Posted on 03/25/2010 7:41:26 PM PDT by Drango
By Lee Hill
A Latino advocacy group has launched an online campaign pressuring top Republican leaders to apologize for "inciting Tea Party racism."
The group Cuentame (Spanish for "tell me") posted a video and petition late Wednesday to its Facebook page in response to ongoing reports that members of the conservative Tea Party movement formed a mob around members of Congress on Saturday in protest of their vote to overhaul health care.
Venerable civil rights leader, Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia, along with fellow African-American Congressman Andre Carson, a Democrat from Indiana, say they were both called n***er as they returned from hearing President Barack Obama address Congress at the Capitol.
In the video and petition, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, an African-American Democrat from Missouri, is seen confronting a demonstrator after being spat upon. (Although detained by U.S. Capitol Police, the individual was later released after Cleaver declined to press charges.) The footage also captures openly gay Rep. Barney Frank, a Democrat from Massachusetts, being called a fa**ot.
House Majority Whip James Clyburn, who is an African-American Democrat representing South Carolina, spoke with NPR's Tell Me More Thursday and likened any attacks against congressional members for their vote on health care legislation to intimidation tactics employed by terrorists.
"I sat in. I kneeled in. I marched [in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement]," said Clyburn. "I'm the hardest person in the world to intimidate."
As previously discussed on Tell Me More, Tea Party activists have gone to great lengths to demonstrate their anger over what they decry as an over-saturation of government interference and excessive spending by the Obama administration and Congress. In February, the group even held a national convention -- headlined by former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin -- to reaffirm its outrage and commitment to letting the world know about it.
The group describes as its core values the promotion of "fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free markets," according to its Web site.
But the $940-billion health care legislation recently signed into law and recently forced back to the House for another vote doesn't live up to those values, members of the movement say.
The Cuentame Facebook video and corresponding petition is perhaps a culmination of what more than just a few say is another core value of the Tea Party movement: racism.
The racist label has followed the group -- whether wanted or not -- long before its recent, loud opposition to health care legislation. In April 2009, blogger Jill Tubman penned this post exploring how many believe Tea Party members blur the lines of free speech and racist or hateful rhetoric directed at the U.S. government (which just happens to have a black man at the helm).
Joseph Farah, who runs the conservative news Web site WorldNet Daily, spoke at the February Tea Party convention in Nashville and sees little wrong with the group's demonstrations.
"When you're in a position to impose solutions upon people, especially as legislators are, you'd better expect anger," says Farah, who also spoke with Tell Me More on Thursday.
Still, he says, the actions of a few are being blown out of proportion.
"Individuals are responsible for individual behavior," he says. "When one person steps out of the crowd and shouts something inappropriate or misbehaves, it's that person who is responsible [not the entire group of Tea Party demonstrators]."
Although Republican members of Congress participated in the recent demonstrations, Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele (who also just happens to be a black man) says Republicans shouldn't be blamed for the antics of the protestors.
"It's certainly not a reflection of the movement or the Republican Party when you have idiots out there saying stupid things," Steele recently commented on NBC's "Meet The Press."
Whether it should be a reflection of the GOP is up for debate. But, arguably, it just is. Hence, the petition to Republicans to do something about unruly partiers or uninvite them to the party.
Separately, the growing amount of attention being paid to Saturday's Tea Party demonstrations, namely the spitting and hurling of racist epithets has caused some uneasiness among group patriots upset about the wayward behavior of some its members.
In a post to the Tea Party Web site, Florida-based member David Heikkinen posted this:
Unfortunately, the actions of a few diminish us all. And worse, the liberal media attibutes [sic] these actions to all who band ourselves together as true Patriots. There is a right way to express our anger and effect change and there are those who are wrong. I repudiate any that engage in such activities. All true Patriots should follow suit.
Whether the "patriots" embrace Heikkinen's call to action is one thing; whether Republicans embrace their association and deal with it is another.
Lee Hill (MORE2learn) wrote:
Thanks all for reading and for the comments -- even the critical ones.
@derekcrane "... produce some solid evidence that he was called the n-word."
I'm curious to know what you would consider to be reasonably solid or "verifiable" evidence to prove n-word was used. You write as though Lewis (whose account, fyi, was affirmed by another Member of Congress, an eyewitness ... but, of course, he could have been lying, too, right?) claimed he saw a METEOR land on the front lawn of the Capitol. As much as some might want to bleach away a very clear history of blatent racism in this country, it doesn't take away the reality of its existence. So much so, that if an African-American reports having been heckled with a racial slur (yes, in 2010!) -- IF it IS true -- the possibility of which is certainly not unfathomable or as ludicrous as your lie detector/surveillance tape "deal" suggests. (Too many spy movies, maybe? Who treks around with mobile video surveillance of his/her every step?) And, of course, someone would be quick to say it was "doctored." I REALLY am impressed if you and Breitbart have "verifiable," "solid" evidence for each time you've ever been offended-now THAT might be even be worth $20K. If not, who'd believe you?
Remind me again why we should care what they think?
SEIU thugs beat up a black man and yelled the N*word. This was recorded. Did Obama say this was horrible and distance himself from SEIU? We have video evidence of this beating.
As quickly as the MSM spread the Tea Party/racist story, was obviously a planned setup manufactured story. ZERO proof to back it up but it’s out there as a smear. Typical Demunist politics.
One thing we know now for sure: the Tea Party is having a big impact. Libs are afraid of us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7wYt9jee2U
For any one new to the issue or the MSM, here is a video showing no racial taunts AND nothing more than inadvertent spittle of the “say it it don’t spray it” kind.
The Tea Party should do what Bush failed to do - fight back against this defamation!
Yes I didn’t hear the democrats ever apologize for the assault and obivious racists remarks their representavies from SEIU did last spring? It is on tape whereas this one has tape but no slurs can be heard?
Which party has been the party of the KKK? Which party supports abortion which kills more blacks as a per centage than whites? If you don’t know the answer is “Democrats” then you deserve being crapped on by the party you support.
I have to laugh at the indignation that rises up by moonbats when the veracity of Congressmen is questioned.
“HOW could you question their honesty? They are Congressmen!”
They swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and violated that in many ways over the past week alone...if they would not respect that solemn promise, they would not be above concocting a story about some nasty words.
Ain’t it great!!! Hope they keep it up until November!!!
This is getting damn ridiculous. A friend of mine tonight said “this is getting out of hand, people breaking windows and stuff”. I went ballistic on him, couldn’t believe he bought into this crap.
This is obviously orchestrated with the Dems & their media lap dogs and we need to call them on it. All Republicans, Tea Partiers, talk show hosts, etc. should stop apologizing. We didn’t do anything wrong. The Democrats with this race-baiting mob mentality they’re pushing are the only ones who need to apologize.
It’s my experience that the first one to call “racism” is usually the real racist.
“NPR reporter goes moonbat!”
I thought that being a moonbat was a major requierment for going to work for NPR.
I personally wouldn’t lose any sleep over this crapola.
Which political party lynched blacks ??The KKK was part of what political party ??
A lot of people of color that agree with the tea party movement, but they stay in the background because it they spoke out they would be under observation and condemnation of their peers.
These Latino group can go and screw themselves. I stand with the Tea Party Patriot. When are we going to deport illegal Latino; they are destroying our country.
I spent the weekend protesting at the Capitol (12 hours over two days!). The Dems look shell shocked. The decibel level was really up there — my ears are still ringing.
In several cities King's demonstrators were met with officers disciplined by their chiefs not to be provoked. Demonstrators were treated civilly. King never returned to those cities.
Rep Lewis is a veteran of those days. He knows the power TV images of Selma demonstrated. His caucuses actions on Saturday were planned and deliberate.When the expected N words failed to materialize lies followed.A media trained to believe racism is at the core of conservatism is all too eager to equate the Tea partiers with those racists who attacked the marchers in Selma.The Tea Party is famous for its lack of national leadership, but I think some leadership must be created to develop a counter strategy.
Government collectivist, and altruistic, redistributionistic, and egalitarian policies that cause one group to have to sacrifice values to another group, is what causes class warfare, pressure group warfare, special interest group warfare, and race warfare. Then, when the group of oppressed victims become angry,they blame the anger of the victims, who have to sacrifice and surrender their values, on the victims themselves, rather than on the actual cause, which is the government oppressors and victimizers.
why should we care what they think?? It’s all commie propaganda.
It’s war. Our liberty, or their power.
I will not give up my liberty and my rights without the mother of all battles if that is what’s necessary.
I don’t even flinch when a black cries racism. Even a baby, when crying, is discovered to be acting eventually to get it’s way.
NAACP= National Association of Always Complaining People.
Always crying about something pie in the sky.
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