Nuts were called 'nigger toes'.....but they stopped being called that decades ago because it was 'insensitive.' I fully agree with that decision.
Recognizing the truth of past racism is not an evil thing, lonestar. And calling something that IS 'insensitive' insensitive, is no reason to be 'disappointed' or to throw a good man under the bus.
I hope you're not so sensitive and narrow that you're doing that.
“Since Gov. Perry has been going there for years to hunt, I think that it shows a lack of sensitivity for a long time of not taking that word off of that rock and renaming the place." - Herman Cain
That statement right there from Cain flat out accused Perry knowing of the slur being on the rock, and that he left if there for a "long time" before removing it. There's no getting around that. I didn't infer jack squat. Cain is very clear in that statement, and there's not any ambiguity. Did Cain mispeak on accident? Possibly. As I stated earlier, if he has apologized for the accusation, then I accept that. I like Cain. He's my 2nd choice. However, he took that bait hook, line and sinker, and managed to smear Perry in the process.
Wow. You give up on good people easily, don't you?
Your point is spot on.
I think Perry will come out of this alright. The key for him is to improve his debate performance.
Cain is surging right now but once the race card usage sinks in I think he will begin losing support. He probably should stop beating his wife as well (see how well those baseless accusations work!).
If that does happen, there’s going to be a lot of exploding heads around here. It won’t be pretty.
Herman Cain played the race card callously and unjustly on Perry purely for political gain and lost any chance of support he may have had from me.
That's probably because he wasn't.
The word was removed. The problem is over.
My primary problem here is with people who thrown Cain out of the mix because of this silly, manufactured, there is no there there controversy.
Perry is not a racist. Cain is not a race-baiter.
Period.
Any further bashing of Cain in light of what he has said since this nothingness occurred, is gratuituous, and accomplishes exactly what the left wants to have happen.
The Race Card is so 1990's, it's finished, and that dog won't hunt anymore, (if I may borrow that line from Cain).
You are living proof that I’m so glad to be a damned Yankee and not a Texan. To blithely go around calling flowers “niggerheads†is just abhorrent to me. And then to take offense that someone would take offense! I seem to be in the minority on that here at FR, so you can take some comfort from that.
Yes, because Yankees are ever so much less racists than Texans. /s/
Please don't hold that against Texans. I've heard that term more in the last 3 days than I've heard in 10 years, outside of hip-hop radio. I can promise you that people don't go around openly saying that word in public down here.
Let me rephrase that. It’s a rare occaision to ever hear that out in public from white folks. I hear it often from the black youth here.
I'm disappointed in you and Herman.:)
Are you not aware that the word was painted over so many years ago that the paint has worn off ...only part of the word? The Post did not print a rock pic so we don't know what it looks like...or how big it is.
You are aware that Perry's dad leased 1000 acres of a 45,000 acre ranch as a hunting lease years ago? They have never owned the land...or the rock. In all his elections in TX, this is the first time the word "racist" has ever come as an accusation against him. Therefore,
I'm afraid you and Cain reacted just like the W Post wanted you to.
I am reminded that when GWB ran for POTUS first time, some journalist discovered that the neighorhood the Bushes lived in had not allowed Jews in the dark ages. A big deal was made of that.
Thanks! That gives me a sense of relief. I guess we just have some people on board with some weird ideas.
If you haven’t heard that word in ten years, that’s a pretty good thing.
Here in NJ/NY, you only hear it among young black toughs and some low-down white kids from the inner cities.
I have found the 'n' word offensive for decades because it IS offensive. The WaPo has absolutely nothing to do with it.
I know all the details about the property, and that there is no racism involved on the part of the Perry family.
So I say this to you. Stop allowing the left to make a big deal out of this non-issue, and restore your support for Herman Cain.
Otherwise you are falling into leftist hands and being played.
I think the fix is in. Romney is going to get the nomination by default. Once Romney gets the nomination, the Mormon History issue will raise it's ugly head and Romney will get to experience first hand the Palin/Perry treatment that the media has been holding in reserve for him.
Romney will never survive the race attacks that are going to be inevitable if he gets the nomination. For over 130 years the Mormons taught that dark skin is a curse from God and that Blacks had the mark of Cain and were prohibited from getting the priesthood that was reserved for the "white and delightsome" races.
If Romney gets the nod, and all signs point to that happening (the media, the corporate interests and the east coast elites are all putting their money there) then Obama stands a very good chance at being re-electd.
Remember Romney will be running against a Black Man - a person that Romney grew up believing was not worthy of the priesthood and who has been carrying the Divine curse of a dark skin. That ain't gonna sell in Peoria.
Perry is getting attacked because of some letters on a rock that was painted over in 1983. In 1978 the Mormon Church was still teaching that Blacks were black because they were cursed by God and that Hispanics were dark because they were cursed by God. Toss in a few quotes from Brigham Young and Romney will be history within 2 weeks of the time he gets the nomination. The media will just pretend they are only now learning this stuff. But if a racially insensitive rock can make the news 30 years after it was painted over, how is a 130 year history of racism by the LDS Church going to play when that wasn't painted over until 1978. By then Romney was a high mucky-muck in the LDS Church. He preached that crap until 1978. How is he going to get around that when the media unloads it's race war on Romney?
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