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.

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).

That's what he says now. And while I don't think it was about her personally, he was pretty clearly saying in the beginning, "Here is a reverse racist Obama apointee, her, right here. Listen to her hating on white people."

And everybody who pays attention to the rancid douchenozzle, goes, "Yep! I knew those black people had it out for us!"

It's the same reason the laughably awful ACORN take down worked. It's because everybody was able to go, "See I knew an organization that helps the poor* and minorities must be stupid and corrupt!"

*Side note. I worked for ACORN Housing. Not to be confused with ACORN, which everyone, including the people covering and pushing this story did. They are sister organizations, but one is advocacy and the other is education. One of the sickest things about the ACORN takedown is that AHC had a pretty good record of getting workouts with banks to keep people in their homes- which we probably could have used in the time since.

Hell, even ACORN proper did great work. And Breitbart was the same guy who aired the medaciosly edited ACORN video.

Asianish stir-fry or Italianish sauté tonight? I have an eggplant, two ears of corn, green beans, and a purple bell pepper. [oh, and two tomatoes]