IN DEFENSE OF TRENT LOTT: Seriously!

Shawn Mercer

[winin2000]

The crux of the onslaught against Trent Lott would seem to be, "How can you argue the U.S. would have been better off electing a segregationist?" Well, it only makes sense to examine that question in the context of both history and, more to the point, what his opponent had to offer.

It is easy to lose sight of just how far the pendulum has swung on what is deemed respectable opinion on matters of race. Not too many years ago, the political spectrum in toto was, by today's standards shockingly "racist." And elected officials, who are now idols of the left, were no exceptions. And I'm not simply talking about the abundant Southern Democrats who were segregationists; there's much more.

Woodrow Wilson, for example, was a dogmatic, practicing white supremacist, enforcing segregated office during his tenure as president of Princeton University and while in the White House. An often forgotten gem of his on the subject of immigration:

“I stand for the national policy of exclusion. . . . We cannot make a homogeneous population of a people who do not blend with the Caucasian race. . . . Oriental coolieism will give us another race problem to solve and surely we have had our lesson.”

I must have missed the news account of Rainbow/Push's protest march in front of Wilson's Presidential Library and think tank.

Too far back you say? Okay, fast forward a few years. Who could possibly have said something as repugnant as:

Californians have properly objected (to Japanese immigration) on the sound basic ground ... that the mingling of Asiatic blood with European or American blood produces, in nine cases out of ten, the most unfortunate results."

Nobody important. Only FDR.

Still not recent enough to the period in question? Okay, let's deal with the gentleman whom Senator, then Governor, Thurmond waged his rebellious campaign against in the first place. The man who is hailed as a visionary for his breaking down the color wall in the military. So happens Mr. Harry Truman wrote in private correspondence:

“I am strongly of the opinion Negroes ought to be in Africa, yellow men in Asia and white men in Europe and America.”

And for good measure, he wrote to his daughter that the White House kitchen staff was an "army of coons."

And lest you retort that these examples are not analagous, consider again the specific complaint against Lott. Although none of the Democrat vultures pecking at his carcass will make the straightforward accusation that he is a racist, they wax indignant about the propreity of having in high leadership someone who arguably thinks - who THINKS - America would have been better off under a President Thurmond. Some thoughts, however latent, are just too ugly to tolerate; whether they manifest themselves or not.

Now, that being the case, how can you seriously argue that these examples of rank, personal racism among liberal icons is irrelevant because they were sound on matters of policy. Truman's candid contempt for blacks is fine and dandy because, see, he got the ball rolling on integration. Yet Lott, whom no one can credibly accuse of attempting a recission of any of the substantive "civil rights" laws, is unfit to serve because he might have some deep-seated respect for the segregated society in which he was brought up.

Well, sorry folks, I ain't biting. The opportunism displayed on this forum these past few days is contemptible. From absolutist righties nursing impeachment grudges to self-righteous Yankees who see the Southern GOP base as some kind of albatross politically, most, if not all, calling for Lott's head have ulterior motives. I don't once recall seeing on Free Republic this kind of vitriol on the question of race and the Old South directed at Jesse Helms. And put your whitewash away, my friends; I love the man dearly, too. But the man who was elected to the Senate as commentator on a North Carolina newscast regularly attacking the civil rights revolution never formally repudiated his views on race. He simply stopped talking about it.

Why is Helms fit for Rushmore, yet Lott's sin is unforgivable?

Well, I for one will not let mortal fear of what kind of campaign ad will be run against us two years hence drive me to throw an innocent man to the wolves, giving craven idiots like Al Gore and professional anti-white demagogues like the Black Caucus yet another Republican scalp to hang on their wall.

I hope I've convinced a few folks to join me.

[winin2000]

ping

[headsonpikes]

President Thurmond bump???

I don't think so.

Lott is ineffective.

That's fatal.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

I was already with you. Tempest in a teapot.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Just once, I'd like to see a politician call a press conference and say, "Get bent, I meant every word of it. If you don't like it, I don't care. See you at the next election."

As long as I'm dreaming, I hope Claudia Schiffer swings by my house on her way home.

[reformed_democrat]

< sigh > Ok, ok. I guess you're right. I'd rather protect Lott than give the CBC fresh meat.

But I still don't like what he did during impeachment.

[nocommies]

youve got me. i could care less what lott said, i dont like him as majority leader, but he shouldnt lose his post because of this. and THIS was nothing more than an OPINION. opinions and free speech are no longer free when they come from republicans. if i had a dollar for every time ive heard sen byrd using the white n-----s comment in my head since lott's quote, id be on a plane to the bahamas, not here typing away. what is lott's voting record? FAR from "right wing" or racist. to the contrary, lott has often frustrated conservatives, including this one, with his soft voting record. the liberals would dismiss good words from a conservative as just words, and then theyd be the first to say its actions, not words that matter!! AMEN!!!...... let us not forget, to vilify lott for his remarks is to join, in lockstep, the likes of john kerry-heinz, algore, tom daschole, et al.

[Poohbah]

Fine. "Everyone else does it" was a piss-poor defense for Clinton, but he made it work because he had a friendly press.

If Republicans try it, we look like insincere, smarmy jerks.

[nocommies]

i hate what he did during impeachment, he shouldve resigned over that, not this. at least that was something he did in senate business, not at the birthday party, off the record, for a 100 year old man.

[Texasforever]

"Get bent, I meant every word of it. If you don't like it, I don't care. See you at the next election."

Ain't that the awful truth. I would also like to hear one say that "in 1948 we had segregation and blacks were the poorest people in the country and in 2002 after spending 6 trillion dollars we still have segregation and blacks are the poorest people in the country....why?"

[nocommies]

youve got that right. id like someone to stand up and say, "to hell with you if you dont like it. i meant it then, and ill say it again now for those of you who havent heard it yet!" and dont wait for claudia schiffer tonight, shes over here with me, fetching me a cold beer.

[xm177e2]

We should get rid of Jesse Helms, too. Is there anyone else you can think of? Purging our party of distasteful elements will only make us stronger.

[stylin19a]

Interesting....but my concern is long term.
The goal is to retain the Presidency and gain more senate seats.

This issue needs to have the legs cut out from under it.
The best way to do this is, Lott doesn't step down as Majority Leader, he just doesn't get elected to it in the next session.
The Re-election is less than 2 years away and the Rats do not need to be given a rallying point and they WILL try to connect the dots from Lott to President Bush.

So, in the immortal words of Barny Fife..."Nip it in the bud".

[Intolerant in NJ]

I'd wager that for every person offended by Lott's supposed "racist" comment there's another one offended by the way conservatives run for the hills like scared rabbits when the game of racial gotcha begins - makes them all look like they have guilty consciences.....

[liberty or death]

Well said and as you can tell most of the "Hang him Quick" crowd are silent.
After the smoke clears however, we do need an actual "Leader" in the Senate majority position.

[nocommies]

so true, i saw the "congressional black caucus" this afternoon, with their all stars, maxine waters, et al. its time CERTAIN, NOT ALL, BUT CERTAIN, of those of color quit their damned whining. after all, if they are so oppressed, please, oh please, show me the CONGRESSIONAL WHITE CAUCUS. it goes back to the old question... if it's so bad here in america, why dont you go somewhere else, where you'll be better off?

[arielb]

we'll have nobody left. Loom at Arkansas where it was a sin for a Republican to get a divorce but nobody there had a problem with Clinton who screwed half the state

[nocommies]

are you being sarcastic?

[ConservativeMan55]

The biggest reason this has been blown out of proportion is because of Lott's unpopularity and the fact that he is an easy target.

The Rats are LOOKING for something anything that they can criticize us on. You didn't think they were going to roll over after that horrid election they had did you?

You could probably find any compliment made to Strom Thurmond during that birthday celebration, and call the person that made it a racist, and people would fall for it.

Lott just happens to be an easy target. Suppose Lott had said....

"Strom Thurmond has been a patriot all his life"

Would he be facing the same criticism he is facing today? Probably not, but the goal of the statement was to honor Thurmond, not to promote policies of the past.

[nocommies]

thats fairly true, but dont forget, they did vote against gore in 2000. kind of refuted clinton's chasing tails, er, i mean coattails!!