Westmoreland Defends "Uppity" Obama Comment

LA Times:

Heretofore little-known Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia was born in 1950 in Atlanta and was raised in one of its surrounding communities.

Rep. Which means the Republican grew up at a time when the racial divide in the South was stark, a time when Jim Crow laws helped enforce a segregationist credo that limited opportunities for blacks, a time when -- as an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article puts it today -- "uppity" was "a word applied to African-Americans who tried to rise above servile positions."

But to hear Westmoreland tell it, he had no clue he was using a racially tinged word when, as reported by The Hill newspaper, he said in Washington this week: "Honestly, I've never paid that much attention to Michelle Obama. Just what little I've seen of her and Sen. [Barack] Obama, is that they're a member of an elitist class ... that thinks that they're uppity."

Read the whole story: LA Times

Comments

[kattie]

THE PARTY OF ABRAHAN LINCOLN HAVE BECOME THE PARTY OF JIM CROW, THAT SUCH A PITY

[bola47]

thank you la times. where is the rest of msm?

[babs101]

Feel free to tell Mr. Westmoreland exactly how you feel about his comment at:

westmoreland.orgd.org

[ajax2]

"Uppity" has been a Republican attack word for many years, (see Norquist, George Allen and others).

[elcojonu]

That's why I'll never live in the South; whatever change there's been it's cosmetic, they'll never REALLY change.

[jukesgrrl]

All racists talk to each other in code. That's how they think they can deny they are racists. For that matter, the term "community organizer," pronounced with a sneer the way Gov. Palin does it, is also code. It means "person who inspires black people to be uppity." They're smart enough to know they can't say such an accusation aloud, but they will repeat and repeat it, to get each other riled up. It's hideous and it goes on every day in America.

All I can say is, "Macaca."

[WoodyCPM]

He's a lying a**wipe.

[Lupin77]

In the last two months of the campaign it looks like the termites are coming out of the woodwork. Again, no discussion of issues just personal attacks as always.

[dwillisno1]

Thanks for the Im-personal attack calling me a termite.

[wisdom101]

You wonder why African Americans complain about white bigotry and when we (whites) are to the carpet about it or if blacks qoute us, we deny that it exist.

I wouldn't want to be eating at his dinning room table and talk about how the Uppity (N$%*s) are taking over the country;and how we whites must keep this nation pure.

This is the same guy that may go to church and sings : Amazing Grace. If he goes to heaven and find out his GOD or Lord whom he displayed the ten commandments for is s person of color, he probably wouldn't mind going to hell for that matter....­.Jesus a N***** OH, NO !!

[mexamerican]

colbert cleaned this clown's clock, re-playing the hilarious episode of meet your congressperson, the one where this fool westmoreland couldn't even recite the 10 commandments he was trying to get placed in every court room in the land.

[Bronx56]

Well, the good congressman's explanation that he is meerly ignorant, rather than an ignorant bigot, should certainly make his constiuents proud.....­.You just can't make this stuff up......

[booond]

He's either stupid or a racist; neither qualify him for offce but both qualify him as a Republican.

[wordvarc]

.

There is such a difference between elitist and accomplished. The Obama's are accomplished individuals. Barack graduated at the top of his Harvard Law school class.

w and McSame are elitist. Both went to college on legacy admissions and accomplished little in their education attempts. Both graduated at the bottom of their classes. w was unqualified for admission to Universty of Texas Business School but admitted to Yale Business School on a legacy exemption. w was unable to have a successful business despite his daddy's Mideast oil connections.

Both w and McSame are glad to imply that valuing education is elitist.
.

[bola47]

great post, thank you.

[JFaye]

As a person who loves God dearly, it is disturbing to watch the use of fear, class, race, gender, etc., play such an important role for the Republican party. How unpatriotic is it to polarize our country particularly as you shout U.S.A. and COUNTRY FIRST. If you truly believe "country first" and if you proudly wear your American Flay pins, then at minimal how dare anyone intentionally cause racial, gender or class divide and say you want to represent our country. This is wrong!

Historically, religion (especially American Christianity) resonates bigotry. Why Evangelicals willingly play into the mind games of greedy, opportunistic Republicans is a mystery. The hypocrisy is quite perplexing and reinforced on any given Sunday morning when for about 2.5 hours, there are at least two Americas.

How does any Christian proclaim to love God, believe in Jesus ... neither of whom anyone can say they have seen ... and exclaim "I just can't vote for a black man" is mind-boggling and contradictory to the very tenets of Christianity. For those who feel this way and chose to vote for a continuation of Mr. Bush's policies, imagine if God turned a deft ear to your complaints as conditions worsen without real change in Washington ... in our Country. For a change all you Westmorelands' ... let us unite and for a change, AMERICA BLESS GOD by demonstrating a willingness to move beyond bigotry and the resultant divisiveness of country.

[roshni]

If he can say uppity, can we say white trash?