At Perry’s Texas hunting spot, "Niggerhead" name lingered -- Cain calls slur insensitive.

[jefferson_dem]

At Rick Perry’s Texas hunting spot, camp’s old racially charged name lingered
By Stephanie McCrummen, Published: October 1

Paint Creek, Tex. — In the early years of his political career, Rick Perry began hosting fellow lawmakers, friends and supporters at his family’s secluded West Texas hunting camp, a place known by the name painted in block letters across a large, flat rock standing upright at its gated entrance.

“Niggerhead,” it read.

Ranchers who once grazed cattle on the 1,070-acre parcel on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River called it by that name well before Perry and his father, Ray, began hunting there in the early 1980s. There is no definitive account of when the rock first appeared on the property. In an earlier time, the name on the rock was often given to mountains and creeks and rock outcroppings across the country. Over the years, civil rights groups and government agencies have had some success changing those and other racially offensive names that dotted the nation’s maps.

But the name of this particular parcel did not change for years after it became associated with Rick Perry, first as a private citizen, then as a state official and finally as Texas governor. Some locals still call it that. As recently as this summer, the slablike rock — lying flat, the name still faintly visible beneath a coat of white paint — remained by the gated entrance to the camp.

When asked last week, Perry said the word on the rock is an “offensive name that has no place in the modern world.”

But how, when or whether he dealt with it when he was using the property is less clear and adds a dimension to the emerging biography of Perry, who quickly moved into the top tier of Republican presidential candidates when he entered the race in August.

<SNIP>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/rick-perry-familys-hunting-camp-still-known-to-many-by-old-racially-charged-name/2011/10/01/gIQAOhY5DL_story.html

:popcorn: ...

in interview just taped for ABC "This Week," Herman Cain slams, hammers Perry for WashPost story
http://twitter.com/#!/mikeallen/statuses/120480705028431872

For him to leave it there as long as he did before he painted over it, it’s just plain insensitive to a lot of black ppl
http://twitter.com/#!/FixAaron/statuses/120488010822336512

[No Elephants]

1. "Niggerhead" is NOT "racially charged." It's as racist as any word ever gets.

[msanthrope]

12. It's not even a dogwhistle, It's the goddamn, flea-ridden dog. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Has anyone seen pictures of this rock? The article states that it has been

overturned and painted over, so, apparently, some effort was made to cover it up.

Just curious.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

14. Perry saying his dad painted over it in the 1980's nt

[polichick]

3. Republicans like Perry make me want to vomit - what disgusting throwbacks!

[bluedigger]

4. I am neither surprised nor upset.

I could only read the first two pages at the link before Wapo wanted me to sign up, but it seems that the name predated the Perry family's association with the land, and that the offensive display was dealt with by the Perry family. I guess we could argue that it wasn't dealt with quickly enough, but it was dealt with, quite a while ago. There are much better ways to discredit Perry than this.

[mikekohr]

5. Turn on the lights and cockroaches scurry for the dark corners

how quickly this cowboy cut and run from the defining landscape of his life.

[Tarheel_Dem]

6. And he's a "former" Democrat.

;)

[mikekohr]

8. Good Riddance, we've had our share of grifters too, which Perry is and always has been

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. Yup Herman, almost as "insensitive" as telling me I've been "brainwashed".

How does one pick between two evil assholes? :shrug:

[Phx_Dem]

9. Insensitive? More like downright straight up racist.

No wonder the Tea Party loves Perry.

[LatteLibertine]

10. Crikey

It's not that hard to research the origin and history of the term. It's dehumanizing, insensitive and racist.

[Zorro]

11. Perry's going to rename the camp appropriately

He's going to call it "Rickhead".

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. per the daily beast this isn't true ...who knows. Perry saying his

dad painted over it back in the 80's