In JOHN GRAHAM ALTMAN’s words

March 2002—during debate on an MLK holiday (SC was last in the nation to legislate a state King holiday)…

On the house floor, Altman quoted passages from a King bio claiming King had extramarital affairs and plagiarized parts of his college papers. Altman:

“You can run from the real Martin Luther King, but you can’t hide from him.”

In May 2003, he reiterated his feelings in a phone interview with WIS.

“Martin Luther King was in fact a womanizer and he did in fact cheat his way through college.”

Oh my, I got many, many more…

After house members – members of the “Men’s Caucus” – circulated a memo in 2001 advising female pages to wear skimpy clothes, and telling them underwear was optional—-all 124 members were asked to attend a two-hour class on gender, racial and ethnic sensitivity. The class was to be held at the start of the 2002 session.

Altman:

“I won’t be able to attend. I forgot to pack a dress.”

May 2003—after the house voted down a bill sponsored by democrat Leon Howard that would prohibit restaurants from handing out unwrapped drinking straws, Howard confronted Altman on the house floor. A story described it as “an angry, finger-pointing clash that included profanity and a challenge to “step outside” the chamber. Howard was restrained by house members. He said his anger stemmed from Altman’s “consistent disrespect for african-american leaders in this state.”

Anyone thinking Zell Miller?

Later, Altman told a TV station:

“Leon Howard, like so many black politicians I regret to say, not the black community, but black politicians, think if you disagree with them, you must be a racist.”

(undated) After a federal judge rules a “Choose Life” license plate would be a violation of the first amendment because it provides only one political viewpoint, Altman proposes a “Choose Death” plate. Quote:

“My bill is simply a reaction to the abortionists. They’re pro-choice. Well, they’ve got a choice–whether to buy (the tag) or not.”

April 2005—during debate on an anti-gay marriage amendment:

Altman refers to “homos wanting to bugger each other.”  (What???)

(undated) During vote on the state’s interracial marriage ban….Altman supported keeping the ban in place as a reminder of the “brutality of our past.”

According to the Point newspaper…Altman, during his years on the Charleston County school board, tried to ban dragons in children’s books because he considered them to be mystical symbols.

(undated) Altman introduced a bill, H. 4417, that would repeal an amendment (16-25-90) which allows battered women who have been convicted of a violent crime against their abusive partner, and who are serving time for the crime, to have their case heard annually by the parole board.

(undated) Altman introduced H. 3204, what some referred to as the “No Bull Bill”. It would prohibit sales of malt liquor in containers larger than 32 ounces.

Altman worked against legalizing tattoos, which he called a “young person’s vice.”

“I’m sure no one has ever said let’s go down to the social security office, and then get our first tattoo on the way home.”

Altman worked to defeat a hate crimes bill. He accused supporters of “spreading drivel” and said “This bill will make white heterosexuals second-class citizens.”

When ETV made plans to air “Corridor of Shame”….Altman introduced a bill to fire the seven member ETV board. He had also been highly critical of the network’s 2004 decision to broadcast a program about gay life called “We Are Your Neighbors.”

Altman called that program “socialist, leftist propaganda.”

Quote:

“They were actively promoting homosexuality as an OK thing to do.”

In an article about manners, written by retired Navy chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Furniss B. Harkness, Altman is quoted as follows:

“It doesn’t cost anything to say please, excuse me, and thank you. There are so many bad manners in the world. If we can be an oasis of decent manners, so be it.”

During debate over the mandatory seat belt law, John Graham Altman said this:

“I never know what I’m going to say until I say it, so I am kind of interested in hearing what I think.”

Sally Amos, a former Charleston teacher who worked as an organizer with the NAACP, on John Graham Altman:

He is “Lester Maddox without the charm and wit.”

and finally!

(…drummrole…)

April 2005: Rep. Altman proposes that Charleston County secede from the state of South Carolina on tax issues. He introduced a constitutional amendment that would allow counties to break away from the state for purposes of tax valuations.