On October 15, while hearing arguments on a Michigan voter initiative to ban affirmative action in college admissions, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dismissively stated that the 14th Amendment -- which was explicitly passed in the wake of the Civil War to establish citizenship and voting rights for former slaves -- doesn't protect "only the blacks."
Justice Scalia has a history of denigrating the rights of African Americans, including contemptuously describing the landmark civil rights legislation known as the Voting Rights Act as the “perpetuation of racial entitlement.” That remark occasioned audible gasps in the usually staid courtroom where Supreme Court oral arguments are held.
As a person of color, I find Scalia's latest comments offensive. His coded reference to “the blacks,” when put in context with his history of trying to legislate against people of color from the bench, is an ugly dog whistle with clear racial overtones. That's why I started my own campaign on CREDOMobilize.com, which allows activists to start their own petitions. My petition, which is to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, says the following:
Apologize for your racist, out-of-touch comments on the 14th Amendment. Ignoring the history of prejudice that led to the passage of the amendment to protect freed slaves after the Civil War, as well as the intense discrimination that still exists today, is offensive and disrespectful toward all Americans who believe in equality and especially to African Americans and other people of color.
After a long history of slavery and discrimination, in the wake of the Civil War the 14th Amendment was created in response to issues faced by former slaves and African Americans, particularly at the ballot box. Scalia's flippant remarks about the amendment disregard and disrespect the struggle of African Americans and other people of color to achieve equality in the United States -- a struggle that continues for us today.
To dismissively suggest that "the blacks" don't face institutionalized prejudice that necessitates protection at the ballot box, in the workplace, in housing, our judicial system and virtually every aspect of American life is incredibly hurtful and offensive.
Scalia has a history of ignoring the reality that racism continues to exist. If we ignore his comments -- some that are blatantly racist and others that may be coded, dog whistle politics that may sound reasonable to some groups but send a very clear signal of hostility to minorities -- they will gain credence in the rest of society, and be used to justify future discrimination. But if we speak out now and demand an apology, we can show that the discrimination and disregard he promotes will not be tolerated by civil society.
Will you join me and add your name to my petition telling U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to apologize for his offensive comments about African Americans and discrimination?: http://act.credoaction.com/go/2324?t=6&akid=9259.1811497.JcAGks
Thank you for your support.
Bridget Todd
1. "Supreme Court justices skeptical of affirmative-action arguments," Washington Post, 10/16/13: http://act.credoaction.com/go/2331?t=8&akid=9259.1811497.JcAGks
Friday, October 25, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Tea Party, racism & sedition
John Adams and his Federalist Party was hailed as an idol by Republicans during George W Bush's reign and during 2008 campaign. His elitist attitudes that deemed ordinary folk too ignorant and unimportant to be involved in government, especially in electing senators, fit right in with GOP ideology.
It would only be fitting, then, to use one of Adam's most imperial laws to punish the GOP and its Tea Party puppet masters: The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798.
The Sedition Act was devised to silence Republican criticism of the Federalists with broad proscription of spoken or written criticism of the government, the Congress, or the President. According to an Encarta item, the act made it a "criminal offense to print or publish fake, malicious, or scandalous statements against the US government, president, or Congress; to foster opposition to the lawful acts of Congress." I can't think of a better description of the Republicans' actions over the past few weeks. Hell, the last sentence covers the last 5 years and doesn't appear to be waning.
Self-promoting Sen. Ted Cruz and failed governor Sarah Palin exhibited these criminal acts in Washington DC while ursurping a veterans protest (and hypocritically condemning such co-option). An even more serious infraction was committed by the mis-named Freedom Watch's Larry Klayman who demanded President Obama " put down the Koran and come out with his hands up." Instead of condemning Klayman's seditious tirade, Cruz's statement answering pleas he denounce such dribble essentially supported it.
Birthers, racists, bigots, fundamentalist religious extremists, and economically ignorant ideologues have used seditious rhetoric throughout President Obama's term. Supposedly mainstream Republicans have been cowed by self-interest and a fetish for power into enabling and supporting the disgusting actions and verbiage (see: Rep. Joe Wilson and "you lie.")
Hatemongers love the First Amendment. It allows them to spread their abhorrent message freely as they simultaneously rant and rail against the US government, the Constitution, the overwhelming-majority-elected president, and civil rights for everyone else but themselves.
Even during his Senate statement announcing a deal to end the latest GOP-created crisis over the debt ceiling, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell couldn't help but repeat blatant falsehoods and disparaging remarks about "Obamacare," one of the "lawful acts of Congress."
Having an ideological agenda is natural, but when a rabidly radical project is pushed by a non-representative and bigoted minority who gets funding and support from powerful forces that ebables the minority to take control of our once Democratic Republic, reasonable people need to regain control. Republican voter suppression hasn't completely destroyed majority voting everywhere. Until the demented Tea Party loses its death grip on the GOP, sensible voters need to stymie their power grab by voting the Republican puppets out of office.
BTW...
The Alien and SeditiActs of 1798 were allowed to expire or were repealed by 1801. While I agree with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison that the Sedition Act essentially nullified constitutional free speech, it's proscriptions still certainly apply to the Republicans' malicious condemnation, racist slurs, and bigoted misinformation aimed at President Obama and the Affordable Care Act.
It would only be fitting, then, to use one of Adam's most imperial laws to punish the GOP and its Tea Party puppet masters: The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798.
The Sedition Act was devised to silence Republican criticism of the Federalists with broad proscription of spoken or written criticism of the government, the Congress, or the President. According to an Encarta item, the act made it a "criminal offense to print or publish fake, malicious, or scandalous statements against the US government, president, or Congress; to foster opposition to the lawful acts of Congress." I can't think of a better description of the Republicans' actions over the past few weeks. Hell, the last sentence covers the last 5 years and doesn't appear to be waning.
Self-promoting Sen. Ted Cruz and failed governor Sarah Palin exhibited these criminal acts in Washington DC while ursurping a veterans protest (and hypocritically condemning such co-option). An even more serious infraction was committed by the mis-named Freedom Watch's Larry Klayman who demanded President Obama " put down the Koran and come out with his hands up." Instead of condemning Klayman's seditious tirade, Cruz's statement answering pleas he denounce such dribble essentially supported it.
Birthers, racists, bigots, fundamentalist religious extremists, and economically ignorant ideologues have used seditious rhetoric throughout President Obama's term. Supposedly mainstream Republicans have been cowed by self-interest and a fetish for power into enabling and supporting the disgusting actions and verbiage (see: Rep. Joe Wilson and "you lie.")
Hatemongers love the First Amendment. It allows them to spread their abhorrent message freely as they simultaneously rant and rail against the US government, the Constitution, the overwhelming-majority-elected president, and civil rights for everyone else but themselves.
Even during his Senate statement announcing a deal to end the latest GOP-created crisis over the debt ceiling, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell couldn't help but repeat blatant falsehoods and disparaging remarks about "Obamacare," one of the "lawful acts of Congress."
Having an ideological agenda is natural, but when a rabidly radical project is pushed by a non-representative and bigoted minority who gets funding and support from powerful forces that ebables the minority to take control of our once Democratic Republic, reasonable people need to regain control. Republican voter suppression hasn't completely destroyed majority voting everywhere. Until the demented Tea Party loses its death grip on the GOP, sensible voters need to stymie their power grab by voting the Republican puppets out of office.
BTW...
The Alien and SeditiActs of 1798 were allowed to expire or were repealed by 1801. While I agree with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison that the Sedition Act essentially nullified constitutional free speech, it's proscriptions still certainly apply to the Republicans' malicious condemnation, racist slurs, and bigoted misinformation aimed at President Obama and the Affordable Care Act.
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