TBD on Ning
Is Jimmy Carter Right in Saying the South is Racist?
Former US President Jimmy Carter says much of the vitriol against President Barack Obama's health reforms and spending plans is "based on racism".
Mr Carter told a public meeting there was "an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president".
Republican lawmaker Joe Wilson was rebuked on Tuesday in a House vote.
He shouted "You lie!" while Mr Obama was delivering an address on healthcare to Congress last Wednesday.
The House resolution of disapproval described it as "a breach of decorum".
But Mr Wilson's eldest son, Alan, has denied racism was a factor in his father's outburst.
Some conservatives have accused the president's supporters of playing the race card.
'Abominable'
Angry town hall meetings and a recent taxpayers' demonstration in Washington have been vitriolic towards the president, reports the BBC's North America editor Mark Mardell.
Many have not just protested against the president's policies but have accused him of tyranny, and have promised to "reclaim America".
"Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national programme on healthcare," Mr Carter said at a public meeting at his Carter Center in Atlanta held prior to the Congress vote on Tuesday.
"It's deeper than that."
Responding to a question specifically on Mr Wilson's outburst, he said Mr Obama was the head of state as well as the head of government and - like heads of state elsewhere - he should be "treated with respect".
It was a "dastardly thing to do", he said.
His comments were rejected by Joe Wilson's son, Alan, an Iraq veteran who is running for state attorney general in Georgia.
"There is not a racist bone in my dad's body," he said.
"I guess we'll probably have folks putting on white hoods and white uniforms again and riding through the countryside intimidating people
Rep. Henry Johnson (Georgia)"
Apology
In Tuesday's vote, lawmakers voted 240-179 in favour of the resolution to censure Mr Wilson.
The move was backed by most Democrats, but dismissed by many Republicans as a distraction from more serious issues.
"My goodness, we could be doing this every day of the week," said Republican Minority Leader John Boehner.
But Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer insisted that Mr Wilson's outburst could not be ignored.
"At issue is whether we are able to proceed with a degree of civility and decorum that our rules and our democracy contemplate and require," he said.
Mr Wilson himself maintained that his personal apology to Mr Obama should have been enough to resolve the matter.
Mr Obama "graciously accepted my apology and the issue is over", he said.
Mr Wilson's remark came in response to a passage of Mr Obama's speech in which he asserted that his reforms "would not apply to those who are here illegally".
Under the terms of Mr Obama's reform package, undocumented immigrants would not be able to claim healthcare subsidies, but they also would not be explicitly barred from buying private insurance through the new health insurance exchanges.
Mr Carter told a public meeting there was "an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president".
Republican lawmaker Joe Wilson was rebuked on Tuesday in a House vote.
He shouted "You lie!" while Mr Obama was delivering an address on healthcare to Congress last Wednesday.
The House resolution of disapproval described it as "a breach of decorum".
But Mr Wilson's eldest son, Alan, has denied racism was a factor in his father's outburst.
Some conservatives have accused the president's supporters of playing the race card.
'Abominable'
Angry town hall meetings and a recent taxpayers' demonstration in Washington have been vitriolic towards the president, reports the BBC's North America editor Mark Mardell.
Many have not just protested against the president's policies but have accused him of tyranny, and have promised to "reclaim America".
"Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national programme on healthcare," Mr Carter said at a public meeting at his Carter Center in Atlanta held prior to the Congress vote on Tuesday.
"It's deeper than that."
Responding to a question specifically on Mr Wilson's outburst, he said Mr Obama was the head of state as well as the head of government and - like heads of state elsewhere - he should be "treated with respect".
It was a "dastardly thing to do", he said.
His comments were rejected by Joe Wilson's son, Alan, an Iraq veteran who is running for state attorney general in Georgia.
"There is not a racist bone in my dad's body," he said.
"I guess we'll probably have folks putting on white hoods and white uniforms again and riding through the countryside intimidating people
Rep. Henry Johnson (Georgia)"
Apology
In Tuesday's vote, lawmakers voted 240-179 in favour of the resolution to censure Mr Wilson.
The move was backed by most Democrats, but dismissed by many Republicans as a distraction from more serious issues.
"My goodness, we could be doing this every day of the week," said Republican Minority Leader John Boehner.
But Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer insisted that Mr Wilson's outburst could not be ignored.
"At issue is whether we are able to proceed with a degree of civility and decorum that our rules and our democracy contemplate and require," he said.
Mr Wilson himself maintained that his personal apology to Mr Obama should have been enough to resolve the matter.
Mr Obama "graciously accepted my apology and the issue is over", he said.
Mr Wilson's remark came in response to a passage of Mr Obama's speech in which he asserted that his reforms "would not apply to those who are here illegally".
Under the terms of Mr Obama's reform package, undocumented immigrants would not be able to claim healthcare subsidies, but they also would not be explicitly barred from buying private insurance through the new health insurance exchanges.
Tags: Jimmy Carter, obama, racism
Views: 12
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mark Mentzer on
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Yeah, the truth hurts doesn't it? The Repellicans are up in arms.
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Permalink Reply by Lana Adair on
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Its absolutely racist. I said it before Carter did. There is no other reason he is being criticized every which way he turns. I have to laugh at the fact that the very people criticizing him are the ones who let Bush do whatever and scowled at others disagreement or criticism as 'unpatriotic'. Lying about Weapons of Mass Destruction... where were the Joe Wilsons THEN?
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Permalink Reply by Nebs Jima on
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Joe Wilson? He was working for Thurmond, Strom, he couldn't believe his ex- dixicrate candidate couldn't have father a black child, he said when Thurmonds daghter came out, it is a tactic to destroy my bosses good name. No he is not racist, he just fought the confedrate flag to stay in the SC capitol. He is not racist he was making excuse for for wapons of mass distructions during the last administration, though he pointed out Obamas lie, where it is not in the bill to include undocumented immigrant in the health care system. Please don't look any further, look at the video how he is full of hate look while he screamed in the hall.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Del Regno on
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I was born in south Mississippi, and I know that Jimmy Carter knows what he's talking about. Conservatives are not so much overtly racists, but I'm convinced that because our President is black, they feel comfortable speaking to and about him differently than if he were white. Moron Wilson would never have done what he did, had the President been white.
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Permalink Reply by cynthia Hunter on
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Sorry folks, I just. Don't see it that way. I am not a racist I just don't like Obama because of his policies. If it was aout race he would never had made it as president,plain and simple.
Don't get me wrong I know racism exsits and some a very small group might have a problem with race. All in all it just has to do with the job he is doing.
By spending all this time on this no one is listening to the other. If everone would stop yelling and name calling we might get something done. -
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Cynthia, Can you give us some specifics about what he's done wrong in the short 9 months he's been in office?
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Permalink Reply by Vernon Windsor on
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fieGfc6DL7k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD3p_g2jXh8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vagD-4AH4Vc
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22887392#32868352
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22887392#32868012
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22887392#32868055
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22887392#32849465
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22887392#32904814
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22887392#32904775
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22887392#32885951
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtIYpBGlv1U -
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Thank you Vernon for digging up all these videos. We of fair mind know the truth.
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Vern I will go look at the you tube but as far as msnbc when they use the C word to describ a women I wont not only not listen to them I wouldnt believe them if they said the sky was falling.
Let me put it this way if we put something in a box and stare it and only it that is all you will see. You dont see what is outside of the box. This is what is going on,on all sides everyone is focus on one thing whether it is spending- health care-or as some here racism. All are important but by constantly fighting nothing is getting done. There has to be compromise.(except for racism its wrong) -
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Permalink Reply by Just-a-Writer on
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I'm interested in seeing Cynthia's response to Mark. Thanks Vernon.
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ne ignoring those who are concerned about how much money is being spent. Do you realize that if you spent a million dollars a day from the time Christ was born till today and keep on spending, you still won't have spent as much as Obama and this adminastration has.
The more they borrow the deeper we go into debt. Example say I have a credit card it has 3000 dollars on it I max it out get another one for 5000 dollars pay off the first then spend the other 2000. Now I am in debt of 5000 plus the interest,then I go out and get another card the cycle keeps going and gets bigger and bigger. How's that for a starter. -
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