05-12-09 Ed Shultz - Rush Limbaugh goes off in racist rant about reparations
Okay I am posting this headline alone not because I agree with Color of Change on this or Rush Limbaugh but because the title quickly jumped out at me. Then as I looked at the other articles regarding the subject and listened to Limbaugh's actual words, I realized that people are speculating what Limbaugh meant and are hyper-extending the race problem in America.
Many of you might not agree with me but since President Barack Obama has been elected, I have seen a huge hyperinflation of racial cry’s over nearly everything that has to do with President Obama. I'm not saying that racism is not out there because it is on both sides of the aisle. I know some people might say Blacks can't be racists because we are a minority in this country but we can be discriminatory toward other races and people who are not black.
Nonetheless, all I want people to understand is that headlines like this and taking people words out of context or speculating what someone meant to say only further divides us as a people. Instead of us having a real race conversation in this country, we are having conversations such as this one where we take things out of context like we did with the cartoon of a monkey being shot and the caption saying “I guess we have to find someone else to write the next stimulus package.” Now I didn’t agree with the cartoon not because it was distasteful but it was not racist to me. Just like now, I don't agree with Limbaugh's words but he clearly made no reference to Black people but it can be interfered he was referring to black people but it can also be inferred he was referring to poor people who are the rightful owners of this country since it was built by the poor or Indians (Native Americans) who were here way before any other group of people. I know when reparations are mentioned, everyone automatically thinks of blacks because we are the only race in this country not to receive reparations but some might argue we got affirmative action which actually wasn't for us but for white woman who were treated unequally in the work place but we as blacks have benefitted from it to some degree.
Thus I just want all of us to not fall prey to headlines and quickly pass judgment as if Republicans are continuing to advocate for a racial divide while Democrats are tearing down race barriers. Don't believe this type of rhetorical or any headlines such as this one until you do your actual research. We must do our own research before believing the hype and passing judgment because there is clearly a racial hysteria in this country that wants us to stay divided by playing on our racial empathy.
We have got to do better as a people no matter what race, sex or religion you are. We have to look at everything from every angle before simply siding that's all I'm asking people. Let's do better and be better as we go forward.
Rush attacks Black folks. Will Republican leadership stand with him? From the ColorofChange.org
You won't believe Rush Limbaugh. He just accused President Obama of trying to intentionally wreck the economy, saying that Obama wants to put more people on welfare and food stamps, and implying that he wants to redistribute the country's wealth to Black people.1
This is not just an ugly attack on President Obama from Rush Limbaugh -- these are words from the man who is being held up as the face of the Republican Party. Virtually no Republican leaders have been willing to denounce his divisive rhetoric, or even disagree with him.2 Instead, they say he's an important part of their party, and a friend.
When Republican leaders refuse to denounce this kind of race-baiting from someone they call a leader, the message they send is that they embrace it. It's time to force Republican officials to say where they stand. Please take a moment to help us publicly confront them:
http://colorofchange.org/rush/?id=2552-222448
Here's what Rush said about President Obama's economic policies:
"The objective is unemployment. The objective is more food stamp benefits. The objective is more unemployment benefits. The objective is an expanding welfare state. And the objective is to take the nation's wealth and return to it to the nation's quote, "rightful owners." Think reparations. Think forced reparations here if you want to understand what actually is going on."3
It's a direct appeal to racial fear and paranoia, and it's deeply insulting to the President, to Black people, and to anyone who cares about the future of this country. We've seen this kind of thing from Rush before.4,5 But now, Republican politicians are refusing to denounce what he says, or even disagree with him. When they do, they usually take it back the next day, begging Rush to forgive them.6
Colin Powell is perhaps the only prominent Republican who has consistently stood up to Limbaugh and urged other Republicans to turn away from his divisive rhetoric. Powell recently said this: "I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without."7
The response from Limbaugh and other Republicans? Rush repeated an old attack on Powell, accusing him of supporting Obama during the election solely based on race.8 Meanwhile, Dick Cheney took to the airwaves to attack Powell and make it clear that he stands with Rush Limbaugh when it comes to the future of the Republican Party.9
Rush speaks. Republicans in government do the work.
You might think Rush and Cheney merely represent the party's extremes, but that misses the larger context. The Republican Party has made it clear that they don't want Obama to succeed--even if it means further damage to the economy and to the lives of everyday Americans. It's evident in the 'no' votes Republican members of Congress cast against Obama's budget, the refusal of Republican governors to allow stimulus dollars to flow into their states, and their leadership's refusal to denounce the rhetoric coming from Rush and others. Rush has said clearly that he wants Obama to fail, and Republican elected officials have been clear in their actions.
Please join us in demanding that Republican leaders say publicly where they stand. Do they reject Rush Limbaugh's divisive fear-mongering, or do they stand with him? If they refuse to denounce what Rush said, they'll be making it perfectly clear what the Republican Party stands for. And we'll do our best to make sure the media tells the story.
http://colorofchange.org/rush/?id=2552-222448
-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team May 26th, 2009
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU--your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or corporations and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:
https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/?id=2552-222448
References
1. "Rush Limbaugh: 'The Niggers Are Coming for Their Reparations!'" Jack and Jill Politics, 05-13-09 http://tinyurl.com/oy9x6g
2. "The Man Who Ate the G.O.P." Vanity Fair, May 2009 http://tinyurl.com/dljy8x
3. See reference 1.
4. "Limbaugh on Obama: 'Halfrican American'," Media Matters, 01-24-07 http://mediamatters.org/research/200701240010
5. The Today Show, NBC News, 05-21-07 http://tinyurl.com/okdvhf
6. "Forgive Me Rush, For I have Sinned," Talking Points Memo, http://tinyurl.com/cmtxkx
7. "Cheney backs Limbaugh over Powell on GOP future," Associated Press, 05-10-09 http://tinyurl.com/oloatk
8. See reference 7.
9. See reference 7.
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