# Is Jeff Sessions a racist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 5, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948 "2016-12-05T17:58:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/181 "2016-12-08T14:48:48Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > OK, so how does this make a charge of racism any different than a charge of anything else? Charge of smoking pot. No biggie. Charge of doing cocaine. No biggie!! Charge of Plagiarism. What’s Plagiarism? Charge of not paying taxes. Who cares? Charge of cheating on your spouse. Go ahead, have a little fun on the side! Remember the days when being divorced was a biggie? (You’ve read about, I’m sure-- you’re probably too young to actually remember!) ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/182 "2016-12-08T16:15:30Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Charge of smoking pot. No biggie. > Charge of doing cocaine. No biggie!! > Charge of Plagiarism. What’s Plagiarism? > Charge of not paying taxes. Who cares? > Charge of cheating on your spouse. Go ahead, have a little fun on the side! > > Remember the days when being divorced was a biggie? (You’ve read about, I’m sure-- you’re probably too young to actually remember!) Charge of racism? What is ‘racism’? Everyone is a little racist. Saying ‘nigger’ does not mean a person is racist. You can call a grown man “boy” and not be racist. Not all conservative Boomers from Alabama are racist. Racism died in 1968. You can be racist and still be a decent person. Obama is racist and yet everyone loves him. Charge of racism? No biggie. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/183 "2016-12-08T16:19:17Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Charge of racism? What is ‘racism’? Everyone is a little racist. Saying ‘nigger’ does not mean a person is racist. You can call a grown man “boy” and not be racist. Not all conservative Boomers from Alabama are racist. Racism died in 1968. You can be racist and still be a decent person. Obama is racist and yet everyone loves him. > > Charge of racism? No biggie. Tell that to George [macaca] Allen. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/184 "2016-12-08T16:25:20Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Everyone is a little racist. The whites have all the money and the Jews have all the power, and I’m always in a taxi-cab with dliver who no shower! [/Christmas Eve] ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/185 "2016-12-08T16:30:09Z")
One of the lesser known _calypsos_ of Bokonon. Deservedly so. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/186 "2016-12-08T16:48:12Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Tell that to George [macaca] Allen. If “macaca” had actually been a big deal, George would not have come as close to winning the senate seat in 2012 as he did. People have very short memories. There was outrage over “macaca” for a couple of news cycles. But an apology wipes the slate clean for the majority of Americans when it comes to racism. And why shouldn’t it? The majority weren’t the ones being likened to monkeys. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/187 "2016-12-08T17:11:49Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > If “macaca” had actually been a big deal, George would not have come as close to winning the senate seat in 2012 as he did. > > People have very short memories. There was outrage over “macaca” for a couple of news cycles. But an apology wipes the slate clean for the majority of Americans when it comes to racism. And why shouldn’t it? The majority weren’t the ones being likened to monkeys. On August 10th, 2006, the word “macaca” as a racial slur was essentially unknown in the state of Virginia. If you had approached 1,000 random people and asked if “macaca” was racially offensive, you’d have gotten 1,000 confused looks. By August 24th, everyone knew how horrible and racially insensitive this disgusting and aggressive word was. Hats off to the Democrats. The game seldom got played better than that. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/188 "2016-12-08T17:22:38Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > On August 10th, 2006, the word “macaca” as a racial slur was essentially unknown in the state of Virginia. If you had approached 1,000 random people and asked if “macaca” was racially offensive, you’d have gotten 1,000 confused looks. > > By August 24th, everyone knew how horrible and racially insensitive this disgusting and aggressive word was. > > Hats off to the Democrats. The game seldom got played better than that. I don’t think Allen knew that it was a racial slur (though it’s probably possible, since his mother came from a region in which the slur was used). But I do think he was more likely doing the equivalent of “Mr. Ching-Chong here” (for an Asian person) when he called the brown-skinned gentleman “Macaca” – using a nonsense word as a shorthand to indicate foreign-ness (along with “[Welcome to America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_of_the_United_States_Senate_election_in_Virginia,_2006#Allen.27s_Macaca_controversy)”, which he followed it with). And thus, still a dumb thing to say, and something that can reasonably be criticized as bigoted (maybe mildly bigoted, if you want to be charitable). And obviously taken to the limit by his political opponents. I think that’s the most likely explanation, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/189 "2016-12-08T17:40:10Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > On August 10th, 2006, the word “macaca” as a racial slur was essentially unknown in the state of Virginia. If you had approached 1,000 random people and asked if “macaca” was racially offensive, you’d have gotten 1,000 confused looks. > > By August 24th, everyone knew how horrible and racially insensitive this disgusting and aggressive word was. > > Hats off to the Democrats. The game seldom got played better than that. The Dems would have been idiots to ignore their opponent taking a swipe at someone based on that person’s perceived nationality. The racial slur was just hot fudge on a shit sundae. I don’t think pointing out the obvious is skillful gameplay. It is a minimum job requirement…one the Republicans would have not have hesitated to perform if the shoe had been on the other foot. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/190 "2016-12-08T17:46:08Z")
I repeat my initial suggestion: IF Jeff Sessions is a racist, surely he has said or done something in the past 20 years as a Senator to prove it. IF Sessions is a racist, there is no need to dig through his distant past for evidence. Surely, his fellow Senators would have seen or heard him say the N word, or do something distasteful. If he HAS, there’s no need to subpoena people who may have heard something in the Seventies. The Democratic Senators who’ve worked with him all this time should state publicly that they’ve seen Sessions doing unacceptably racist things, and spell out what those things were. If they can’t think of anything racist he’s said or done, they should confirm him. If they can, they should vote against him- after explaining what those things were AND why they never, ever, ever tried to censure him. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/191 "2016-12-08T17:47:40Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > If “macaca” had actually been a big deal, George would not have come as close to winning the senate seat in 2012 as he did. > > People have very short memories. There was outrage over “macaca” for a couple of news cycles. But an apology wipes the slate clean for the majority of Americans when it comes to racism. And why shouldn’t it? The majority weren’t the ones being likened to monkeys. From Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Allen overcame the deficit and won with 58.3% of the vote [for Gov of VA], the largest margin (+17.4 points) since Albertis S. Harrison Jr. defeated H. Clyde Pearson with a margin of +27.7 points in 1961. > > \ > > Allen ran for the U.S. Senate and defeated Democratic incumbent U.S. Senator Chuck Robb 52%–48%. He was the only Republican to unseat a Democratic incumbent that year. From super-star, record breaker to loser. Yeah, no big deal at all since he didn’t lose by that much… ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/192 "2016-12-08T17:49:39Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I don’t think Allen knew that it was a racial slur (though it’s probably possible, since his mother came from a region in which the slur was used). But I do think he was more likely doing the equivalent of “Mr. Ching-Chong here” (for an Asian person) when he called the brown-skinned gentleman “Macaca” – using a nonsense word as a shorthand to indicate foreign-ness (along with “[Welcome to America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_of_the_United_States_Senate_election_in_Virginia,_2006#Allen.27s_Macaca_controversy)”, which he followed it with). And thus, still a dumb thing to say, and something that can reasonably be criticized as bigoted (maybe mildly bigoted, if you want to be charitable). And obviously taken to the limit by his political opponents. > > I think that’s the most likely explanation, anyway. Agree completely. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/193 "2016-12-08T17:54:53Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I don’t think Allen knew that it was a racial slur (though it’s probably possible, since his mother came from a region in which the slur was used). But I do think he was more likely doing the equivalent of “Mr. Ching-Chong here” (for an Asian person) when he called the brown-skinned gentleman “Macaca” – using a nonsense word as a shorthand to indicate foreign-ness (along with “[Welcome to America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_of_the_United_States_Senate_election_in_Virginia,_2006#Allen.27s_Macaca_controversy)”, which he followed it with). And thus, still a dumb thing to say, and something that can reasonably be criticized as bigoted (maybe mildly bigoted, if you want to be charitable). And obviously taken to the limit by his political opponents. > > I think that’s the most likely explanation, anyway. Could be. But it doesn’t matter if we’re discussing what happens to “racists”. Or, if anything, it tells how much of a scarlet letter you get for being perceived as one. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/194 "2016-12-08T18:06:21Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Could be. But it doesn’t matter if we’re discussing what happens to “racists”. Or, if anything, it tells how much of a scarlet letter you get for being perceived as one. It gives us some info about the consequences for saying something perceived as racist. In this particular case, it may be that it was perceived as _very_ bigoted, when in actuality the intention was probably only _moderately_ or _slightly_ bigoted. Which bothers me less than an error in the other direction would. He _should_ be harmed politically for saying something bigoted. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/195 "2016-12-08T18:40:40Z")
> [@CatandMouse](#): > > Do you have a problem with people burning the American flag? Just curious. Personally, I think that burning flags is silly, but I wouldn’t try to ban it either legally or socially. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/196 "2016-12-08T18:48:00Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Personally, I think that burning flags is silly, but I wouldn’t try to ban it either legally or socially. I still don’t understand your “PC run amok” criticism. Is it “PC run amok” to criticize someone for shouting racial slurs from their front lawn? Or to criticize someone for flying a flag bearing racial slurs and “go back to Africa”? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/197 "2016-12-08T19:16:00Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > If they can’t think of anything racist he’s said or done, they should confirm him. :dubious: Whoa, that’s quite a false dichotomy you’ve got there. There are a lot of possible scenarios in between “Sessions is a die-hard outspoken racist” and “Sessions is an unobjectionable nominee who should be confirmed”. Even leaving racism out of the picture altogether, what about these other issues that I quoted in an earlier post? > [@](#): > > As Attorney General of Alabama, Sessions worked to prohibit the recognition and funding of student Gay-Straight Alliances at The University of Alabama, Auburn University and The University of South Alabama […] > > Sessions has been an opponent of same-sex marriage and has earned a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign, the United States’ largest LGBTQ advocacy group […] Sessions voted in favor of advancing the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006, a U.S. constitutional amendment which would have permanently restricted federal recognition of marriages to those between a man and a woman. Sessions voted against the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010. […] > > Sessions is skeptical of the scientific consensus on climate change. […] > > Following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016, Sessions refused to consider any nominee for the position. Sessions maintained his opposition after President Obama nominated D.C. Circuit judge Merrick Garland, joining other Republican Senators in delaying a Supreme Court hearing until the inauguration of a new president. Getting back to the racism question, as I said, supporting racist **policies** is an objectionable thing even if one doesn’t personally hold racist **beliefs**. For example, voter ID schemes (at least all the ones I’ve seen proposed for the US) prioritize the non-problem of voter fraud, for which there is no significant evidence despite intense scrutiny, over the documented disparate suppressive impacts of voter ID requirements on minority voters. In my book, that illogical and facts-averse disregard for impeding the voting rights of minorities makes voter-ID (at least in the form we’ve seen it in the US) intrinsically a racist policy, **even when it’s advocated by people who do not personally endorse racist beliefs**. **Support for this and similar policies with unfairly disparate racial impacts, along with prejudiced opposition to scientific findings on climate, equal rights for gay and transgender people, and established protocol for appointing SC justices, are well documented in Sessions’ record.** As far as I’m concerned, that’s ample reason why he’s a lousy pick to head the Justice Department, **even if we could somehow be reliably assured that Sessions _personally_ has never made any directly racially offensive remark to or about any black person in his entire life**. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/198 "2016-12-08T19:16:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It gives us some info about the consequences for saying something perceived as racist. In this particular case, it may be that it was perceived as _very_ bigoted, when in actuality the intention was probably only _moderately_ or _slightly_ bigoted. > > Which bothers me less than an error in the other direction would. He _should_ be harmed politically for saying something bigoted. Thank you. Are we supposed to feel sorry that a man derailed his own political career by saying something that was hurtful and stupid? Why should hurtful and stupid get a special pass just because it is not hurtful and stupid to the ears of conservative whites (a group that does not hesitate to label their foes as racist for faux pas much more innocent than “macaca”). ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/199 "2016-12-08T19:40:46Z")
Kimstu, I don’t think I’ve stated this directly, so let me take this opportunity to say that I really appreciate your nuanced view on racism. I think it’s the best approach and I wish it was the attitude more people had. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948/200 "2016-12-08T19:49:59Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I still don’t understand your “PC run amok” criticism. Is it “PC run amok” to criticize someone for shouting racial slurs from their front lawn? Or to criticize someone for flying a flag bearing racial slurs and “go back to Africa”? I agree that “PC run amok,” does not remotely describe the process by which someone flying a Nazi swastika becomes a social pariah. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jeff-sessions-a-racist/773948.md?page=11)