Remarks on Blacks Cause Uproar in House
Barbara, meet Trent; Trent, Barbara. If racist Republicans keep outing themselves, Democrats may not have to lift a finger to take over as majority.
I was listening to CSpan today as this was all unfolding, and I can tell you that the above quote is both taken out of context and mis-spoken on the part on Ms. Cuban. The debate was centering on clauses that prohibit the selling of firearms to drug addicts or people who will use them to commit crimes. The point Ms. Cuban was trying to make was that her “blond haired, blue eyed” children would have no problem getting fire-arms under this law, but under the subjective wording of the law (and the close-minded interpretations thereof) one might choose not to sell guns to people of colour simply because of the widespread stereotyping of minorities as criminals or drug-addicts. Of course, she used the wording indicated in the OP and shot herself in the foot, which was lodged firmly in her mouth.
Keep in mind that the bill was intended to make it harder to sue gun manufacturers, so if she was for the ammendment she would have done well to keep her mouth shut. But she was (as far as I can tell) objecting to the wording and it came out bass-ackwards.
Given that she was interrupted before she completed her statement, I am not persuaded that her remarks were clearly racist. Incredibly stupid for not setting up he remarks in the context she wanted, but not necessarily racist.
(There is rather more anti-indian than anti-black racism in the West, anyway, so there is no reason to presume a racist intent without seeing rather more of her remarks.)
Alternatively, how many racist Democrats are hiding in Congress (but who have done a better job of not tripping over their tongues)?
Silliness all around.
Hmmmmmmmmm…Robert Byrd?
oh, good, we needed another thread for partisan bickering!
Pretty much every current Southern Republican who grew up as a Democrat switched parties because the Democrats were seen as the party of the civil rights movement. Nixon’s Southern strategy took advantage of this unease among Southern whites with the direction of the Democratic Party. Of course, they will claim that they switched parties because they favored lower taxes or some other Republican mantra, but we all know better, don’t we?
I’d give her the benefit of the doubt on this one. The explanation kylen provided seems at least possible.
Ooh, is this kinda like Where’s Waldo? Partisan fun for the whole family! 
Jeff
Well, my US geograpahy isn’t very good, but according to this map Ms. Cubans home state of Wyoming isn’t really the southernmost state in the US. Or have I missed the connection?
It’s true that 40 years ago, some Republicans became as such because they were racists, and opposed to civil rights law. However, this does not mean all Southern Republicans were racist, nor that all Republicans the country over are racists, and it certainly doesn’t mean that all, most, or even many Republicans now are racist. Times change, people change, and parties change. Are there racist Republicans? Sure. Are there racist democrats? Sure. Does that tell you anything about their respective parties as a whole? Nope.
Jeff
Maybe we should have a forum for this? You know, get all those threads into one forum so we can go back to our normal Dope while those who enjoy screaming and spitting at one another can be free to do so until they’re shot and tested for rabies.
Given the current batch of drug laws, and the way that inner-city black communities are disproportionately affects them, I don’t see the remarks by Rep. Cubin as rascist at all.
Here in Michigan, we have a ‘shall issue’ concealed weapons permit law. On the surface, it is only a $30-40 set of fees to get one. But then you have to take a class (which isn’t a bad I idea by any means!). That class runs $250.00 or more dollars. No great shake for me, but for a poor family, who probably needs the permit more then I would, that is a prohibitive expense. Just another subtle way of disarming the poor.
I’m not sure I find that comment disarming.
The question was: “How many racist Republicans are hiding in Congress?” I think a fair answer is: about as many as there are racist Democrats, and I doubt that the total is very high. Since the civil rights movement began to take off in the sixties, I’ve seen a change in American society generally. I won’t argue that everybody loves everybody else, of whatever ethnic or racial background. But it is apparent that multiculturalism (for want of a better word) is not merely accepted in obediance to law, but truly felt by a majority of people. I don’t see racists behind every tree, and I certainly don’t think Congress has more than a few.
The explanation posted by kylen sounds right to me. I see no reason to jump on a poor choice of words and accuse Rep. Cuban of racism. Racist remarks, if that’s what they are, are not likely to occur in isolation. If Cuban were a racist, it’s likely there would be a history of such remarks. Can anybody provide other examples?
I can’t agree with you, Frostillicus that Southern Republicans (which, incidentally, Rep. Cuban is not) are all just Democrats who didn’t like civil rights. Do you have psychic insight the rest of us do not possess, or can you provide evidence? If so, try not to miss any individuals, since you tarred them all so, dare I say liberally, with the same brush. Oh, wait. I have wronged you. You said “pretty much every current Southern Republican who grew up as a democrat.” Does that mean that there are some who didn’t switch for that reason? Can you tell us which ones those are? And are the ones who grew up Republican all bigots, too?
By the way, I’m a Democrat. I just don’t see taking unfair pot shots at Republicans for misspeaking. There are enough other real issues to take them up on.
This, of course, does NOT mean the President. Taking pot shots at his flubs is too much to resist. I’m only human. 
Might I ask what is your definition of “West”?
For the purposes of this discussion, the states between North Dakota and western Texas out to a line about 100 miles east of the Pacific Ocean.
I am not suggesting that racism is rampant in any given area, but my experience has been that when people do look for people to scorn, they choose people near whom they live.
I don’t know how many. How many Democrats seek to delude themselves into a feeling of smug superiority by demonizing the opposing party?
I’d like to concur with DesertGeezer. I too am a Democrat, and shall be the first to admit that racism is present on BOTH sides, and likely in fairly equal amounts. There are things that senators say that are well worth jumping all over and eviscerating them for, but I’d say this was an honest mistake.
Why limit ourselves to Democrats? It’s not as if ANY of us are innocent of this sort of thing! 
Oh, the irony! Gee Scylla, refresh my memory; which party honed the politics of personal destruction to a wicked edge? Why is it called demonizing the opposing party when Democrats do it, but righteous moral outrage when Republicans do it?