Ginger, yes, that's the latest. See also Van Jones, ACORN, and reacting instead of leading on a million different things. Healthcare, welfare, patriot act, gay marriage, abortion... I stand by my vote for Obama, but I am becoming increasingly disillusioned and despondant. I know it's a hard job, but I think he's missed some key opportunities to shift our national debate. And race is one of those big areas.

I'm just tired.

Because we live in an age where calling bullshit, bullshit is the height of incivility.

I recall craxyness following Obama's eyerolling reaction to the Cambridge cop arresting Louis Gates Jr. in his own home. He called the incident/cop stupid and had to settle it with that fucking Beer Summit.

Or what Gud said. Gandhi may have said to make our enemies our allies, but it wasn't via compromising one's own values.

Her father was murdered by the KKK, and she wasn't with the USDA at the time she was speaking of. She was working at a non-profit that helped black farmers. In fact, working against some of the USDA's more racist policies.

Yes, thanks for the clarification.

Most of the speech is about her own history and journey. She seems quite awesome, and a great candidate for a civil rights position anyway.

TNC's link is here. [link] The story causing the furor is at about minutes 17 to 20.

Sherrod said she might not want her job back anyway considering how she'd been treated, and at least now she'd have some free time to hang out with that couple on their farm because she was long overdue for a visit

Heh. Nicely done.

And calling the cop stupid was the exact same as if Obama had had the cop arrested in his home for being white and not showing ID.

Just like Sherrod's lack of enthusiasm for helping a white farmer who she felt was talking down to her is the exact same thing as institutional racism by whites against blacks.

Fuck the lot of 'em. I have no use.

TURNING and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

Because we live in an age where calling bullshit, bullshit is the height of incivility.

Also, there is no greater crime than calling racist actions racist (the whole thing got started because the NAACP stated -- horrors! -- that some Tea Party members are racists; Breitbart said in an interview with Sean Hannity, summarized here on the NPR website -- damned if I'm going to link to Fox News -- that he was gunning for the NAACP for its evil, evil use of the word "racism," and he didn't actually care about Sherrod one way or the other).

(the whole thing got started because the NAACP stated -- horrors! -- that some Tea Party members are racists; Breitbart said in an interview with Sean Hannity, summarized here on the NPR website -- damned if I'm going to link to Fox News -- that he was gunning for the NAACP for its evil, evil use of the word "racism," and he didn't actually care about Sherrod one way or the other).

I'm happy to be spending most of this week drinking heavily, I think.

Right, DJ. Individual bigotry Is exactly the same as intitutionalized racism. ISTG, the stupid not only burns but will burn us all.

Nora, not a day goes by I don't wish I was down there with you. I have got to get my shit together.