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Well,thank you for giving me a choice between being a defender of a terrible majority/minority leader or a segregationist.You're too kind.I took it as a throw-away remark because it didn't even dawn on me the supposed racist aspects to it until I saw this thread.We are so far removed from those times that I don't think you have to wear your non-bigotry on your sleeve.I don't spend my every waking moment feeling guilty for what my ancestors-or yours-may have thought and practiced in what was a totally different time.My point is,he simply said something that was foolish upon review,and punishing speech is not a good slope to get on.because,your speech or mine could be next and who knows who the speech police might be.

Unless the man is tone-deaf, which I suspect he is, he had to have noticed his gaffe when people in the audience gasped & fell silent--Lott may have been oblivious to his remarks, but others are paying attention. It would be optimistic to think that only Lott is going to pay the consequences for his televised remarks, but he won't, because he's the Majority Leader (or soon to be) of the United States Senate. Others in the Republican Party leadership are going to be asked about his remarks and asked if they agree with the remarks or disagree, and asked by reporters to expound on their views. The Dems will use this against the Republican Party and will use this with a vengeance against the GOP at a time they were wooing blacks to the party.

If can't see the ripple effect of Lott's remarks, you're as blind as Lott is tone-deaf.

>>...punishing speech is not a good
slope to get on.because,your speech or mine could be next and who knows who the speech police might be.>>

Punishing speech? or holding our representatives accountable for what they say? We certainly must have the latter.