Have you ever had something happen that was so racist that you didn't even get mad, you're just like "Damn, that was racist!"
- Dave Chapelle
Well, I tried not to get mad, but when you come across two blatant examples of racism, and the lack of response to both, you don't have a choice. In Arizona, an alleged talk show host named Barbara Espinoza commented on her radio program that President Barack Obama was a monkey. She also said she voted for "the white guy" in the 2008 election. She later defended her comments by opining that monkeys were seen as intelligent. Turns out there was a guest on her show that day. He happened to be the chair of the Arizona Republican Party, Tom Morrissey. What did he say about Espinoza's diatribe? Nothing. Not a mumbling word.
Now shift the scene to Montana, where Republicans held their state convention this past weekend. On full display was a bullet riddled outhouse with the inscription "Obama Presidential Library". There was also a replica of the president's birth certificate with the vulgar term for bull droppings written on it. Not to mention references to Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi with the term "For a good time". When asked for a response, the GOP Grand Poobah of Montana, one Will Deschamps said, "It's not something I'm going to agonize over". Nobody seems to know, or will care to say, who brought it to the convention.
As racist and outrageous as these two actual examples are, what's startling is the lack of response by two sitting state Republican chairs. One would assume both will be attending the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Is this really what the GOP wants representing their party in this election year? The examples of blatant racism exhibited against this president since he took office are too numerous to chronicle here. Yet people hide behind the First Amendment (in the case of Barbara Espinosa), or ignorance (Will Deschamps).
This may come as a great shock to some, but most black people I know think before they label something racist. It's not a first line of defense, or offense. Yet these examples, and the deafening silence that has followed beg for somebody, anybody to say its wrong. If Republican state chairs won't, what about the RNC boss Rance Priebus? Or, heaven forbid, Mitt Romney? The fact is this. Rev. Jeremiah Wright's statements from the pulpit pale by comparison to a bullet riddled outhouse and calling a president (or any human being) a monkey. So where's the outrage?
If the Republican Party doesn't want to paint itself as homophobic, anti woman, anti immigrant, and tolerant of blatant racism in an election year, they need to straight up clean up their act. Both those state chairs should be forced to resign, and if ever someone needs to talk to the advertisers on a radio show, it's the sorry case of Barbara (I'm not racist. Look at my last name) Espinosa. And all this is why I can't simply say.....
Yes, I think it was racist to call President Obama a racist. But, what would you call it when I referred to GW Bush, when he was president, as "Curouus George"? I didn't do that to be racist, though.
As for what the Republicans aredoing to President Obama, do you remember what they did to President Clinton, pretty much, from the moment he became president? But, he easily got re-elected.
Harriet from Bayside
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