Dear Sen. Tim Scott - If America Is Not a Racist Nation...

[thomhartmann]

We can’t solve our very real & serious issues if we don’t confront them, and it’s tragic that the GOP would use this national platform to once again deny America's most tragic reality.

President Joe Biden, last night, gave one of the best presidential speeches and policy proposals of my lifetime. It rivals Jack Kennedy in 1961, and, if passed, will undo much of the damage of the Reagan Revolution of the past 40 years.

In the Republican Party’s rebuttal, without seriously addressing even one single specific proposal of President Biden, Senator Tim Scott, the sole Black Republican in that body, instead went out of his way to promote the GOP idea that, in his words, “America is not a racist nation.”

This, of course, is the main GOP sales pitch for blocking and refusing to pass any kind of legislation that might make up for 400 years of violently racist economic, educational and policing policy in the United States.

It’s the rationale Republicans on the Supreme Court used to gut the Voting Rights Act in their Shelby County decision, which led to numerous Republican-controlled states passing racially-specific anti-voting laws within weeks that they continue to promote and expand on to this day.

It would be wonderful if it were true, but tragically is, today, a sad lie and a fantasy.

If America is not a racist nation, why did we kill tens of millions of Native Americans, keep their descendants in poverty, and continue to this day to steal their land?

If we’re not a racist nation, why were most of the iconic buildings in Washington DC, from the Capitol building to the White House, built by enslaved Black people?

If we’re not a racist nation why was it the law in the United States until the 1960s to separate the races and even outlaw interracial marriage?

If we’re not a racist nation why was it the law until that era that immigration had to follow racial patterns with almost exclusively white people legally entering the country? And why is it that Republicans want to go back to those racially-based immigration policies, and keep referring longingly to that pre-1960s period?

If we’re not a racist nation, why is it that Black people are killed disproportionately by police? When was the last time you heard a white guy say, “I can’t breathe” just before he was killed by the police?

If we’re not a racist nation why is it the people with identifiably white and Black names receive different numbers of callbacks from prospective employers across multiple studies over decades? Not to mention the pay differential that’s so well documented?

If we’re not a racist nation, why is the Maga movement almost entirely white and why do they keep talking about starting and winning a “race war“ in the United States?

If we’re not a racist nation, why does the Department of Justice clearly identify the greatest terrorist threat to this country as American white supremacists?

If we’re not a racist nation, why did the President of the United States refer to Nazis chanting that “Jews will not replace us,“ meaning that they thought Jewish billionaire George Soros was importing people of color into the United States to “replace” whites, as “very fine people?”

If we’re not a racist nation, why do schools in predominantly Black neighborhoods consistently perform poorly, even when attended by white students?

If we’re not a racist nation, why is the average white family worth over $100,000 and the average Black family worth less than $6000?

If we’re not a racist nation, why is it that we’re surprised when we see a TV show where the hero is the Black guy and the evil person is the white guy?

If we’re not a racist nation, why do white guys keep walking into churches and shooting Black guys, and white people keep calling the police on Black people for walking, shopping, working, birdwatching, attending school, caring for their own children, or driving?

And when was the last time you heard about white people having the police called on them by Black people and that white person ended up shot dead or had his neck crushed by the cops?

If we’re not a racist nation, then why are our billionaires and business leaders almost entirely white? Why is that also true of the Republican party, both in its base and among its elected officials?

If we’re not a racist nation, then why are Republican politicians in every state they control working as hard as they can to keep Black people from voting?

Eliminating racism as an animating force in the United States is a worthwhile and noble goal. But for a major political party to pretend that we’ve already reached that, solely so they can ignore it as an issue and continue to maintain the racist status quo, is obscene.

We can’t solve our very real and serious issues if we don’t honestly confront them, and it’s tragic that the Republican party would choose to use this platform and opportunity to once again deny simple reality.

Original post: HartmannReport.com

[JohnnyRingo]

1. K&R!

We certainly can't call republicans racists, especially when they have a non white member of Congress.
You can bet the GOP will spend any amount necessary to keep Tim Scott in that seat for when they need to show him off.

[housecat]

8. what an embarrassment

[Escurumbele]

9. "keep Tim Scott in that seat for when they need to show him off"...you wrote it...so true

"Send the black guy", I can hear them now...any time I see a black person doing a republican skit it breaks my heart. How can any person of color allow themselves to be a marionette of these racist party? It doesn't take a genius to see that he is only used as a prop when it is convenient to the republican message. Where is Scott's dignity, where is his brain.

Tim Scott, republicans do not like you, all they want to do is hurt people who are not white, they use you for convenience, but you time under the bus will eventually come, please wise up and get out of that swam before it is too late.

[JohnnyRingo]

29. Just ask Michael Steele.

The put him at the head of the party while Obama was running, then tossed him aside after the election. He still holds a grudge for being used.

[FoxNewsSucks]

24. You'd think he'd be embarrassed to be used like that.

[Marcuse]

30. For a small piece of paper it carries a lot of weight.

Yes, black people have willingly worked for racists

https://www-washingtonpost-com.cdn.ampproject.org/i/s/www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=916


https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/02/28/yes-rep-meadows-black-people-have-willingly-worked-racists/

https://m.

[Wounded Bear]

2. K&R...racism is the grandaddy of all issues that Repubs choose to pretend doesn't exist...

by ignoring it and thus claiming that "nothing needs to be done" about it.

They did it with the cigarette-cancer link, they're actively doing it with climate change, but the original gaslighting campaign starts with the "I'm not a racist" bullshit they spew while protecting white supremacist policies that suppress and even kill minorities on a daily basis. They've been practicing that one for centuries.

[Duppers]

14. Great post.

All true. Thank you.

[Wounded Bear]

26. My pleasure, and my patriotic duty to oppose fascists...nt

[abqtommy]

3. I used to enjoy listening to Thom and other commentators when we still had a good

lefty radio station here in Albuquerque. I still enjoy reading what Thom has to say. Thanks!

[malaise]

4. Great post

The truth

[Rebl2]

5. All I have

to say is he is not paying attention to what is going on in these United States or he sits around with his fingers in his ears saying lalalala so he hears nothing.

[llashram]

6. a classic presentation

that in my day was seen as an 'uncle tom' protecting his 'massa' from those 'bad' negroes...he's a liar. Is it money or does he really believe this way?

[haele]

7. As Lindsey Graham said last year...

(sic) "Black People can go anywhere and do whatever they want. - as long as they are Conservative".
Meaning the GQP only acknowledge POC that accept "their place" in the Conservative Heirarchy.
The Tim Scotts and Candice Owens aren't going to get uppity on them; they know where their comfortable lifestyles and access comes from and will perform accordingly.

Haele

[WarGamer]

10. slightly off topic...

It's HARDLY an American problem.

EVERY Western Country and many others have a wealth disparity between lighter and darker skin classes of citizens.

Europe, Central America, South America... it's all the same

[uponit7771]

11. K&R, we currently have white people telling people not to use terms black people came up with nearly

... 100 years ago and those are allies !!!

Yeah, if America isn't a racist assed country then one doesn't exist

[StarfishSaver]

12. I'm gonna bookmark this to use the next time anyone here loses their shish when it's suggested

that systemic racism is real and we're accused of calling them and all other white people racists.

If past is prologue, that should be coming around the bend again any time now ...

[Hortensis]

20. Absolutely NO one here denies systemic racism is real.

Fear needs to be turned into positive action, not to gnawing at each others' necks. I remember when you'd post to explain legal issues so reactionaries too angry to care about the truth could hopefully understand what was happening. If they allowed it.

[StarfishSaver]

22. They don't deny it's real as an abstract concept

But whenever it comes up in real world situations, they almost always deny that it is a factor "this time."

And when the issue is pressed, sure enough we get the "There you go again calling all white people racist!" accusation.

[Hortensis]

25. Truish. But in individual real world situations,

as opposed to long-entrenched systemic problems, we almost always don't know enough to rush to assume a death is wholly due to racism.

Honest and responsible DUers just aren't going to leap to agree that white racist hate or institutionalized oppression is the only, and obvious, explanation for every bad thing that happens to a black person.

In fact, I believe you could identify most of your real allies in the movement here on DU by whether they accept or refuse race-based reactions and insist on knowing more than the races involved before forming an opinion.

[KG]

13. sheesh. I mean, how far up your own ass do have to be to be sen. tim scott?

[Duppers]

15. Excellent post!!

Saving & passing this along.

[BobTheSubgenius]

16. And why is it that surviving a traffic stop is aspirational for POC?

When I see rack lights come on behind me, unless it's obvious, I wonder about what infraction I might have done, and if I'll get a ticket that will cost me money.

Change my skin to a dark hue, and those things wouldn't enter my mind. I'd be wondering if the cop(s) are racist and in a bad mood...or if that's just their way of greeting the world.

A somewhat different reality.

[FailureToCommunicate]

17. KnR

[brooklynite]

18. "Kamala Harris agrees with Tim Scott that America not a 'racist country'"

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris said America is not a "racist country" but the nation must "speak the truth" about its history with racism on ABC News' "Good Morning America" on Thursday.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/29/kamala-harris-responds-tim-scott-saying-america-not-racist-country/4886682001/

[DallasNE]

19. Does Sen. Tim Scott Not Talk To Black People

How can he possibly say that if he does? He says this because he knows that his job depends on it. It makes him a cowardly man. In past generations he would be known as an Uncle Tom. He even says that people call him that. He still acts in ways that are reminiscent of that so what should he expect. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it probably is a duck. The token black is always shoved in front of the camera - does he really believe that it is based on merit? He is cowardly and pathetic.

[Hulk]

21. Maybe it's wrong to refer to him as "Uncle Tom/Tim"...

He should have the right to be aligned with repuKKKe ideology. He obviously made it out of poverty. He obviously is bright and articulate. The goPutin party supports him 110%. He is their token black congressman..

Maybe he isn't "lickin' he boots of his white master"...he is actually benefitting from the repuKKKe machine.

I will just have to negate his race factor and accept him as just another delusional idiot and deceptive con artist who pumps his phony KKKristian spews into his speeches to keep the naive religious types believing he is somehow a follower of Jesus, and not just another conniving smoke and mirror snake oil salesman.

WTG Tim. You made it. Fuck anyone else.

[Ohioboy]

23. Here are some of Tim Scott's own contradictory words

He said "I have experienced the pain of discrimination." He said he "knows what it feels like to be pulled over for no reason". He also said he "knows what it's like to be followed around the store while I'm shopping.

Is it just me, or do these statements sound contradictory for someone trying to make the claim that America is not racist?

[CatWoman]

27. K; R

[moondust]

28. Theory vs. practice.

GQPers may be conveniently highlighting/exploiting the fact that official U.S. legal framework no longer allows slavery or a "Three-Fifths Compromise," etc.

Of course everyday reality is a different story.

[DFW]

31. Valid points, all, except for one, I would say

"If we’re not a racist nation, why were most of the iconic buildings in Washington DC, from the Capitol building to the White House, built by enslaved Black people?"

Buildings that were erected more than 150 years ago cannot be deemed to necessarily reflect the current times any more that the pyramids of Egypt mean that the pharaohs and the religion of Osiris still hold sway. We can't tear down the White House and build a new one just because those who rebuilt it after the War of 1812 were slaves. Barack Obama lived in there. I have met him inside there. It doesn't make either of us advocates of slavery.