After a week of pressure, Alabama Republican Senator and former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville reluctantly told a reporter late yesterday that “White nationalists are racists.” Tuberville had insisted in a series of interviews that white nationalists weren’t racist, they were instead just plain old “Americans.” Tuberville claimed his comments had been misinterpreted after telling an Alabama radio station in May that “Democrats portray all Trump people as white nationalists. There’s a lot of good people that are Trump supporters that for some reason my Democratic colleagues want to portray as white nationalists.
I've met too many people in my few years living in the South, and elsewhere, who will deny being racist because they don't burn crosses or use the N-word in polite company. They are the heirs of the "genteel" bigots - the lawyers and businessmen and land owners who set up the segregation system in the South. But they weren't racists... not like those low class rednecks....
Yeah, chickenpox isn't shingles - but it's the same virus.
Still waiting for America to become civilized. Then again, any people who claim a fence makes for a good neighbor and guns makes for a polite society, have a way to go. A long way, indeed.
Hint: Begin by having America's children listen to, read and understand Aesop's Fables before subjecting them to the incest, misogyny, racism, human sacrifice, stonings, beheadings, slaughters, massacres of innocent animals (Genesis), use of biological weaponry, and other celebrated violence of the Abrahamic holy books. If you must, then in their stead, teach them the 8Beatitudes and 2Pslams of choice. Followed by learning the word peace in 10tongues.
Children love the challenge of noodling through to the morale of a story. Don't understand those who claim little ones are not ready to engage in what is commonly known as critical thinking when the same set claims the keystone to hooman learning/intellect is between the ages of 0-5.
The other aspect of so many so-called fables is they take place outside in nature and with the living world as the prime subject matter. There is no greater education than Nature (under any name) due to the appeal of all the hooman senses and how they work in combination with another. Paves the way to intellectual curiosity and rigor, critical and creative thinking. That can and often does results in an interdisciplinarian.
Only rather recently have institutions of all sorts strive to include interdisciplinarians in key decision or policy making. Much credit needs to go to then Senator John Kerry and President Obama for instinctively knowing the world appears (emphasis appears) as is until one sees the possibilities of rearrangement of the very same elements (aka kaleidoscope).That's a fuqalot different than seeing it as one wants it to be while ignoring what is.
Don't be so sure the racism will get him booted, more likely to get booted for holding up the military promotions as long as the voter's of Ally-Bammy don't find out he was doing it to protect all those unborned childrens of those uppity wimmin in this man's army.
There’s also the suspicion that an effect of keeping military positions open would be to make them available for a re-elected Trump to fill with “his” people, or to have vacancies of command if he attempts another coup.
Given that we know Grand Wizard of the Klan Tuberville is a Trump sycophant, that's entirely plausible. Time for Schumer to play hardball. Keep the Senate in session 24/7, make Tubes or one of his co-conspirators object to repeated unanimous consent motions. Then use their objections as cudgels in the 2024 election.
I am a big fan of SEC football, and used to root for Tuberville's Auburn team to beat Alabama in the great Iron Bowl rivalry. Since becoming senator, I'm astounded that someone so racist and ignorant could coach black-majority football teams. He learned nothing from his players, which is as important for a football coach as it is for players to learn from him.
I'm a "yankee" and I have a relative in the south, with a long family history in the south, a respected member of her community. She once spoke of an uncle or cousin of hers who was a member of the KKK. When she noticed my eyebrows shot up about a foot over my head she said, oh, well, he was one of the good ones. Now hanging my head I said when someone belongs to the KKK they subscribe to racist beliefs and there is no "good" member of the KKK.
Racist beliefs are deeply embedded in the culture of the South. I've seen it personally in my years in the U.S. Navy and in my business career.
BTW, my upbringing in New England was not without its racist moments. Only a difference in degree.
I'd say a BIG difference in degree! Systematic Jim Crow, attack dogs and fire hoses in New England?-- no. But the shrieking, foaming racists in Boston opposing school integration must have warmed many a racist Southern heart.
J. Anthony Lukas's 1985 classic _Common Ground,_ about the school integration crisis in Boston, is still worth reading. More than racism was involved. Having grown up in the Boston area while that was going on, I can't totally dismiss the image of that affluent white judge in suburban Wellesley telling less-affluent white Boston residents, many of them Irish or Italian in background, what to do. There's a history there. It's worth knowing.
I am originally from the South, little town USA in North Carolina. Baptist churches on every single corner of the town. Raised by Holocaust victims in this factory working town who owned a clothing store. Those were the days of wrapping the boxes of shoes in store wrapping paper, manual cash registers, Beatles clothing, culottes for women, lingerie, etc. It was also a time that desegregation was taking place. Black kids were being bussed to white schools because God forbid white kids leave their comfort zone! We had very few incidences at our school, believe it or not but there was definitely prejudice and racism. In fact, one evening while returning home from our temple, we had to go around a large circle to go home. In the middle of that circle were about 8-10 men who were dressed in white robes and hoods...the KKK. I was about 15 years old and was astonished and scared. It was very intimidating. Nothing more happened but I was afraid to sleep for many nights afterward. So can you imagine how blacks felt when they had somebody nasty like George Wallace blocking doorways to schools so that kids could rightfully attend? Lucian didn’t tell you that Wallace got shot by a mentally ill young white man in 1972, causing Wallace to be paralyzed from the waist down. Wallace softened his stance about segregation after this happened.
I know many Southern whites who are decent, liberal Democrats suffering in deep red states that they will not forsake due to family and friend and work ties, and most of them grew up around black people and have lived among black coworkers and neighbors; they have a deep affection for their shared cultural ties and awareness of the bloody history of the region and they have spent much of their lives being appalled at the darkness that is also so inescapable in Dixie. They do spend a lot of time apologizing and feeling marginalized and guilty by association. Northerners should be mindful to spare a thought for these folks and remember that they are hostages to their surroundings and petty tyrants same as we all can be.
Agreed, Kosmo! When we see lopsided election results come in for those states we should have a thought for all the righteous voters who are at the mercy of so many low-information or worse neighbors.
It's amazing so many people still turn out at all to vote in elections when they know they're voting for candidates pretty well destined to lose anyway. It's a futile gesture I'm all too familiar with after decades of living and voting in Austin.
Of course, disgruntled Republican voters in deep blue states can say the same thing...
Yes, I live in a mostly red area of blue NJ. I often feel like I am pissing up a rope, but I vote for the Ds anyway, even tho they lose 4-1 and 5-1 ( altho the gap is a little narrower of late)
Remember the performative Wallace in real time. (When he visited Philly my not yet husband was assigned to him as security when he arrived). Given the upheaval following MLKs murder that was no small thing. When I first learned about his attempted assignation (over teletype before 24 hour news was a thing) he gleaned little to no sympathy. His come to Jesus moments might have been more redemptive had he not been so blatant a racist. Tuberville will always be a racist and he fools no one.
Exactly! Racist is as racist does, no matter how much he tries to spin it. I spent 3 weeks in Alabama in 1969. It was eye opening to this NYC kid, that the people about whom I had read, really did exist. Obviously, still do!
Tommy T embodied everything that's wrong with college football, and now he's moved on go politics to do the same. As a coach he exploited his black players, had the lowest graduation rates in the SEC, and abandoned multiple teams when a better offer came along. He got rich gaming the system and now is emboldened to inflict his racist views on the rest of us. I'm guessing this Court will protect his deeply held religious beliefs supporting white nationalism.
They should all have to pass the citizenship test prospective citizens have to pass to be naturalized . Preferably publicly because otherwise they'd cheat by asking staffers to do it. That would cut down on the number of idiot Congress members nicely.
What does it say about a segment of our country that votes for the likes of Tommy Teletubby and Marjorie Trailerpark Greene. Not to mentioned Republican “leadership” that says nothing. I still have hope although it becomes more difficult as time passes.
Back in 2016 when I told my MAGAt neighbor that I thought future defendant trump was a racist he leapt to his defense by showing me a photo of FDT and Muhammad Ali standing next to each other. How could he be a racist if he was in a picture with The Greatest?
And while this may indeed be a "joke" I assure my neighbor was not kidding......
I've met too many people in my few years living in the South, and elsewhere, who will deny being racist because they don't burn crosses or use the N-word in polite company. They are the heirs of the "genteel" bigots - the lawyers and businessmen and land owners who set up the segregation system in the South. But they weren't racists... not like those low class rednecks....
Yeah, chickenpox isn't shingles - but it's the same virus.
Point well-taken indeed, Hugh. (… Edited!)
Thanks. Corrected.
Still waiting for America to become civilized. Then again, any people who claim a fence makes for a good neighbor and guns makes for a polite society, have a way to go. A long way, indeed.
Hint: Begin by having America's children listen to, read and understand Aesop's Fables before subjecting them to the incest, misogyny, racism, human sacrifice, stonings, beheadings, slaughters, massacres of innocent animals (Genesis), use of biological weaponry, and other celebrated violence of the Abrahamic holy books. If you must, then in their stead, teach them the 8Beatitudes and 2Pslams of choice. Followed by learning the word peace in 10tongues.
Signed: the thread's resident merciless savage.
Well said, ~Shadowcloud~. Didn't any of those people meet "Ferdinand the Bull" while growing up? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Ferdinand
Flowers for Ferdinand. Great share, difny.
Children love the challenge of noodling through to the morale of a story. Don't understand those who claim little ones are not ready to engage in what is commonly known as critical thinking when the same set claims the keystone to hooman learning/intellect is between the ages of 0-5.
The other aspect of so many so-called fables is they take place outside in nature and with the living world as the prime subject matter. There is no greater education than Nature (under any name) due to the appeal of all the hooman senses and how they work in combination with another. Paves the way to intellectual curiosity and rigor, critical and creative thinking. That can and often does results in an interdisciplinarian.
Only rather recently have institutions of all sorts strive to include interdisciplinarians in key decision or policy making. Much credit needs to go to then Senator John Kerry and President Obama for instinctively knowing the world appears (emphasis appears) as is until one sees the possibilities of rearrangement of the very same elements (aka kaleidoscope).That's a fuqalot different than seeing it as one wants it to be while ignoring what is.
Don't be so sure the racism will get him booted, more likely to get booted for holding up the military promotions as long as the voter's of Ally-Bammy don't find out he was doing it to protect all those unborned childrens of those uppity wimmin in this man's army.
There’s also the suspicion that an effect of keeping military positions open would be to make them available for a re-elected Trump to fill with “his” people, or to have vacancies of command if he attempts another coup.
Given that we know Grand Wizard of the Klan Tuberville is a Trump sycophant, that's entirely plausible. Time for Schumer to play hardball. Keep the Senate in session 24/7, make Tubes or one of his co-conspirators object to repeated unanimous consent motions. Then use their objections as cudgels in the 2024 election.
Schumer is smart but very soft-spoken. I like him but I would like to see Amy Klobuchar as Speaker of the Senate.
that actually seems pretty plausible. but does TFF actually KNOW anybody in the military?
I suppose it doesn't really matter, since plenty of people could give him "advice."
thinking about a second term for TFF feels like a thought experiment that could lead to madness. for me, at any rate.
I am a big fan of SEC football, and used to root for Tuberville's Auburn team to beat Alabama in the great Iron Bowl rivalry. Since becoming senator, I'm astounded that someone so racist and ignorant could coach black-majority football teams. He learned nothing from his players, which is as important for a football coach as it is for players to learn from him.
I'm a "yankee" and I have a relative in the south, with a long family history in the south, a respected member of her community. She once spoke of an uncle or cousin of hers who was a member of the KKK. When she noticed my eyebrows shot up about a foot over my head she said, oh, well, he was one of the good ones. Now hanging my head I said when someone belongs to the KKK they subscribe to racist beliefs and there is no "good" member of the KKK.
Racist beliefs are deeply embedded in the culture of the South. I've seen it personally in my years in the U.S. Navy and in my business career.
BTW, my upbringing in New England was not without its racist moments. Only a difference in degree.
I'd say a BIG difference in degree! Systematic Jim Crow, attack dogs and fire hoses in New England?-- no. But the shrieking, foaming racists in Boston opposing school integration must have warmed many a racist Southern heart.
J. Anthony Lukas's 1985 classic _Common Ground,_ about the school integration crisis in Boston, is still worth reading. More than racism was involved. Having grown up in the Boston area while that was going on, I can't totally dismiss the image of that affluent white judge in suburban Wellesley telling less-affluent white Boston residents, many of them Irish or Italian in background, what to do. There's a history there. It's worth knowing.
Yes, the Wellesley. judge was a classic NIMBY guy.
I am originally from the South, little town USA in North Carolina. Baptist churches on every single corner of the town. Raised by Holocaust victims in this factory working town who owned a clothing store. Those were the days of wrapping the boxes of shoes in store wrapping paper, manual cash registers, Beatles clothing, culottes for women, lingerie, etc. It was also a time that desegregation was taking place. Black kids were being bussed to white schools because God forbid white kids leave their comfort zone! We had very few incidences at our school, believe it or not but there was definitely prejudice and racism. In fact, one evening while returning home from our temple, we had to go around a large circle to go home. In the middle of that circle were about 8-10 men who were dressed in white robes and hoods...the KKK. I was about 15 years old and was astonished and scared. It was very intimidating. Nothing more happened but I was afraid to sleep for many nights afterward. So can you imagine how blacks felt when they had somebody nasty like George Wallace blocking doorways to schools so that kids could rightfully attend? Lucian didn’t tell you that Wallace got shot by a mentally ill young white man in 1972, causing Wallace to be paralyzed from the waist down. Wallace softened his stance about segregation after this happened.
Excellent comment, Marlene. Thanks for sharing.
Are the senators who haven’t and won’t condemn their colleague’s racism similarly complicit?
Yes. Silence is complicity.
I know many Southern whites who are decent, liberal Democrats suffering in deep red states that they will not forsake due to family and friend and work ties, and most of them grew up around black people and have lived among black coworkers and neighbors; they have a deep affection for their shared cultural ties and awareness of the bloody history of the region and they have spent much of their lives being appalled at the darkness that is also so inescapable in Dixie. They do spend a lot of time apologizing and feeling marginalized and guilty by association. Northerners should be mindful to spare a thought for these folks and remember that they are hostages to their surroundings and petty tyrants same as we all can be.
Agreed, Kosmo! When we see lopsided election results come in for those states we should have a thought for all the righteous voters who are at the mercy of so many low-information or worse neighbors.
It's amazing so many people still turn out at all to vote in elections when they know they're voting for candidates pretty well destined to lose anyway. It's a futile gesture I'm all too familiar with after decades of living and voting in Austin.
Of course, disgruntled Republican voters in deep blue states can say the same thing...
Yes, I live in a mostly red area of blue NJ. I often feel like I am pissing up a rope, but I vote for the Ds anyway, even tho they lose 4-1 and 5-1 ( altho the gap is a little narrower of late)
Remember the performative Wallace in real time. (When he visited Philly my not yet husband was assigned to him as security when he arrived). Given the upheaval following MLKs murder that was no small thing. When I first learned about his attempted assignation (over teletype before 24 hour news was a thing) he gleaned little to no sympathy. His come to Jesus moments might have been more redemptive had he not been so blatant a racist. Tuberville will always be a racist and he fools no one.
Exactly! Racist is as racist does, no matter how much he tries to spin it. I spent 3 weeks in Alabama in 1969. It was eye opening to this NYC kid, that the people about whom I had read, really did exist. Obviously, still do!
Tommy T embodied everything that's wrong with college football, and now he's moved on go politics to do the same. As a coach he exploited his black players, had the lowest graduation rates in the SEC, and abandoned multiple teams when a better offer came along. He got rich gaming the system and now is emboldened to inflict his racist views on the rest of us. I'm guessing this Court will protect his deeply held religious beliefs supporting white nationalism.
They should all have to pass the citizenship test prospective citizens have to pass to be naturalized . Preferably publicly because otherwise they'd cheat by asking staffers to do it. That would cut down on the number of idiot Congress members nicely.
What does it say about a segment of our country that votes for the likes of Tommy Teletubby and Marjorie Trailerpark Greene. Not to mentioned Republican “leadership” that says nothing. I still have hope although it becomes more difficult as time passes.
What it says about a segment of our country is that it consists of pieces of morally worthless human garbage!
The guy is an ignorant, arrogant, patriarchal fūkstik and all around total and complete PoS.
Back in 2016 when I told my MAGAt neighbor that I thought future defendant trump was a racist he leapt to his defense by showing me a photo of FDT and Muhammad Ali standing next to each other. How could he be a racist if he was in a picture with The Greatest?
And while this may indeed be a "joke" I assure my neighbor was not kidding......
Same experience. Was there in 1970 for several weird (to this nyc kid) months when my husband was sent to Ft. Rucker to train. Unforgettable.
Move all military bases out of maggot states.
Thank you for a hard-hitting piece today. Things sure have changed since the late George Wallace made his mea culpa.