This is better:
Two Oklahoma Republican congressmen ripped protesters in their state who greeted President Obama in Oklahoma City by waving Confederate flags, calling their actions “disrespectful,” “embarrassing” and “inappropriate.”
“I was shocked and disappointed by those who showed up to wave Confederate flags soon after President Obama arrived in Oklahoma,” Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, a senior House Republican, said in a statement to The Hill. “Their actions were not only disappointing but incredibly disrespectful, insensitive and embarrassing to the entire state.
“The unacceptable behavior displayed by these individuals certainly does not reflect the values and views of the vast majority of Oklahomans,” Cole added. “No president should ever be confronted by such behavior, especially when the purpose of the visit was meant to celebrate and recognize some of our state’s greatest achievements.”
Rep. Frank Lucas, another Oklahoma Republican who is close to leadership, said in an interview: “Free speech is an amazing thing. Unfortunately this was an inappropriate use of it.”
I like to reward good behavior. This is a good start.
Much more, please.
“Free speech is an amazing thing. Unfortunately this was an inappropriate use of it.”
Yes, that.
Also, too: an incredibly stupid use. Honestly, if the Racist Traitor Pride flag wasn’t racist, what exactly was the point of waving it at — total coincidence — the first black president? Were they welcoming him to Oklahoma? Using it to make a statement about the vicious tyranny of his politely disagreeing with them?
Honestly, just shouting “Argle bargle! ARGLE BARGLE!!” doesn’t really get the point across. If there is one.
Why didn’t they just go ahead and show up with slave chains, whips and lynching ropes? While spitting watermelon seeds and waving fried chicken legs, with everyone done up in black-face? That would have been just about as subtle as this showing of flags.
Jesus, about a third of this country has simply lost their fucking minds.
You forgot the sheets and hoods. Aren’t they part of the Southern Heritage?
A burning cross would have been a nice touch.
What makes you think they had minds to lose?
A third seems a fairly predictable number across time and locations. A sixth would be a good enough estimate of those that never lose their minds. Half are capable of going in and out.
Maybe they don’t. But a much larger percentage now seem to have lost all pretense of the notion that very overt and public racism has any shame. They have rewound their minds to about the year 1953, and they are fighting to drag the rest of us there with them. They are now a collective and unashamed group channeling “George Wallace standing in the doorway”.
Not saying that increased public displays of their lunacy can’t/doesn’t persuade some or all of the half that can go either way in the short-term, but it doesn’t change their base numbers.
They always get noisier when they lose or perceive they’re losing. Could they have continuously been any noisier from 1993-1996, 1997-2000, and 2009-2012? At the national level, what did they accomplish? Very little. If not for Perot in the 1992 and 1996 elections, would Clinton have performed better than Gore did in 2000? Obama lost a couple of percentage points between 2008 and 2012, but there wasn’t much difference between McCain and Mitt’s vote totals.
Yes, there’s a deep history here. Benjamin Franklin:
Yes.
The question remains…exactly what and where are “the frontiers of the American provinces?” They are no longer physically mandated. That went out with the automobile, the radio, TV and the current (
Dis)Information Age.I understand the furor over that flag. From all sides. I personally am actually quite happy to see anyone put up any flag, because they are essentially branding themselves and there are certain “brands” of human being from whom I want to stay at a good distance and watch like a hawk. I include the U.S. flag in that rubric. Rabid American flag-wavers up here in da north countries are often exactly same kinds and types of people who are waving Confederate flags elsewhere.
When I see the Puerto Rican flag up in these particular NYC-style “American provinces”…and the Mexican flag as well…I am relieved to see a likely ally and friend, and not just because I play Nuyorican music. Those cultures are overwhelmingly kind and welcoming if approached with respect. The U.S. flag-wavers? If I see one on a house I will look further if I have to use a driveway for a U-turn. They might just as well advertise “ARMED AND DANGEROUS!!! POSSIBLY HOSTILE, ESPECIALLY IF DRUNK!!!”
Bet on it.
I certainly don’t want to “occasion complaints or furnish matter for fresh differences” w/the Qmerticans, because that would mean that I would have to walk around armed to the teeth. Then I’d have to be even more cautious then is my current state when the police are about.
Decisions, decisions…
At least they’re not lockstep.
Have a nice day.
AG
Not a third. Twenty seven percent.
You can look it up.
A third is close enough. Allows for those not willing to wear it on their sleeves.
“The unacceptable behavior displayed by these individuals certainly does not reflect the values and views of the vast majority of Oklahomans,”
I’m not so sure about that.
I went to the Postal training Center in Norman several times. The TV had this guy, Imus, of “nappy headed ‘ho” infamy, on every morning. I never could see the attraction. He looked and sounded like a drunken bum.
Voice…
That “was” the attraction.
AG
This.
That’s nice, but it’s only a matter of time until Inhofe implicitly supports them with the “I am not a historian” dodge. Unless he’s too busy not being a scientist.
2 GOP reps mumble, “That’s not nice”…I need no more of that. Next time will they wear the hoods that go with the flag to compete their whole free speech/freedom/liberty cover story. Those people wrapping themselves in the bars and strips are not Americans
No, Shan.
You are wrong.
They are Americans. They are in the grand tradition of Permanent War America. You could look it up.
AG
The president should pardon 50 prisoners for every Confederate rag that he sees from now until he leaves office, with the prisoners coming from the nearest federal prison to where he saw said rag.
Was it a celebration of Confederate history? Was it a celebration of Southern culture, in Oklahoma? Did they want to share their celebration of Southern culture with the President, or were they protesting the President with those flags?
Was it a racist display saying that when blacks were slaves America was a better place?
The problem with using the flag of a failed state that existed to continue the slavery of black people is that an onlooker might equate the use of a Confederate flag for a black president visiting Oklahoma with racism.
However, in order to clarify the intent I would hope that the media simply question the people waving the flag and asking why they are using it.
Where does one expression of one form of racism end and another begin?
Really.
Rethink, please.
Please!!!
Thank you…
AG
Are they racist, ignorant, or both? Probably both, but I have an entire collection of fucks I don’t give.
The problem is this type of demonstration of hate spreads and emboldens others. Here in Washington State a mayor of a town posted racist comments on his facebook page.
http://www.ijreview.com/2015/07/370154-mayor-lost-job-compare-obama/
Calls for his resignation have been ignored by him.
There’s a person in my neck of the woods — Western Massachusetts — who put up a Confederate flag at his place of business and admitted that it didn’t symbolize anything to him, he was just putting it up to make some sort of point.
And the point that most people seem to have taken from it was that he’s an attention-seeking dick.
Of course, it’s also worth noting that his business is violating a bunch of unrelated codes, he submitted legal paperwork to the town that evidently showed all the professionalism of a kid with crayons, and those things may end up getting his business closed down. At which point I fully expect him to go the crowdscamming route, screaming to the usual “news” outlets about how his freedoms of speechifying have been trompled by Obama’s evil minions.