Sophia A. Nelson, Puffington Host
...I am so sick and tired of RACE. Period. When are we going to get over it? For Real folks. As someone who was an African American studies minor in college, pledged the oldest and most prestigious black women's sorority, was once a loyal card carrying member of the NAACP ( I did not renew my membership after the 2000 election campaign ads that ran against then Gov. George Bush paid for by the NAACP), started a very successful national organization for professional women of color, and I could go and on I am sick of the tearing apart of one set of Americans by their own fellow countrymen.
Yes, I am defending my mostly white (some Tea Party goers were black, Hispanic, etc.) Tea Party attending brethren because enough is enough. On last Thursday's "Countdown," MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and his guest Janeane Garofalo defamed fellow citizens who attended the prior day's Tea Parties with vitriolic contempt. Ms. Garofalo actually called Party-goers "a bunch of teabagging rednecks," adding "this is about hating a black man in the White House. This is racism straight up."
She is wrong and she knows nothing about true racism-having never spent a day of her life being black in America. I do know something about racism as I and millions of other people of color have endured and experienced its ugly insidiousness. It is not a word that should be thrown around lightly or recklessly. If we dare not stand in defense of our fellow citizens right to protest peacefully against our/their government then we are giving into a sneaky form of Tyranny. Race has nothing to do with the hardworking, decent American citizens who simply got sick and tired of being overtaxed and outspent by their government and showed up to do something about it.
That is our solemn duties as Americans. This freedom is what makes us the envy of the world....
A pleasant surprise in the comments thread: while some of the HuffPo regulars are dutifully repeating the "Tea parties are racist" meme, an encouraging number are siding with Ms. Nelson and saying things like this:
Well said, Ms Nelson. I attended a tea party rally with co-workers, two of whom are black and one latino. They were stunned to hear that Garafolo belittled them, too, saying that they suffered from Stockholm syndrome. Thank you for stating what should be obvious to any rational person, that being in favor of limited government does not equal racism, and that attacking protestors as racists is either disingenuous, or moronic. |