Tea Party Congressman Compares African American Civil Rights To Snail Darters
Source: ThinkProgress
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) compared the civil rights of African Americans and other minorities to the rights of animals during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, sparking outrage from lawmakers.
Gohmert made the remarks as the panel considered a bill that could “prevent federal regulatory actions from being implemented.” Currently, the federal government relies on consent decrees to settle lawsuits from advocacy organizations challenging agencies for failing to take regulatory action or missing statutory deadlines. The GOP-backed bill would allow anyone whose rights are affected by the decree to intervene in the settlement, significantly delaying the action.
Democrats offered an amendment, sponsored by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), that would have prohibited third parties from intervening in any regulatory action that prevents or is intended to prevent discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, or other protected characteristic. Consent decrees had been pivotal to enforcing civil rights laws, Cohen and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) argued, and noted that advocates used the consent decree process to protect minority communities from police misconduct and brutality.
But Gohmert objected to the amendment and insisted that the bill had nothing to do with the civil rights and would primary impact rules and regulations that pertain to fish, wildlife, and the environment. He then proceeded to mock Democrats’ concerns about minorities by joking that they were interested in protecting the liberties of snails and other animals:
GOHMERT: There is nobody in this chamber who is more appreciative than I am for the gentleman from Tennessee and my friend from Michigan standing up for the rights of race, religion, national religion of the Delta Smelt, the snail darter, various lizards, the lesser prairie chicken, the greater sage grouts and so many other insects who would want someone standing for their religion, their race, their national origin and I think that’s wonderful.
Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/07/24/2352241/tea-party-congressman-compares-african-american-civil-rights-to-snail-darters/
= new reply since forum marked as read
It also illustrates why America is NOT the geratest nation on earth 
I haven't had much exposure other than from friends and fellows who've moved here to SoCal from there. Just observations I've made, because when I hear statements like those this gent utters, I immediately try to figure out what makes him say stuff like that. Otherwise I can claim pretty much full ignorance. But I really do try to figure out what that behavior means and from whence it came. Sometimes that can suggest further behavioral manifestations in the future.
Same direction I'd go with a guy like our ol' pal Zimbo, for example. I've never met the man. Just examining everything I've seen, heard, read, and discussed, from himself on; noticing how he's never expressed remorse or regret. Passes it off to "God's will" and says he'd do the same thing again under similar circumstances; how he would already have had his gun returned, had not the feds stepped in; and how he will acquire firearms again and probably quite soon (if he hasn't armed up already), plus a security system and probably also bullet-proof vests. Reason is, he has several "fan clubs" in various gun-friendly communities who've raised thousands of dollars to buy him new guns. And of course there was that friendly verdict that made him feel validated and vindicated. Therefore I think it's a pretty safe bet that he can be expected to get himself into trouble again. He's had nothing to discourage that potentially menacing behavior, or encourage a change of behavior.
So too with the Congressman at issue here. That he keeps getting reelected, since the 2004 election which was his first. Last year gave him his fifth term representing Texas's First Congressional District. Bewildering. And distressing to hear the testimony here regarding those who keep sending him back to Washington.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louie_Gohmert
But it helps to understand the environment he's coming from, and the role it plays in shaping his views. And it's useful information to have in order to understand, and know how to deal with it or maybe modify it in some way (yeah, I know, probably not with him).
...and we'll have your House seats faster than you can blink. Oh, and go ahead and shut down the government. That will make our job of replacing your slimy racist ass a little less stressfull.
Sixteen seats. Thats all we need. Twenty for good measure.
The snail darter is a fish, and it's sage grouse and not sage grouts.
That being said, what an offensive fucker. 
Sage Grouse
Grout is the white stuff between tiles
*******
This goes to show everybody that Louie and the tea party republicans think that
allowing African Americans to have the same rights as whites is some kind of
joke and that they know that allowing blacks and hispanics to vote freely will be
the end of their bigoted world.
because snail darters are smarter than he is.
