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Subscribe to RSSAfter coming under fire yesterday for his remarks about the civil rights movement, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has issued a statement to clarify his recollections of "Citizens Council" groups and segregation in the South.
Barbour said that the council groups were "indefensible" and called segregation "a difficult and painful era for Mississippi."
Here's Barbour's full statement:
“When asked why my hometown in Mississippi did not suffer the same racial violence when I was a young man that accompanied other towns’ integration efforts, I accurately said the community leadership wouldn’t tolerate it and helped prevent violence there. My point was my town rejected the Ku Klux Klan, but nobody should construe that to mean I think the town leadership were saints, either. Their vehicle, called the ‘Citizens Council,’ is totally indefensible, as is segregation. It was a difficult and painful era for Mississippi, the rest of the country, and especially African Americans who were persecuted in that time.”
In the article in the Weekly Standard released yesterday, Barbour described a distinction in his hometown between the "Citizens Council" organization and the Klu Klux Klan. "Where I come from it was an organization of town leaders," he said. "In Yazoo City they passed a resolution that said anybody who started a chapter of the Klan would get their ass run out of town. If you had a job, you’d lose it. If you had a store, they’d see nobody shopped there. We didn’t have a problem with the Klan in Yazoo City.”
Speaking about the height of the civil rights movement in the piece, Barbour said, "I just don’t remember it as being that bad."
The comments drew skewering from historians, who noted that the Citizens Councils were anti-integration entities founded in opposition to the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.
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Thank you, Haley Barbour, for exposing the racist element of the Republican Party... obvious now to even the most casual observer.
Thank you Joe Biden for exposing the racist elements of the Democrat party.
What one person says or does should not define the entire party...either one.
The KKK were despicable right? So why do we have to see the same ilk in the Black Panthers? Racism is racism.. ban them all.
common senz
The KKK were despicable right? So why do we have to see the same ilk in the Black Panthers? Racism is racism.. ban them all
Look, first of all i never heard of the black panther party riding at night with hoods trying to intimidate, toutour, and kill people. you post tell me that you have never been south of the mason Dixon line, the Klan is a secret origination formedto Keep certain people down. the new black panther party has nut jobs granted but to compare them to the KKK is stupid. Just plain stupid,
If your from the north, white or black, you are the Emery to the klan, they would lynch you because you are to them a northers liberal trouble maker, the klan attacked priest, Jews, northern whites. the klan is to me is comparedto the Nazi, they are all about white supremacy, the new black panthers are got there fame in 2008 when they stood out side a polling place in a black hood, making sure blacks were not truned away from voting. so please show us you have some since.
remember, if your cathloic, jewish, liberal, northern, white or black, the klan would lynch you just as quick as me. don't mention any group, in the same voice as the klan. the new black panthers stupid as they are, don't have the history the klan does.
Jeff- I completely disagree with your post. There are all kinds of racist blacks out there and many belong to the NBPP, its common knowledge. Racism has done a 180.
I'll roger that!
common senz
Jeff- I completely disagree with your post. There are all kinds of racist blacks out there and many belong to the NBPP, its common knowledge. Racism has done a 180.
well Common i will tell you this, it takes a racist to make another man a racist. you want to talk about black racist, well if whites had not taken 11 million of my people from there home land, sold them as property, denyed them the rights to read, be educated, vote, at the same time telling them to serve a country that has seperate but equal, my friend there will be reverse racism as a result of this.
Don't give me this well there are black racist, believe me my both my grandfathers were racist, they hated whites with a passion, not because they felt superior, but bacause if you kick a man enough, if you spit at a man enough, if you murder a black man because he is black, well yes you will have a black racist, but not for the same reason whites are racist. whites are racist for the same reason, they took my people from there home land inslaved them because they though they were superior.
if whites had left us where we were 400 years ago, believe me there would not be one black racist in america, the black that are racist learned from the best, WHITE racist. Now you want people who for generation have heard nothing but bad thing whites have done to there grand fathers and grand mothers to just forget and forgive, well go jump. black racist is a direct result of white racist.
Jeff- Then your telling me what I already know, there are many blacks that are more racist than whites. Now what do you suppose todays young will garner from this fact? Do you really think any whites take any form of blame whatsoever in the fact that some blacks were once slaves in this country hundreds of years ago? You do understand that every race has been victim to slavery dont you? and that there were many, many people selling races to include blacks to slave ships that were bound for all points around the globe, to include the US where some wound up... now who do you blame for that? The blacks who sold the slaves into slavery? do you really think there were only slaves in the US? You need to crack a book and read about slavery, the facts actually and not the hopped up "woe is me" blind rhetoric that emanates from a few US historical revisionists.. I am afraid some of your people have to get that chip off their shoulder and dig down deep and figure out a way to inspire the black community, just check out your crime stats, your gang activity, your poverty levels and educational statistics.. no one has done this to your race but yourselves.. As a race you have been given every opportunity to succeed and have failed to do so on a large scale. And how do you improve your lot? as a family unit the race is completely broken, dismantled... how many fathers are out there in the black community? how many single Moms? one in 10? one in 20? have fathers? Like 70% to 80% fatherless? Is this also something to be blamed on white society? dont you see Jeff? So long as an entire race of people fails to help themselves how can expect anyone else to help them? America has given the black race everything it has, so now what? What does America get in return? like an ROI? Also, when is the finger pointing going to stop being directed at the white race? Who has done nothing at all to warrant it?
No what I'm telling you is that based upon past thing done to MY GRAND PARENTS and before, there are alot of black of past generations who have very bitter feeling toward whites, just because civil right laws were passed does not stop the hatred my forfathers felt about whites. No, not many black are more raicst, some are, and as we get further from jim crow that number goes down. how would you feel if you had to indore the injustices of jim crow, but you can't identify with that just like i can't.
Now, for my self, i have nothing against whites, whites today have nothing to do with what there forfathers have done, my point is that black learned racism from whites and what was done to them, i will give you a example, my father was raised in McComb MS. his experinces with whites back during jim crow laws shaped why he hated whites. i can't justify those same feeling because i did not experince what he did.
Yes africans were sold in to american slavers by other africans, wars between african nations have been going on for thousand of years, as we see what happened in rawonda less than 15 years ago.
Now i can't speak for every black out there, my fathers parents came to chicago for a better way of life, and thank god i have achieved a better life than they had, and i passed that on to my kids, every generation should achieve a live than generations before. my father had 1 brother to finish college out of 9 brothers and sisters, today that next generation, my generation has done alot better.
Some black kids now are weak, selfish, and that shows with the drug dealing and gang banging, it makes me sick to see kids give up on having a better life with out trying. my mother never wanted a hand out, she wanted a hand up, its not up to the government to give, its up to the government to set policys that makes it possible to achieve. my uncle tried to get on the chicago police force for years, but they did not hire black cops, when the affirmative action programs came in, he used that to achieve his dream of being a police officer, he retired 6 years ago. see what i'm saying, and affirmative action would not have been needed if there was a even playing field in the first place. right!!!!
I can't speak for the fatherless kids and the single mothers homes, i lost my dad when i was 9 years old, but that did not stop me from being the best father i could, it made me a better father, i gave me kids what i missed, i lived my life throught me kids because i lost my dad at a early ago. not all at the same as me. 3 of my 4 kids have finished college and my youngest is in his second year.
I think you missed my main point and that is older black do have ill feeling toward whites and for good reason. right. that all i was trying to say, you make it seem as if i'm saying that all black today born 30 years ago feels the same way, they don't. i hope i did not hit a nerve with my post, that was not my intent, my intent was to show you that older generations who had to live though the racist of jim crow have good reason to have hatred feeling toward whites, feeling i can't identify with.
Hey common, have a merry christmas
Jeff-
Thanks for your post, it does clear up some details.. I guess you and i wont be solving world hunger or racism today, but we will work on it. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Yes, his is the face of the GOP.
He sure is along with CrybabyBoner.
Did you know that Mississippi in 1918 took less than 15 minutes to become first state to ratify the 18th Amendment also known as Prohibition? Did you know that Mississippi finally got around to ratifying the 13th Amendment in 1995? The 13th Amendment was the abolishment of slavery. It was the last state to do so. It's Mississippi, it's not an excuse, it's who they are.
Very little racism exists in this country if we really want to get into this topic, its the minorities (whom by the way are treated better than any other on the planet) that are racist and its the minorities that turn every issue into a racial one (such as this).. Do minorities really feel that "white" America listens? after all these years dont they understand that its just gotten old? Stop crying, whining and complaining about everything and get out and do something constructive with yourself and your family. Try to live in peace and harmony and cease blaming everyone else for your problems. Clean up your schools, your neighborhoods and your communities, dont ask others to clean up your mess, get out there and clean it up yourself. White America gave you opportunity so run with it.
Much ado about nothing. Read his original statements in the NPR article. He clearly describes Yazoo City's civic leaders as intolerant of racism. So if his recollection of his youth is based on those policies, of course it wouldn't seem too bad. Very similar to Ventura, CA in the 60's. Not much civil unrest there, either. Does that make me a racist simply because I did not experience civil unrest personally?
One recollection of civil unrest in the 60's was the fight against civil rights put up by Gov. Wallace of Alabama: a Democrat. The one politician in Yazoo City mentioned in the original NPR article who was a segragationist: Eastland(?), a Democrat. Enough already about Republicans being the party of hate and discrimination. Democrats led the way in slowing down civil rights for African-Americans. No party can claim the high road.
Read beyond the NPR article - or, better yet, follow the links VenturaNative. The "civic leaders" of Yazoo were bigots; maybe not violent bigots, but bigots nonetheless. Barbour is either delusional or a slimebag.
Here, I'll save you some of ther trouble:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-12-20/haley-barbours-praise-of-citizen-councils-stirs-debate-about-racism/full/
The article you linked is the usual "opinion" piece I would expect from the liberal media. Your comments as well about Barbour are the typical name-calling liberals are known for. When the facts don't line up, throw out "racist", "slimeball" or any other derogatory term to make your nonsensical point. Example from the article:
Citizen Councils, a group whose actions were just as repressive as the Klan's: From Article Intro
Citizens Councils—“an organization of town leaders”—for keeping the peace and keeping out the KKK: Description of Yazoo City Citizens Council. Apparently all Citizens Councils are not created equal, but we can ignore that fact, can't we?
Writer Andrew Ferguson takes Barbour at his word, arguing that if Barbour’s segregationist roots... What evidence does Ferguson present to support the assertion that Barbour is a segregationist? None that I could find, but it was a nice label to apply.
Barbour reports that when Martin Luther King spoke at the Yazoo County fairground in 1962, blacks and whites alike went to see him, though Barbour remained in his car on the rally’s outskirts, which suggests that he was there for reasons other than solidarity. If you read the article, you'll notice the Daily Beast conveniently ignored Barbour's stated reason for being at the speech: to check out the girls. Pretty much your typical teenager. No malice towards King, although the creative writing of Daily Beast would suggest otherwise.
I could go on, but you get my point. Well, maybe you don't, since I'm pretty sure your mind is already made up based simply on the "R" after Barbour's name.
Ooohhh... you're a feisty one! That was a quick ad hominem. I could care less about consonant behind his name. Neither party is mine. Not the jackass or the elephant. Thank you, though, for clarifying your undying party affiliation.
So, now that you've hen-pecked the choice paragraphs for your outrage, care to "debunk" the rest of the article? You can start with the excerpt from John Dittmer's book. I'll refresh your memory:
I'm all excited in my tummy as I await your (assuredly academic and unbiased) response!
Haven't been called feisty in a while. I'm impressed that your response avoided the usual derogatory adjectives and stuck to facts, at least as presented in the article.
I'll give you the quote by Dittmer, and take it at face value. My comments were primarily based on the original article and the media response. I failed to read the additional references in the article, so my mistake there, but limited my discussion to Barbour's original comments, not those in follow up articles, as I have no way of knowing the validity of those, nor Barbour's association with the elder citizens of his community as he was growing up.
My point was that what he said about his recollections of his youth were not racist, but were made to sound that way based on the entire historical perspective of the 60's. Barbour wasn't commenting on the overall impact of the 60's, just his personal experiences growing up in Yazoo City. It was an honest evaluation of his childhood, not his perspective of the civil rights movement as a whole. Did I misread his comments? Maybe, maybe not. But nothing in the original article that sparked all the uproar sounded the least bit racist to me. But maybe I'm ignorant, being a white guy from California.
At least this discussion has gone beyond the knee-jerk reaction of most other posts here. Perhaps we'll learn more about Barbour in the future. What I find ironic is that any attempt to find out about Obama's past was labeled "racism" based on fear and white-fright. (And no, I don't think he was born in Kenya) But attempts to find out all the ugly details of Barbour's past is "good journalism". I may lean right, but all I'd really like to see is a level playing field, and less angry diatribes from both extremes. Just give me facts, not third-party character assassinations based on political idealogy. That goes for the far right as well.
Have a great day, and a Merry Christmas, YouJust. Back to work.
Ad homenim serves to benefit neither of us :) There's plenty of jackassery in this vine and I didn't see the need to pull the both of us down. Thankfully, you felt the same way.
My take on the whole shabang: Barbour is either willfully ignorant of Yazoo City's Citizen Council's position (and, arguably, the town's community and business leaders' position in regards to desegregation and civil rights in general) or purposefully rewritting his personal history and recollection of the atmosphere "down there." Either or, the guy is sketchy.
Merry Christmas and God Bless to you, VenturaNative.
I graduated from high school in New Orleans (which was then and is now 60% black) in 1962. There were 562 people in my graduation class, not one of them black. I then went to LSU, which had 18,000 students, not one of them black. "Whites Only" signs were everywhere, but I really didn't notice all this because I was a privileged white person. It took me until mid-way through college to wake up and look around. A young woman on my dorm floor was the daughter of a white Birmingham minister who was a civil rights supporter. She left in the middle of the semester because crosses were being burned on their lawn.
I can understand Barbour not noticing how bad things were when he was a kid, but looking back on it fondly? How can that be justified?
We get it already. Bad whitey, bad, bad bad. Shame on whitey, yada, yada, yada. Back in the day, back when I was a kid, 200 years ago, blah, blah, blah.. come on.. are we really still that sensitive to something that happened hundreds of years ago? By percentages aren't all races treated more than equally in the US? (they certainly are).. actually is there not massive political correctness brought on by all the hand wringing and whole sale favoritism given minorities? if you cant see that you need to get some glasses or pull your head out of the sand.
And you need to pull your's out of your anal canal!
rattus... And why is that? because I dont bend over and kiss another races ass? Because I refuse to hold other races accountable for actions caused over 200 years ago? Everyone is to blame for the black races failures in life? tell me, why? We all fail but we dont blame it on anyone else, yet anytime anyone says "boo" all the race baiters are all over it.. why is that? what is it that they want? that every white person give them their car keys, their first born and the key to their house? Shall we all walk out into the street and say we are sorry for what happened to your far off distant ancestors hundreds of years ago because they were sold into slavery? maybe sing a song? What is it? And who will help all those whites whose ancestors were indentured servants (slaves), etc? shall we apologize to the Italians because they were hated when they got here? the Polish? the Germans? I guess we all just line up and tell each other we are sorry about our ancestors?
common senz angry!
common senz type fast!
common senz race envy showing!
common senz needs to take a step back, take a deep breath, see the bigger picture and quit sterotyping. You're giving us levelheaded white folk a bad image.
Uh what? Anyway.. Merry christmas. Some of you just dont understand I guess.
Barbour and Mcconnell can now go back to their respective states ,don their white robes and DUNCE HOODS go around looking for African American Santa Clauses and beat them with sticks or throw Rocks at them. Unfortunately Another of their [ILK] Demint of South Carolina can't wear his robe because it doesn't go well with the Turban he now has to wear due to his state's New Governor whose background comes from India. Hopefully this is close to the end of these idiots frm the Bible Belt who preach from the Bible about love and compassion then persue their inbred hate for anyone that is not Lily White. 2012 should put them in the back of the Bus or standing up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barbour is a proud, good ol' boy racist. No lipstick on that pig is gonna save his red neck! Get real. Same for McConnell, Rand Paul & his father, Boehner, Demint, Kyl, Palin, Faux News, Pills Limbaugh and the rest of the wingnut nation! Bury all those 19th century b*sturds.
Haley Barbour, Mitch McConnell, Drugster Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, the KKK, and Crybaby Boehner are typical faces of the Republican Party. Screw all of them.
I can't believe this racist tub-o-lard actually thinks he could be president.