Monday, June 22, 2009
Legislature / Politics / Woods Would Racial Sensitivity Classes Work for the Legislature?
Posted by Jeff Woods on Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 9:31 AM
Well, black lawmakers say they hope the affair leads to change in what they see as the racist culture of the Capitol. They're calling for sensitivity training classes for legislators and staffers. "We have to set a higher standard," Rep. John DeBerry said at a black caucus press conference where Sen. Thelma Harper also expressed her outrage:
"It's offensive to see a page of white men who were presidents and, when you get to the black president, you see a black spot with white eyes. We should take corrective action immediately. That hasn't been done. It will continue to bleed and fester until corrective action is taken. It's more than a mistake. Someone planned it and they executed it. I'm the mother of black children. They didn't come out as a black spot on a page with white eyes. You should be offended. This nation should be offended that someone feels comfortable portraying the president of the United States in that manner. I'm offended, and I hope you are."
Liberadio's Mary Mancini agrees it's time to reset the tone at the legislature. She suggests a couple of facilitators to lead lawmakers to a better mental space: civil rights legend Jim Lawson or a guy named Tim Wise who lectures on the pathology of white privilege. Yes, this is a teaching moment. We are all earthlings!
We'd like to do our part by recommending a few students for the first sensitivity class. There's that lovely couple Poison Ivy and Norman Bates, er, we mean Robin Smith and Bill Hobbs. For show-and-tell time, Hobbs could bring his charming little cartoon of Mohammed, and Smith could relive yet again that wonderful time her enlightened family took her kid's black friend on a beach vacation. And let's not forget Reps. Gerald McCormick, Curry Todd and Eric Watson, the three sophisticates who threw temper tantrums over the resolution expressing regret for slavery this session. Slavery wasn't their fault, they said, so regret is a little too much to ask. Watson was so wound up he invented an entirely new species to insult--Hispaniels!
On second thought, maybe sensitivity classes wouldn't work with these guys.
See Otis Sanford: "The last thing Republicans in Tennessee need right now is more evidence that the party is full of backwater bigots who wish they were in the land of cotton."
And Jack McElroy: "So why would she disseminate a blatantly racist smear of the president among her colleagues at the Tennessee General Assembly? The sad answer is because, within certain circles of the Republican Party right now, the line between racist attack and political opposition is blurred. Goforth, immersed in the culture of partisan combat at the statehouse, simply crossed the line because there isn't any line."
More opinions here and here.Update: The official GOP censor pretends to care about Blake Graves' job.
Comments (10)
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I don't know if I agree that this is a teaching moment. I think that teaching moments describe a more subtle form of racism where the offending party geniunely doesn't know or understand the impact of their words or actions. In those cases, coming from a place of education can really have a benefit rather than jumping all over someone and making them feel stupid. This photo was not a subtle form of racism, it was not something that could have been taken wrong out of context, it was not a grey area - it was racist.
There are a lot of more subtle instances of racism in society, a lot of people who genuinely don't get that something they say or do can be offensive to others. In those cases I say sensitivity training and education can make a difference. I just don't think this is one of those cases, this was ugly and blatant and the staffer should have been fired immediately not only for her misconduct but to send a strong message that this will not be tolerated in state legislature of Tennessee.
In a state that just reached double digit unemployment and where the state is laying off workers what kind of example is it that this person who so clearly misused taxpayer time and resources and drug the entire state government through the national media gets to keep her job?
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Sen. Harper didn't quite get it right. The problem isn't that someone felt "comfortable portraying the president of the United States in that manner." The problem is that someone felt comfortable portraying anyone in that manner.
I'm sorry, but I have a real difficult time in conjuring up much sympathy for these left-wing crybabies and their offended sensibilities. After all these years of extremely offensive attacks on conservatives - even recently with David Letterman and the Playboy Hate F--- list - and hardly a peep from liberals, not even from feminists when females are attacked such as has happened with Sarah Palin and her daughters, and Carrie Prejean. Where were these people when racist jokes and attacks were lobbed on Condi Rice, Michael Steel or Colin Powell? Aunt Jemimah? House nigger? Black face photoshop on a portrait? And all the fun libs had at the expense of George Bush, NOW they want the office respected all of a sudden?
Please. Clean up your own filth before you start griping about other people's dust.
Oh, bullshit. Other than personally writing you a letter every time feminist do something, I'm not sure what we're supposed to do to get your head out from under whatever rock you have it stuck. But plenty of feminists scorched Letterman and Playboy and defended Palin and Prejean. Not our fault you're too lazy to read or listen.
Whether it's an image of the president, the bus driver, or Tiger Woods, it's hard to believe that someone who sent this image from a state computer could be allowed to keep her job. It's not just the racism -- it's the incompetence. I can't think of another large employer who would keep such a person on staff.
Json, maybe you can help me out buddy, I am scheduled to come take pictures of your next Klan Meeting for a State Republican Christmas Card, where is that next meeting being held? Diane and Sherri didn't include that in their email to me and I need to make sure I'm on time. I know the meeting will either be in Brentwood or Franklin, so I know the general area, just not the address.
Keep up God's work brother.
See you there.
Json,
I'm not going to defend offensive attacks on anyone - liberal, conservative or otherwise. There have been political satires, cartoons, jokes, etc. against all kinds of public figures that have crossed lines into inappropriate and in very bad taste.
I think one major difference here is that it's one thing for a reporter, a comedian, a newspaper, publication, website, etc. to joke about something and it's totally different for that joke to come from an official state of TN email address of a paid government worker. That same photo published on a private website or sent from a private email address is offensive any way you cut it, but it's someone making a personal decision to post/send it. When someone sends it out from the email address where they work they are making a statement on behalf of their employer and for the employer not to properly discipline them for that statement is a way of condoning that statement.
To me that is the difference in this situation and what offends me greatly as a taxpayer and resident of this state.
