Posted on 12/16/2002 8:05:16 AM PST by 1bigdictator
The Sword Cuts Both Ways
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commentary by Jerry Brooks
Dec 16, 2002
The maelstrom of controversy surrounding soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott’s (R-Miss.) comments during a birthday celebration for retiring 100 year-old senator Strom Thurmond last week has been a flashpoint for civil right leaders, the Congressional Black Caucus, and other liberal Democrats. Lott was quoted as saying:
"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."
Thurmond, who ran for president against Harry Truman in 1948 as a Dixiecrat, adopted a pro-segregationist platform.
The outrage from the black community has been intense to say the least. No less than Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the Congressional Black Caucus have demanded that Lott resign as Senate Majority Leader.
Lott has since apologized on several national television and radio programs as well as at a news conference in his hometown in Mississippi late last week. Unfortunately, black liberals will insist on using this issue as the proverbial Louisville slugger against Republicans next year and to especially galvanize the black vote during the presidential election in 2004.
Conservative pundits have joined the shouts for Lott to resign as senate leader. However, I don’t think I can join the choir on this one for several different reasons. I will only subject you wonderful folks to only a couple.
1) Democratic duplicity: Where was the outrage over the opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by noted Democrat segregationists such as Al Gore Sr., Robert Byrd, and J. William Fulbright (Bill Clinton’s mentor, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993 by Clinton shortly after he took office)? Why was there no outrage for Jesse Jackson spitting in a person’s food solely because they were white or when Jackson called New York City “Hymietown”, a blatant anti-semitic slur? Why won’t liberal blacks demand apologies from Senator Byrd of West Virginia for his long time involvement in the Klu Klux Klan and his use of the term “niggers” on national television last year? Rather than punish him, Democrat leaders made him the chairman of the Senate’s most powerful committee! Or how about demanding the resignation of Senator Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, who, though he railed against the Confederate flag being raised over the South Carolina capitol, was actually the one that put it there when he was the state’s governor in the early 60’s? This is the type of double standard that will never be addressed by so-called black leaders or by other Democrats because the politics involved are too powerful to resist. Moreover, the reality is that black Democrat leaders are less concerned about the problems faced by American blacks than they are about acquiring and holding power.
2) Everybody does something dumb once in a while: How many of us can say that we have never done or said anything that we have regretted? The answer is, none of us can. Trent Lott has openly admitted (on numerous occasions) that what he said was “a poor choice of words.” We have all done the same sort of thing. Lott has apologized and I’m willing to bet that most of the country will forgive him. The only folks who’ll let this wound fester are black Americans who cannot and will not give up their professional victim status. Jackson and Sharpton will see to that.
I’m uniquely qualified to address this issue not just as a black American, not just as a conservative Republican, but as a 4th generation southerner who has experienced racism first hand. I absolutely thought that Trent Lott’s remarks were dumb. I’m glad that Senator Lott stepped up to the plate and apologized for them. That’s the essence of integrity. When you do something dumb, you should be man (or woman) enough to admit it. It’s not always easy, but I believe people will respect you more for it. Lott has gained a rather unexpected defender in Senator Jim Jeffords (I-Vermont), the man who cost the Republicans their majority in the senate in 2001. Jeffords defended Lott and certainly doesn’t believe that Lott is either a racist or a segregationist.
All of the punditry aside, the heart of the matter is simply this. Do I think what Lott said was dumb? Absolutely! Do I think that Trent Lott is a racist? Definitely not! Should he resign as Senate Leader? No, I don’t think he should. Because when all is said and done, there are several undeniable truths that cannot be ignored as much as some may try. All of us, Democrats included, would be wise to remember that the sword cuts both ways. Either employ one standard for all or use no standard at all.
Racism is racism! It does not matter if it’s white versus black, black versus white, or pink & purple polka dots versus green stripes. What truly matters is that ANY form of racism, segregation, or elitism is wrong, immoral, and just plain stupid! Until we can get past this politically and especially morally, then we are just going to end up with a society that will never learn how to forgive and will therefore become enslaved to anger, bitterness, and resentment. Does anyone really want to live this way? I certainly hope not.
Good read, very thought provoking.But I still believe Trent should keep his seat but step down as leader, mostly because the RATS will use this as a baseball bat during the coming session. We've got a very full plate, a bunch 'o stuff that needs doing (conservative judges, for example) and this will certainly hurt productivity.
I don't think Trent has ever understood what "coming from a position of strength" has meant. If he doesn't step down as leader, he never will, either.
We'll never get over race issues till we free ourselves from the PC police.
Amen! I wish the Pubs would use this as a teaching moment. Lott is a moron for saying what he did, but I don't think he should step down because of it. I think he should step down bec he's not the right guy to be leading. Never was.
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Very fair points, but I reach a different conclusion.
The solution to Democrat double-standards is not to lower ours, it's to raise theirs.
Lott needs to step aside a Leader because he is inneffective and a liability. He needs to retain his seat so that the GOP can retain its majority.
Once he does this, our slate will be far cleaner than the Democrats', and then we need to thump them hard. We never could, and never will, with Lott as Senate Majority Leader.
the reality is that black Democrat leaders are less concerned about the problems faced by American blacks than they are about acquiring and holding power.
Bingo.
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