Trent Lott appears on BET - more proof he doesn't get it

Trent Lott, still (as of this writing) the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate, went on Black Entertainment Network (BET) last night to explain his egregious and indefensible remarks about race.

All of which is further indication that Lott should not be the leader of his party. In matters of race, Lott is possibly the most tone-deaf political leader of the last two decades.

Lott gave his mea culpa to interviewer Ed Gordon, and then a panel of African American journalists and political analysts offered their reactions to the interview.

It is both ironic and symbolic that Lott chose BET. For starters, the network is no longer black-owned. In fact, it is nothing but all-entertainment. Viacom bought BET from Robert Johnson, the black entrepreneur and executive who owned the network, and recently suspended almost all of BET's news and public affairs shows.

Some 40 black people recently got their pink slips - just before Christmas. Longtime host Ed Gordon was among them.

There are some who say that the new corporation has given black people all they ever wanted anyway - entertainment, singing, dancing and humor, no news or analysis or public affairs.

Others have commented that black people losing ground is something Lott was all about even before his stupid and offensive remarks at Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party on Dec 5.

In his remarks at Thurmond's birthday party, Lott reflected on his idol, the senior senator from South Carolina, who ran for president as a Dixiecrat in 1948. Thurmond then advocated states' rights, Jim Crow and segregation.

In a moment of reflection and lament, Lott said that if Thurmond had won in 1948, America would not be facing "all these problems over all these years."

A look at Lott's voting record since he has been in Congress - you can find one in the current edition of Time - confirms what many have felt about Lott all along. He comes across not only as an inept speaker but also - depending on your perspective, ethnicity, or party affiliation - as a bigot and a racist. He has raised issues that transcend personal politics, or political party. Clearly, race is still a vexing problem in 21st-century America.

Not that there hasn't been any progress on race since Thurmond ran for president. The Jim Crow laws have been ruled unconstitutional, and black people can vote. By including Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell in his administration, President Bush has appointed the two most powerful and influential African Americans ever to be named to any president's cabinet.

Many black conservatives like to argue we can leave it all behind and that race doesn't matter any more. But the fact that Lott has achieved such a leadership position, despite his record and attitude about race, suggests that they are wrong. Whether he should remain as majority leader is a matter that the 51 Republican senators must decide. I hope they don't ask me. I don't believe he is an aberration. And he should not be made a scapegoat behind whom others can hide.

When I travel the neighborhoods of this city and the urban areas of other cities across this nation, I see that a lot of devastation remains - evidence of slavery (America's Holocaust) and of de jure and de facto segregation.

Until we address that past openly and frontally as Americans, we can really never move foward and put the past behind us.

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Mr. Moore:

So let me get this straight:

"Some 40 black people (at BET) recently got their pink slips - just before Christmas"

You are upset because the Black Entertainment Network (BET), a network that has nearly 100% black employees (I wonder if they need affirmative action for other races?) lays off black workers. What color of pigment do you think they would be? It is like saying the KKK just laid off 40 workers and they were all white, the shock of it all!

Speaking of which, have you ever watched BET? It has some of the most offensive and racist shows on the TV dial. I am sure you would be writing in volumes if a WET (White Entertainment Network), which, following the BET model, would have nearly 100% white employees, had the same type of shows. I guess it would be OK as long as the WET sold out for big bucks to a corporation at some point.

Best Regards,

BET was perhaps not the best venue in which Trent Lott could appear, because the audience was not inclined to be sympathetic to any Republican, and especially to a Republican they perceived to be already adversarial. After all, somebody like the "Former Occupant of the Oval Office, 1993-2001" or his venomous viper of a spouse would not choose to appear on most any of the Fox News cable shows, where they may only be sure of an unctious and judgmental tone.

When you find yourself in a hole, Senator Lott, stop digging. If anything, the Democrats should be BEGGING for you to stay, as you make a most convenient lightning rod.

Ok, Lott did not look good.
But this is no longer just about Trent Lott.
This is about the Democratic party looking to tar
the Republican party as the party of Racists.
If you don't think this is the game plan to get
back in the game then think again.
The show following Lott on BET pretty much gave
this impression. The speakers have no room for
forgiveness for Lott or Repbulicans because of
their (the speakers) Interpretation of History.
Nixon didn't stand for Affirmative Action in this
jaded liberalized history lesson, and nothing
nothing that Lott says is going to be enough.
He should have come out immediately and denounced
this whole witch hunt as the what it was.
Yes he was stupid and left room for doubt in his
statements about Strom, but he should never have
accepted the liberal spin of his meaning.
This lack of outrage has damned him.
The liberal bias in the press is leaving
no room for doubt that his words must be interpreted
as segregationist, while Bobby Byrds words were "not
as bad".
We gotta stand up against this. No pandering.
Call these attacks what they are.
Now Congressional PUbs need to get a spine.
Now!. He has dug a hole, but we can't let
the libs fill it in on his head. This affects
the whole party.

I am not sure of your end point but Lott cannot lead. He needs to gracefully step down. Lott has left us little room here and so I think the Republicans should make it known privately to him that unless he steps down they will vote him down. Then there should be a concerted voice from the Republicans to say that this was Lott's mess, his words, his prejudices and did not reflect the Republican party. The new elected leader should then get to work and put so much legislation on the floor that the dems won't have time to think about Lott. I say vote him out and move on.

Some 40 black people recently got their pink slips - just before Christmas. Longtime host Ed Gordon was among them.

How utterly ironic- Lott will be getting his pink slip as majority leader too- Do Johnson and Lott have in common selling out to Corporate Whores like Viacom- I think so.

Viacom Sucks!

I am wondering if 'Acel' is pronounced with a long 'A' or a short 'A'? At any rate he doesn't relate a single thing Lott said on the BET Network to back up his claim that...

"Trent Lott, ... went on Black Entertainment Network (BET) last night to explain his egregious and indefensible remarks about race. All of which is further indication that Lott should not be the leader of his party."

Then he tries to tie Lott to the changes at BET Network by association simply because he appeared on the show. Why else did he bring that up? And by his word the only progress blacks have made since Strom ran for President was made by Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell. But here's the point he really wanted to make with his article:

I hope they don't ask me. I don't believe he is an aberration. And he should not be made a scapegoat behind whom others can hide.

So what Acel really wants us to know is that he considers all Republicans racists and getting rid of Lott won't change that.

I agree with ottersnot and much of what you said. I do think it would be better for Lott not to step down as ML but be voted out. This way Republican Party is seen as taking decisive action and Lott is not demogogued as stepping down because he's (sort of) admitting to what they are accusing him of. Republicans should be blasting the opportunistic dems on this crap. Although it's late in the game, Lott should do as ottersnot said - be forceful and indignant that others have misinterpreted his remarks. He can still do that, perhaps not as effectively as if he did it right away - but better late than never. But hey if he steps down, that's OK too in the since that it gets it over with faster.

QUESTION??

WHO has done more damage to America's Black population - Trent Lott, Planned Parenthood or Martin Luther King, Jr. ?

I live in New York State- in 1998,1999 there were more dead black babies because of abortion than born. 2000 stats showed that there were 1824 more born black babies than dead.

http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/vital_statistics/2000/table19.htm

Total abortions 125,146
Live Births:182,285 54,498

Abortions by race: White:56,828 Black 52,674

Planned Parenthood has the following posted on its website:

'On May 5, 1966, Martin Luther King, Jr. became the first person to receive the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Margaret Sanger Award - the federation's most prestigious honor."

Full text of a speech by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. on the importance of family planning.

http://store.yahoo.com/ppfastore/empty.html

Excellent historical text for African-American studies, Black History Month celebrations, and documentation of Margaret Sanger’s historical partnership with the African-American community.

On May 5, 1966, Martin Luther King, Jr. became the first person to receive the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Margaret Sanger Award - the federation's most prestigious honor.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. King points to the benefits of family planning among African-American families and the "kinship" between the civil rights movement and Margaret Sanger's early efforts. With admiration for the founder of the international family planning movement, Dr. King says, "Our sure beginning in the struggle for equality by non-violent direct action may not have been so resolute without the tradition established by Margaret Sanger and people like her."

I believe Lott has given up the ability to a 'forseful and indigant' response after watching BET last night. He groveled!

The first assumption most people are making is that Lott IS a leader. Being from MS, I don't believe that is true, so any arguement based on that premise is on shaky ground to begin with. He does LOVE his job and position and it will be very difficult for him to step down on his own. If he does, you are going to know there was a 'whole lot of pushing going on!"

My end point is this. I'm tired of sitting here
listening to this liberal detruction machine
destroy Lott. Will they stop with him?. NO.
Their goal is to keep heaping this racist tag on the whole
party. Not just Lott. Now it's REagan and every other
Pub that is suddenly a Racist. This is BS and we
all now it. Yes Lott screwed up, but not every
Pub and maybe not even Lott is what they are saying.
When are the republican leaders going to grow a pair?.
Lott most of all. He should have never started this
downard spiral of pandering. there is no end to this.
apologize for any misunderstanding, but make it clear
where you stand, and make it clear you will fight
any BS slander by the Rats.

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