Confederate Flags and Pickup Trucks
Over the last few years, there has been a huge battle over the Confederate flag. The Democratic and the black leadership claim that the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism, bigotry, segregation and violence against blacks.
Now, I can't argue against that and I know that if I were black that I would probably find it pretty damned offensive if my state capitol had it flying over the capitol building.
Recently, Howard Dean said that he wanted to court the voters who had the confederate flag in the back of their pickup truck. Later, he clarified and apologized for the comment saying that it was a term that he was using to describe poor, white voters in the south who vote Republican.
And, with that clarification, he essentially called all of the poor southern whites, racists, if he thinks of the confederate flag as a symbol of racism.
Also, with that statement, he said that he wants to court the votes of the people that he thinks of as racists. How do you do that, with a lynching?
Frankly, I find what he said to be far more offensive than anything that Trent Lott said when he was attacked as a racist for his comments at Strom Thurmonds retirement. And, what I want to know is why more people aren't standing up and demanding that he step out of the presidential race?
Why aren't the so-called black leaders up in arms? He basically said that he wants people who he believes are racists to vote for him. And he intends on courting their vote.
Why isn't the Democratic party, as a whole, up in arms over his comments like they were about Trent Lott? Lott never said that he wanted racists to vote for him. Lott never made a broad based statement about an entire group of people.
And finally, why isn't anyone calling him a racist or bigot? Granted, he wasn't making a statement against a minority group, but he was making a broad and sweeping statements about a certain group of white folks.
Or, is that the answer? Is it all right for a Democrat to make a sweeping statement that is inflammatorily and bigoted against certain white folks?
Now, I really didn't find what he said to be that offensive. Stupid, yes. Offensive, no. But it does give a prime example of the hypocrisy of both the Democratic party and the black leadership. After all, you would think that they would both stand up against any and all sort of bigotry or racism - they are against it, aren't they?
