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SweetestOfPeas
J'taime Paris!
Member since 3/06 32345 total posts
Name:
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Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Eric Holder, the country’s first African-American attorney general, called the United States “a nation of cowards” Wednesday for failing to candidly talk about matters of race.
In a speech to Justice Department employees commemorating Black History Month, Holder said average Americans remain uncomfortable with race-related issues and need to do more to confront them head on.
“Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and we, I believe continue to be in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards,” Holder said.
He said Americans often “retreat to our race-protected cocoons,” a tendency that inhibits fruitful discussion that might lead to racial progress.
the rest on CNN.com
so, do you agree w/him?
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Posted 2/18/09 9:21 PM  |
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evnme
My little lamb
Member since 8/05 12633 total posts
Name:
aka momma2b
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
on a side note, did u see that political satire cartoon about the stimulus plan and people are calling it racist?
honestly! 
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| Posted 2/18/09 9:43 PM |
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MrsERod
Praying for Everyone.
Member since 5/05 26170 total posts
Name:
MrsERod™®
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
Posted by SweetestOfPeas
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Eric Holder, the country’s first African-American attorney general, called the United States “a nation of cowards” Wednesday for failing to candidly talk about matters of race.
In a speech to Justice Department employees commemorating Black History Month, Holder said average Americans remain uncomfortable with race-related issues and need to do more to confront them head on.
“Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and we, I believe continue to be in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards,” Holder said.
He said Americans often “retreat to our race-protected cocoons,” a tendency that inhibits fruitful discussion that might lead to racial progress.
the rest on CNN.com
so, do you agree w/him?
No. I do not agree with hm, and his 'message' in general. Especially since this "NATION OF COWARDS" just elected into office the first AFRICAN AMERICAN President! idiot.
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| Posted 2/18/09 9:48 PM |
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MrsERod
Praying for Everyone.
Member since 5/05 26170 total posts
Name:
MrsERod™®
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
Posted by evnme
on a side note, did u see that political satire cartoon about the stimulus plan and people are calling it racist?
honestly!
that "satirical" (and i used that term loosely) cartoon, IMO, was completely racist!!!!! I don't see how referring to Obama as a chimpanzee is NOT racist, to say the very least. 
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| Posted 2/18/09 9:50 PM |
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SweetestOfPeas
J'taime Paris!
Member since 3/06 32345 total posts
Name:
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
Posted by MrsERod
Posted by evnme
on a side note, did u see that political satire cartoon about the stimulus plan and people are calling it racist?
honestly!
that "satirical" (and i used that term loosely) cartoon, IMO, was completely racist!!!!! I don't see how referring to Obama as a chimpanzee is NOT racist, to say the very least.
it was explained by the NY Post as a dig at Washington overall, not just Obama.
but I do find it a little ironic that people referred to Bush as a chimp for 8 years and no one thought that was wrong.
Message edited 2/18/2009 9:57:36 PM.
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| Posted 2/18/09 9:57 PM |
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evnme
My little lamb
Member since 8/05 12633 total posts
Name:
aka momma2b
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
Posted by SweetestOfPeas
Posted by MrsERod
Posted by evnme
on a side note, did u see that political satire cartoon about the stimulus plan and people are calling it racist?
honestly!
that "satirical" (and i used that term loosely) cartoon, IMO, was completely racist!!!!! I don't see how referring to Obama as a chimpanzee is NOT racist, to say the very least.
it was explained by the NY Post as a dig at Washington overall, not just Obama.
but I do find it a little ironic that people referred to Bush as a chimp for 8 years and no one thought that was wrong.
seriously!!
they were not referring to obama as the monkey-- they were referring to his policies that he and his democrats are implementing.
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| Posted 2/18/09 11:28 PM |
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Shelly
She's 7!!!
Member since 8/05 14624 total posts
Name:
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
In interpreted it the same way. I don't think Obama personally wrote the sitmulus bill- so I don't think that the cartoon was directed at him personally. I think they were calling those who did (Democrats) a bunch of chimps.
Message edited 2/19/2009 10:41:11 AM.
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| Posted 2/19/09 7:53 AM |
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Shelly
She's 7!!!
Member since 8/05 14624 total posts
Name:
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
You know, the more I think of it- the more I think the AG is right. We can't have a frank discussion about racist, because everyone is terrified about being called a racist. The fact that the Post Cartoon in itself is newsworthy, with so much "outrage" shows me two things:
(1) Race is WAY to sensitive a topic that we can't even discuss it civally and
(2) the fact that people would see the chimp and automatically think "Obama" shows me how much racism there truly is in this country.  I just thought it was a dig at dumb politicians as a whole- not a racial comment.
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| Posted 2/19/09 10:40 AM |
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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
his entire speech was broadcasted in all DOJ offices.
I think he is absolutely right.
and the whole hullabaloo over the Post satire proves his point.
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| Posted 2/19/09 10:42 AM |
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DandN
Twins are here!
Member since 3/06 3597 total posts
Name:
Deirdre
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
For centuries there have been cartoons comparing blacks to monkeys and chimpanzees. And they are all racist.
This one is no different.
They can say it's against his policies - but in my opinion there is no getting around the fact that the cartoon says that Obama is a monkey.
I agree with the AG that there needs to be a more frank conversation about race - but then I'd also say that the Washington Post needs to admit that their cartoon is out of line.
Message edited 2/19/2009 10:49:15 AM.
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| Posted 2/19/09 10:47 AM |
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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
Posted by DandN
For centuries there have been cartoons comparing blacks to monkeys and chimpanzees. And they are all racist.
This one is no different.
They can say it's against his policies - but in my opinion there is no getting around the fact that the cartoon says that Obama is a monkey.
I agree with the AG that there needs to be a more frank conversation about race - but then I'd also say that the Washington Post needs to admit that their cartoon is out of line.
but the monkey wasn't OBAMA...it was the writers of the STimulus.
that's why to me it's not inherently racist.
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| Posted 2/19/09 10:51 AM |
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
I agree with him. I've heard a few people say, "Well, he is half white" in reference to Obama. 
However, I think class is very closely related to race, and we also don't talk about that either. In my job we hear so much about "children of color" (I'm in the South Bronx) but the reality is, it's "children of poverty" and no one wants to say it.
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| Posted 2/19/09 10:59 AM |
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DandN
Twins are here!
Member since 3/06 3597 total posts
Name:
Deirdre
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
Posted by Ophelia
Posted by DandN
For centuries there have been cartoons comparing blacks to monkeys and chimpanzees. And they are all racist.
This one is no different.
They can say it's against his policies - but in my opinion there is no getting around the fact that the cartoon says that Obama is a monkey.
I agree with the AG that there needs to be a more frank conversation about race - but then I'd also say that the Washington Post needs to admit that their cartoon is out of line.
but the monkey wasn't OBAMA...it was the writers of the STimulus.
that's why to me it's not inherently racist.
But the stimulus plan is the defining piece of legislation (thus far) for the Obama adminstration. He made it the centerpiece of his campaign. While he didnt write it - he is seen as the architect of this plan. Bush didnt draft the Iraq War Resolution - but it's seen as his war.
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| Posted 2/19/09 10:59 AM |
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Shelly
She's 7!!!
Member since 8/05 14624 total posts
Name:
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Re: Attorney General calls America 'a nation of cowards' on race
Posted by DandN
But the stimulus plan is the defining piece of legislation (thus far) for the Obama adminstration. He made it the centerpiece of his campaign. While he didnt write it - he is seen as the architect of this plan. Bush didnt draft the Iraq War Resolution - but it's seen as his war.
But the cartoon is a jab at the WRITERS of the stimulus plan and while I do think it includes Obama as the architect of the plan, its not a jab at just him but at all those involved in it.
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| Posted 2/19/09 11:13 AM |
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