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Don Feder Gets Trenchant On The Lott Affair
Don Feder Com ^ | 12/22/02 | Don Feder

Posted on 12/24/2002 1:09:54 AM PST by goldstategop

TRENCHANT (I HOPE) COMMENTS ON THE LOTT AFFAIR By Don Feder December 22, 2002

At the outset, please note the following:

1) I am no fan of Trent Lott. As Senate Majority Leader, Lott was an unprincipled pragmatist. So much so, that when he first became majority leader, DC conservatives produced buttons proclaiming: “Lott For Sale, Will Build to Specifications.” At the height of the current manufactured crisis, the Mississippi invertebrate went of Black Entertainment Television to plead that he now supports affirmative action (racial quotas) “across board.” That declaration was more profoundly racist than anything the Senator said at Strom Thurmond’s birthday party. In many ways, Lott does indeed represent everything that’s wrong with the Republican Party – lack of purpose, lack of courage, at times, even lack of consciousness – though not in the way his critics charged.

2) Segregation was evil. To tell a man that he can’t use a public restroom or that he has to sit in the back of a bus, -- to bar his admission to a public school or university -- on the basis of skin color is loathsome.

3) Had I voted in the 1948 election, it would not have been for Thurmond – or Thomas Dewey, for that matter. I would have supported Harry Truman, one of the few Democratic presidents I admire (along with Andrew Jackson). If not for Give ‘Em Hell Harry, we might have lost the Cold War at the outset. Truman also integrated the armed forces, another courageous move.

Enough disclosure. Lott’s resignation highlights a profound double-standard regarding racism. I doubt Lott’s opponents really believe his dumb remark reflects ingrained, or even visceral, racism, or a desire to return to the era of Jim Crow. But America now has a racial sensitivity Gestapo that pulls out its truncheons at the slightest sign of hostility – real or imagined -- toward people of color.

Of course, the reverse is not the case. Black grudge-bearers are free to condemn whites as a race, to say virtually anything about them, however vile and unjust, and to support policies (quotas, reparations) that are manifestly racist – designed to punish people for an accident of birth. And Democrats are free to race-bait to their hearts’ content, a tactic almost as reprehensible as racism itself.

You think Trent Lott’s awful?

You know what Lott didn’t do? He didn’t refer to New York City as Hymie-Town and complain that Jews are always “whining about the Holocaust.” He didn’t call Judaism a gutter religion. He didn’t spark a race riot in Crown Heights that led to the death of a young man or organize the picket of a white-owned business that resulted in the deaths of five (all minorities). He didn’t write a poem about Jews blowing up the World Trade Center.

He didn’t try to justify the thugs who burned down a large part of South Central LA in 1992 by calling their crimes “a spontaneous reaction to a lot of injustice and a lot of alienation and frustration.” Oh, and he didn’t suggest that George Bush had foreknowledge of Sept 11, but did nothing to prevent it so his business friends could profit from a war on terrorism.

In case you’re curious, those laurels go to Jesse Jackson, Louis Farakhan, Al Sharpton, New Jersey Poet Laureate Amiri Baraka (the artist formerly known as LeRoi Jones), Congress-creature Maxine Waters and soon-to-be-former Congress-cretin Cynthia McKinney. But don’t hold your breath waiting for any of them to be taken to the woodshed.

An unspoken assumption of our culture is that it’s racist (or insensitive, at the very least) to criticize a black person. Thus if I observe that Jackson is an opportunistic jerk – a person of limited intelligence and low morals – in the establishment’s eyes, my views must be shaped by racial animosity. (The more unscrupulous black leaders invariably exploit this assumption.) Thus it would seem that prominent blacks suffering from foot-in-mouth disease are to be the exception to Martin Luther King’s dictum that Americans should be judged by “the content of their character, not the color of their skin.”

Democrats passionately embrace the accountability double standard. Republicans meekly acquiesce.

When it was disclosed last year that the Reverend Jackson had fathered a child out-of-wedlock and used his influence to engage in corporate shakedowns, President Bush called the race hustler par excellence to commiserate. In the 2000 election, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Al Gore each made a pilgrimage to Sharpton’s Harlem headquarters to kiss his ring.

Black-on-white crimes are roughly ten times as prevalent as white-on-black offenses. How many of the former are hate crimes is anyone’s guess. Surely the anti-white racism that pervades our culture (the idea that whites as a race are responsible for black suffering) -- encouraged by the liberal elite and black race-baiters – plays a part in these crimes.

The Democratic Party, the media and groups like the NAACP are avid proponents of racial quotas in education and hiring. Cut through the rhetoric and murky reasoning in defense of these vile programs and it’s clear that they penalize or reward solely on the basis of race. What’s worse – to praise a form of racism long dead (if in fact that’s what Lott did), or to support a virulent strain of racism that’s alive and kicking?

For admissions to the University of Michigan, whose affirmative action program will soon be before the Supreme Court, race (minority status) counts for more than a perfect SAT score combined with an excellent essay. To tell a man or woman that they won’t get in to an elite school – even though they’re bright, studious and creative – because they also happen to be white (or Asian) is a species of racism every bit as ugly as get-to-the-back-of-the-bus or whites-only restrooms.

Although still just a sick notion (whereas affirmative action is a sick reality), reparations is racism writ large. It seeks to hold today’s (largely white) taxpayers responsible for the racial sins of the past. It’s a giant rip-off scheme, favored primarily by the least responsible black leaders – who believe they’ll be the ones to divvy the loot – and the loopier white liberals (which, come to think of it, might be a redundancy).

Race-baiting is almost as bad as racism. At this the Democrats excel. It is for them mother’s milk.

You may recall that during the 1998 election, the Missouri Democratic party ran ads which said, in effect, if Republicans win, more black churches will go up in flames. (Newsflash: “Newt Gingrich was seen fleeing the scene of a burning black church, a can of kerosene in hand.”)

Former felon-in-chief, William Jefferson Clinton (who actually believes he was born a poor black child) used the Lott fiasco to pontificate that Republicans are the second coming of the White Citizens Councils.

In the last election, Republican gains in the South were due to racist appeals to white voters, Clinton opined. “How do they think they got a majority in the South, anyway? I think what they (Republicans) are really upset about is that he (Lott) made public their strategy.”

This from a leader of the party that has it’s own unspoken strategy – to do whatever it takes to monopolize the black vote, including terrifying black voters with lurid visions of Republicans seeking to disenfranchise them, reestablish segregated lunch counters, and send them back to the plantations in chains. Simultaneously, Democrats strenuously oppose those measures that have the best chance of ameliorating the condition of urban blacks – including education vouchers.

Soon-to-be Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi have intimated that it’s now up to congressional Republicans to prove that they aren’t a bunch of cross-burners by supporting affirmative action, a general expansion of welfare programs and DC statehood -- in other words, to embrace racism to prove that they aren’t racists.

And so, as we rejoice in the political demise of the villainous Lott, we can all congratulate ourselves on this historic victory over racism. Meanwhile the most prevalent racism in America – camouflaged as compassion, justice or sensitivity -- is either tolerated or celebrated. Ah, well.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Front Page News; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: affirmativeaction; billclinton; conservatism; democrats; gop; harrytruman; jessejackson; liberalism; pc; racecard; trentlott
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A number of things to note in Don Feder's latest essay:

1) Trent Lott embodied all the things missing in the GOP that it needs more of and does it!

2) The denial of basic freedoms to our minority race was the original sin of American history for which we're still paying the price today.

3) Harry "Give Em Hell" Truman was one of our greatest Presidents and one of the few Democrats I admire for doing what was right rather than what was politically expedient. There's a lesson here for today's Republicans in what to do in the aftermath of the Lott saga: stand up for your principles and give the opposition hell.

4) All that being said there IS a double standard AND we do have a PC Gestapo. By that racism in reverse is permitted and is virtually never censored by our elites. Although Feder doesn't mention it, Republicans by definition ARE held to a higher standard.

5) Lott didn't slur any one, didn't incite a pogrom, or write a poem defaming Jews. Lott didn't justify the burning of South Central Los Angeles or accuse President Bush of turning 9-11 into a quest for his own personal aggrandizement. We all know who made such remarks but in our culture they're good as forgiven. Today's original sin is being a white male.

6) It follows that its acceptable to discriminate against whites and Asians and no one raises an eyebrow. Reparations advocated by some of the loopier black leaders is merely an extension of the doctrine that discrimination is legitimate if its meant to advantage a politically correct racial grouping. And to disadvantage every one regarded as politically incorrect in the process.

7) Which brings us to the Democrats' strategery against Republicans: make them the bogeyman. Bill Clinton and Al Gore and other Democrats have been driving the process to make sure blacks never get off the Liberal Plantation. They have a two track prong: portray Republicans as dyed in the wool racists and force them to support the racism masquerading as the liberal agenda to clear themselves of suspicion of being racists.

In short, yes racism of the old Jim Crow variety in America is dead and buried forever. However in its place is a new and more virulent form of racism that dare not speak its name - liberalism that will live on long after Lott's yesterday's political news. The future of the GOP will in no small part be determined by how it responds to and confronts the hatred, intolerance, and insensitivity that's now the political brand of the 21st century's Democratic Party.

1 posted on 12/24/2002 1:09:54 AM PST by goldstategop
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To: goldstategop
There is one achilles' heel in the dem's monolithis black vote: reparations=democrat's worst nightmare. They do not want this issue to become a big one, and say as little about it as they can, that is, if they even say anything at all. Let's hope the race hustlers push this issue to the forefront and watch the dems squirm. It's high-time they should come forward and say exactly what they think about it.
2 posted on 12/24/2002 1:26:50 AM PST by gop_gene
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To: gop_gene
Yes... especially the wackier Marcus Garvey types. I'd be especially interested in hearing from the Democrats as to their position on whether I as a white person, need a good slap on the face so black people can regain their mental health!
3 posted on 12/24/2002 1:30:32 AM PST by goldstategop
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To: goldstategop
It's not just whites they'd have to worry about ticking off--I'm sure Asians and Hispanics wouldn't be thrilled about paying for this either.
4 posted on 12/24/2002 1:35:39 AM PST by gop_gene
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To: goldstategop
My Dear Friends,

During the 1930.s and the 1940.s Hillary Clinton.s race-baiting, class war-fare,
Socialistic mentors ended up being responsible for the deaths of 55 million people.

How many millions do you feel will eventually die because of Hillary and her
neo-socialistic, poverty pimp, race baiting allies like Jackson and Pelosie?

Do you feel that Hillary.s socialistic dupe comrades, that spread her filthy hate speech
in the media today, are more or less despicable than those that used race hatred and class
war-fare to start World War Two?

Love,

Octavian Pliny
5 posted on 12/24/2002 5:36:19 AM PST by Pliney the younger
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To: goldstategop; HalfIrish; NMC EXP; OKCSubmariner; Travis McGee; t-shirt; DoughtyOne; SLB; ...
If not for Give ‘Em Hell Harry, we might have lost the Cold War at the outset.

Not true. Harry Truman nearly lost the Cold War for us at the outset by sabotaging our Free Chinese Christian led Kuomantang allies and thereby ensuring a takoever of mainland China by Mao's Red Army in 1949. Then, he fired General Douglas MacArthur for wanting to win the Korean war. Plus, Truman gave the Russkies Northern Korea, northern Japan and Manchuria in the first place. The short story is that there would be no Communist China or Communist North Korea today without Harry Truman or a Communist appeaser like him. Thurmond would have come into office too late to rout the initial ChiCom takeover of mainland China, but he could have helped the Nationalists retake it over and win the war in Korea using the MacArthur Plan.
6 posted on 12/24/2002 5:49:20 AM PST by rightwing2
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To: goldstategop; mhking
2) The denial of basic freedoms to our minority race was the original sin of American history for which we're still paying the price today.

There it is. I've waited and waited, knowing that sooner or later a FReeper or FReepers would say it outright. And you just smacked it over the centerfield wall.

Outstanding!

Birth of Tha SYNDICATE, the philosophical heir to William Lloyd Garrison.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.

7 posted on 12/24/2002 5:51:06 AM PST by rdb3
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To: rightwing2
Truman's reputation as a tough guy was sealed the day he ordered the atomic bomb dropped. Nothing will ever change that.
8 posted on 12/24/2002 5:55:12 AM PST by Republic of Texas
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To: rightwing2
Your conjecturing is specious. No one wanted troops in China right after WWII. Thurmond would have been a disaster in more ways than one. Do you think HE would have integrated the armed forces? Truman was one of the few excellent Dem presidents.
9 posted on 12/24/2002 6:13:48 AM PST by driftless
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To: rdb3; Khepera; elwoodp; MAKnight; condolinda; mafree; Trueblackman; FRlurker; Teacher317; ...
OUTFREAKIN'STANDING! This, truly points out the issues facing us today on the heels of the Lott debacle. None of the whining or carping or curmudgeonly grousing by myself and others comes close to succinctly pointing out the truth as contained here!

God bless us all as we move forward and try to make things better for us all! Merry Christmas!

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

10 posted on 12/24/2002 6:35:16 AM PST by mhking
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To: mhking; Trueblackman; L.N. Smithee
"the Mississippi invertebrate"

Recommendation: This is how we should refer to Trent from now on. 'Pod

11 posted on 12/24/2002 6:45:43 AM PST by sauropod
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To: rightwing2
I have always thought HST was the most overrated of presidents. But it has been the Republicans who have helped to strengthen his reputation over the years. Goldwater cited HST as his favorite president even as HST was denouncing Goldwater and speaking out for LBJ and HHH. Reagan often quoted HST. I am unable to recall any Democrats extolling Dewey, though former Senator Paul Simon admitted that he voted for Dewey over HST. And when a Republican legislative leader extols Thurmond on his 100th birthday, all hell breaks loose. Remember, HST scolded Vice President Alben W. Barkley for waving at Thurmond as the 1949 inaugural parade passed the SC governor, standing with the spectators. HST called Thurmond an "SOB."
12 posted on 12/24/2002 6:47:56 AM PST by Theodore R.
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To: goldstategop
I'm puzzling over the thought of reparations for the living victims of legalized segregation in the states of the old Confederacy. Seems to me that they have a claim of entitlement as great as those receiving Holocaust reparations from the German government and Swiss corporations, especially considering that it was more recent. Of course, there would be lots of people that would really resent that recent past being in the spotlight.
13 posted on 12/24/2002 6:53:28 AM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: goldstategop
Lott was backstabbed by Bush!
14 posted on 12/24/2002 6:56:06 AM PST by TLBSHOW
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To: goldstategop
-- in other words, to embrace racism to prove that they aren’t racists.
15 posted on 12/24/2002 6:57:09 AM PST by TLBSHOW
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To: TLBSHOW
Bush backstabbed Lott!
16 posted on 12/24/2002 7:01:16 AM PST by Fred Mertz
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To: TLBSHOW
Lott was backstabbed by Lott!!
17 posted on 12/24/2002 7:04:30 AM PST by woofie
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To: Fred Mertz
mornng Fred looks like don gets it
18 posted on 12/24/2002 7:05:16 AM PST by TLBSHOW
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To: TLBSHOW
Lott was backstabbed by Bush!

Both you guys should have stayed in the Democratic Party, where you'd be appreciated..

19 posted on 12/24/2002 7:05:43 AM PST by Nonstatist
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To: Chancellor Palpatine
But America now has a racial sensitivity Gestapo that pulls out its truncheons at the slightest sign of hostility – real or imagined -- toward people of color.

and freepers helped make it so by being spineless
20 posted on 12/24/2002 7:07:01 AM PST by TLBSHOW
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