Thats going to upset limbaugh nation. The righties don't like to be reminded of their racist past and present. Everythings great in their trailer park as far as race relations go you know

The only way to start laying this kind of groundwork is for discussions of race to be organized.  Public discourse doesn't work because words are taken out of context and examined too closely.  In many ways, liberal thought police are the primary culprits.  In too many arenas--the work place, universities, on the internet and in the media--there is a form of censorship that makes people afraid to speak about race for fear that they will say the wrong thing and then will be made to pay for it.  I'm all for frank discussion that could lead to better understanding.  But there has to be agreement that whatever is said is not held against the person or people saying it.

But if we don't keep racial issues alive, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson will have no source of income!

Amen!  Finally, someone has the balls to speak some truth to power!

SPEAK !  "The truth is the truth anyhow." Truth never needs to be acknowledged, approved, or accepted to be what it is.  Attorney General Holder has spoken truth.  

Agreed, and I also agree that DOJ people need to be the leaders in this.  I've liked everything Holdder has said so far.

An Affair To Forget.

There are millions of people in this country who simply do not want to deal with this. When Reverend Wright became an issue in this country, there was this perfect opportunity to talk about our history. This isn't what happened.

Educated people on tv had the most unsophisticated, uninformed viewpoints. It was painful to listen to. I don't know. Isn't the media's responsibility at some point to "enlighten" its citizens?

Can you imagine how different this would have been if certain responsible "pundits" stood up and said - wait a minute, what is Reverend Wright talking about? What is his history. What do we know about his childhood or his father or his grandfathers?

No one cared. It's easier to call him a racist. Much harder to get to the root of what he was saying. Whether it be race, Vietnam. No one asked what he was angry about. Maybe it was just our questionable policies over the years. Who knows. We have to keep saying over and over - America is the best nation of earth. Well, it hasn't always been ---

I would have liked to have sat down and talked to Reverend Wright. The whole thing was one sad affair.

Mr. Holder please get to the "Solemn Obligation" part!  

Law breakers will be held accountable, NOT FORGIVEN!  For example, the entire Bush Administration must be held accountable to the American People for all of their Constitutional Violations.  That GANG of lawbreakers need to go directly to Jail.....do pass GO, do NOT collect $200.....NO "GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD!

Get to work Sir and that will do a lot for Race Relations and just plain People Relations!!!!!

Make the Bush repukes "OWN THEIR MISTAKES"!

Yes, Sec. Holder, we need to talk frankly to each other about race issues.  Look at my favored cable channel, MSNBC, which is almost an all-white only starting in AM with JOE S, CHRIS M, DAVID S, KEITH O, RACHEL M.  Even FIRST READ is an all-white only. It's a big shame, it's worse than FOXNEWS.    

gotta be honest, comming from mr. holder, a man who didn't have the courage to stand up to his former boss when he pardoned undeserving criminals, editorializing on who is a coward seems weak.  

First Read: Eric Holder -- said the United States is a "nation of cowards" when it comes to racial issues.


This is beyond the pale!! Listen Holder, pick any other country in the world, point to it, and say, "That country does a better job on race issues then the US". That statement will be a lie.

"Cowards"! He called us cowards!?! The man needs to crawl back under the rock he came from. He's obviously so out of touch with reality he shouldn't be allowed to hold a fork, let alone hold office in the presidents cabinet.

"Cowards"!

That is way, way, way beyond the pale. The man needs medication.

Sigh............... More ammunition for the hateful ones. Lady Justice is blindfolded for a reason and it is sad that this is even an issue, but it is. Let the venom spew in 3, 2, 1

Holder must be trying to distract attention from all of Obama's failures so far. Anyone that calls us "A nation of cowards" has got to either be off his feed, or trying to draw attention away from something else.

The man should resign for these statements. Then he should seek help to understand that what he says is not even close to the truth.

Eric's comments come as a little surprise.  I assumed he would be talking about wire-tapping or torture, but that is yet to come.  Of all the cabinet positions, the DOJ is one of the most important as it is the foundation of our justice system. He is a good man who will faithfully fulfill his oath of office and clean up an 8 year mess created by Bush, Cheney, Gonzalas.  

From NBC's Mike Kosnar
At a Department of Justice program this morning celebrating African American History Month, the nation's first black attorney general -- Eric Holder -- said the United States is a "nation of cowards" when it comes to racial issues.

Holder said average Americans "simply do not talk enough with each other about race."
 
Holder maintained that Justice Department employees have a special responsibility to advance racial understanding throughout the country

A.)
Yes, for instance the cartoon ad in this mornings news paper, why hasn't it been addressed? Ir was sick and irresponsible and does need to be discussed.

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. Though race-related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race."

B).
We will do what we usually do. Pretend there is no problem when we have elected officials that condone racisium and minority males and females that support affiliates that have no respect for them. You don't have to be black. Hell you can be any ethinicity that doesn't represent their idea of "purity". It is a sad commentary when the "white sheets" have allowed to be replaced by suits and ties under cover. They are cowards and don't represent our country.

Holder continued, "It is an issue we have never been at ease with and given our nation's history this is in some ways understandable. And yet, if we are to make progress in this area we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough of each other, to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us. But we must do more -- and we in this room bear a special responsibility. Through its work and through its example this Department of Justice, as long as I am here, must -- and will -- lead the nation to the 'new birth of freedom' so long ago promised by our greatest President. This is our duty and our solemn obligation."


C).
It would surprise me if this gets posted. It is our duty and responsibility to ourselves. To thine own self be true. The only issue I have is racially biased media and journalisium. It only fules hate. I have watched and listen enough racial slurs during the election that absolutely sickened me. The cheap shots, the monkeys, the uppidy statements, oh I can go on. It is disgusting and we live in a "new America right"? This needs to be discussed in a sensible manner.

Mr. Holder get to work!! Far too many Bush criminals to investigate.

So the Department of Justice is now a left-wing activist organization. Wonderful. Should we soon be expecting our invitation a mandatory seminar on race at a community center near us?

I guess until minorites are in control of everything, people like Holder won't be satisfied. And this little child of a man had the guts to call us cowards.

It's not HER FAULT !!
She Didn't Know
She just Forgot !!

That's just how MAVERICKS file their taxes !!


From the 'left wing' Anchorage Daily News:

Palin must pay tax on past per diem, state says
EXPENSES: Governor received meal money while living in Wasilla.

By LISA DEMER
ldemer@adn.com

Gov. Sarah Palin must pay income taxes on thousands of dollars in expense money she received while living at her Wasilla home, under a new determination by state officials.

The governor's office wouldn't say this week how much she owes in back taxes for meal money, or whether she intends to continue to receive the per diem allowance. As of December, she was still charging the state for meals and incidentals.

"The amount of taxes owed is a private matter," Sharon Leighow, Palin's spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. "If the governor collects future per diem, those documents would be a matter of public record."...'


Simple Sarah motivates the feeble minded

Isn't there a tax exemption for THAT ?

Hello?!  Holder certainly has THAT straight.  Every time I see that cartoon of the monkey being shot, it leaves me breathless.  Good for him for announcing that DOJ will not simply tolerate racism anymore.  

By the way, did someone happen to spike the Kool-aid around here today?  For some reason, the snark seems snarkier than usual.  Except for Full Moon, who, for once in his life, seems to make perfect sense.  

Or, wait.  Did I drink the kool-aid, too?  ;)  

When an African-American talks about "Talking about race relations", those are code words for "I (the AA) will talk, and you (the non-minority) will listen.

Here, lets reverse the scenario. African-Americans need to get over it. Life is not fair, but if you continue to wallow in your pity-party, we're never going to get anything settled.

Wait a minute. We have a black president now don't we? That means all racism is gone no mas,finito. I am more than willing to discuss race relations with anyone. But all I read about in these comments is about how bad the USA is for having had slaves at one time. Well how about England,Spain,Portugal,The Dutch,Arabs,Black Africans. How about reparations from those countries? Wont happen. Eric holder and most of you are full of cr@p. And always will be.

Holder is right.  Racism in this country needs to be an on-going conversation, completely understood and acknowledged, if we are to overcome the vitriol that is racism.  Anyone who does not support the conversation has their heads in the sand or has never experienced the hatred of being something other than "white."

Good lord, I cannot believe that this canard is being resurrected.

When raising my children, in answer to their question, "why do people have different color skin?", I ansewered the way my parents, (who marched at Selma, by the way) answered me:  for the same reason people have different colored hair and eyes.

That is simple truth, and another generation of unbiased Americsans was raised.  All of my children have close friends of 'different' races, have dated people of different races, and have only dismay and disgust for those who harbor prejudices.

Teach the history, of course; in the same way that we teach the Holocaust.  We want our children to be horrified by the acts of those who suffer from the peculiar derangement of prejudice.

The lesson will only be learned if they are taught EARLY the simple truth.

[the nation's first black attorney general -- Eric Holder -- said the United States is a "nation of cowards" when it comes to racial issues.

Holder said average Americans "simply do not talk enough with each other about race."

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be.]
--Probably a true statement, but what is the solution?  As partisan gridlock has stopped Washington, I feel that partisan extremism has in many ways blocked discussion of racial issues.  On one side, there is just stark bigotry.  The other side, on the other hand, believes that everything short of what they want is racism.  Somewhere in that middle is a murky solution that the extremes has blocked and blocked discussion to get there.

--Not discussed in this thread is what or how AG Eric Holder means to utilize the Justice department to advance racial relations?  I think it fair to say that law does not treat/punish blacks in an equal sense as whites—different punishments for different crimes.  On the other hand, I don’t think that a judicial affirmative action will help matters—a system that treats black and white peoples differently under the law.  Or, I’ve certainly been trying to think hard about what would be fair and appropriate to be labeled as a hate crime—could this be what he is talking about?  I would just be curious what was meant in greater detail by our Attorney General.

Eric's comments come as a little surprise.  I assumed he would be talking about wire-tapping or torture, but that is yet to come.  Of all the cabinet positions, the DOJ is one of the most important as it is the foundation of our justice system. He is a good man who will faithfully fulfill his oath of office and clean up an 8 year mess created by Bush, Cheney, Gonzalas.  
Ron Indiana (Sent Wednesday, February 18, 2009 1:21 PM)

This statement is a primary example of what his comments are about. I am not going to shoot you down, just waking you up. This "does" fall up under THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. Okay, so it he shouldn't be concerned about civil rights? If I am not mistaken "Civil Rights" is apart of this departments scope and responsibility....racial, ah...Alabama, Mississippi and a hell of a lot of media cheap shots like this mornings ad, the Chimp geting shot by the police and the police saying, "I wonder who will write the next stimulas bill". That person should be fired.

Holder is stirring up the self hating whites I see.

I agree. I've had some rather frank discussions with some dudes at work about race.

It is sad that so much hate oozes from the right and the left.  Quit concentrating on the historical and national racial issues. Talk with someone of the other race in a casual non-work related setting.  Often what you will find is that the other person is not all that much different from you.  Which is comforting and scary at the same time.

As right as Holder's words are, they won't change anything.  As a nation, we have always had issues with our diversity, be it ethnic, gender, religious, sexual orientation, whatever.  Think on this.  Every time some figure in entertainment says something racially stupid (Don Imus, Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, Rev. Wright, etc.) every talk, news, and sports program on TV gets on the same bandwagon.  "Now is the opportunity for America to have a conversation about RACE!"  The only problem is that the conversation never happens.  Usually the incident is pinned on some scapegoat (rap music usually) and the country moves on, until the next incident when the cycle starts all over again.  The sad thing is that this fear is not only national, it's international.  Look at how we tend to stereotype other countries, especially since 9/11.  We see people from middle-eastern contries as 'terrorists', people from latino countries as 'illegals', and people from european countries as 'elitist'.  

The thing we all miss is that the so called "national discussion" has to begin with individual discussions amongst our own peers.  I'm an African-American who works in a predominately (put mildly) White environment.  Yet I feel totally comfortable discussing Black culture to my White peers, and they feel totally comfortable discussing it with me.  The trick is that I don't come off like a Black-Panther militant when discussing it.  I feel (naievely perhaps) that if we all take the time to actually learn about each other, and learn about cultures other than our own, we'll be a much better country.

http://jawillie.blog.com

The only difference between America and other places is that racial issues are actually addressed. The places I've lived on three other continents - South America, Europe, Asia - all except racism as a natural mentality or even institution.
America gets a bad rap because we are the only ones who shine the spot light on it, as we should.

I know liberals love to take the credit for civil movements, but in all honesty, the civil movements were pushed by republicans.  The Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th and 15th amendment to name a few.  Americans also seem to forget about the oppression of the Irish, Italians, Asians and other ethniticities during the immigration rush into Ellis island and California.  Blacks are not the only race that was discriminated against!

How about age. The people who landed that plane in the water safely were all over fifty but we talk about older people like they  have no right to be here and that is just ok as far as DOJ, I guess.

The liberal modus operandi strikes again, i.e. create a problem and then complain about it.  Know why I don't talk to black people about racism?  Because of the draconian "speech codes" you and your liberal buddies have set up in many of the schools, workplaces, and the public square of this country.  The lesson that African Americans need to learn is essentially the same lesson European Americans have had to learn: that people of other races sometimes have insight into your condition that you yourself don't have.  For years, black culture has been in trouble, but for years it has insulated itself from all criticism by muzzling the critics.  Look at what happened to Bill Cosby.  

What Mr Holder needs to do is send out agents to every school in the nation.We here all the time about teachers that allow this kind of thinking,(racist).Then after we fire all the racist teachers then we bring in the parents who still are living in the 60's and still teaching there kids to be racist.Then we go after the msm,there the ones that lead off every night with some crime committed by a black person they try hard to portray blacks as un=lawfull.Then we need to bring in every judge that has been on fair in his or hers sentencing of people of color,then all the crooked lawyers who withhold evidence, and have not given the benefit of doubt to there client.Then we need to get rid of the politicians like Sahara Palin who nearly caused roits,and who's base supporters called for Obama to be harmed,and stood by proudly .Once we have rid our selfs of these types we can then start to heal our differences.It will be a struggle,it will be harder then fixing the economy.But we must try,the good book says we are all created equal,now is the time to start finding out.

Eric, have you ever tried it. Talking race in America is a touchy subject usually full of prejudicial statements and ideas laced with vitriol toward people based on the actions of a few. This comes from both sides. While not as bad as it was 50 years ago we still have racism in America. When we finally dump the stereotypes about others then and only then can we have an intellegent dialogue. Until then, sadly, we will continue to see and hear what we do about others whether about race, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation or social status.

Why is this the job of the Justice Department?  Enforcing anti-discrimination laws, they should do.  Encouraging a debate?  I find this mystifying.

"cowards" ????  This, coming from a man that facilitated the worst presidential pardon that ever was, and likely ever will be. Marc Rich! A coward is as a coward does, Mr. Holder.

#2 Mr. Holder: "Melting Pot" is a term in history that speaks to cultures, not colors. Don't look ignorant while on your high horse.

"Finally, someone has the balls to speak some truth to power"

He's the AG of the United States--he is the POWER, you dolt!

Also, we've always been cowards about race?  I seem to recall something called the American Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, not to mention the countless millions who have done their part to promote racial harmony in this country.

http://www.petdata.com/cs/kcm/document.htm

someone asked about this yesterday - yes, Aerosmith requested a cease and desist.  Too funny.  Aren't there any Republican musicians that have decent enough songs that the party would want to front their image with them?  Apparently not.

Circle the wagons liberals!! Circle the wagons!

Holder has taken the early lead on "Saying the Stupidest Thing" in the Obama administration.

Sure Kelli, kind of like Phil Graham calling us a nation of whinners huh!  The fact Mr Holder is willing to address this is change.  I agree with Pat.  The Rev Wright got alot more than he deserved.  And to the person who slammed MSNBC, how about Cameron, the guy on right now with Contessa, can't remember his name.  The list goes on.  By the way, where has Michelle Bernard been?  I so enjoy her take on things.  She sure adds alot to whatever program she's on.

We don't talk about race? We talk about it all the time. It's a constant subject. Second only to the economy lately. We are integrated in the workplace and segregated on the weekends? Why is that? Must we be forced to hang out together? Must we dictate that 1 in every twelve houses has a black family, 1 in 10 has an Hispanic family? Are we not allowed to decide where we wish to live? Must we force people to go to the same bars and restaurants?

What is it that you are saying, Mr. Holder? Where do you live? Who are your neighbors? What is your life like? Why not just live the example?

What is it you want the Justice Department to do?

Cowards, indeed!

Judge people by the content of their character. Not by the color of their skin. Let's have THAT discussion.

So, when I see my mailman, a great guy and, incidentally, an African-American, I'm supposed to say "Hey, Maurice, want to talk about race today instead of the Super Bowl or your latest home improvement?"

I honestly think that HE wouldn't want to talk about "race" either.

Unless he's a NASCAR fan.

Now Holder is going to need to resign. Because you can't fix stupid.

He forgot to include the bitter, and gun clinging part.

Nation of cowards?  Boy, that's Hope & Change for you.  Makes ya kind of feel all warm inside, doesn't it?

Rev. Wright wasn't racist. He was a preacher, he preached the word. I know that I can probably win a cussing contest and I am a preacher's wife and I pray daily about my mouth and yall pray for me too. Cussing doesn't make me a bad person, it's what's in your heart that is judged, how you treat people.

No one has a right to tell a preacher or minister what to say, that's Gods place, not man's. We've got it backwards. If you don't receive what the preacher say's, you are suspose to leave...I think I got that thing right.:)

Kellie Longstreet, Ohio (Sent Wednesday, February 18, 2009 1:20 PM)
------------------------------------------------------
I noticed in your post that you are too much of a COWARD to actually address the point made.

We don't discuss race, YOU avoided it, and took the easy way out by focusing on ONE WORD (which is true.)Instead of taking the time to actually think about what's being said, you take another i'll-timed opportunity to knock Obama and his team down a notch.  

Why are race-relations so scary anyway. Americans want the same basics. Maybe It's easier for me to get because I'm a "mutt". well, go figure. Even religious differences are minor (in teachings) you know, treat others as you would be treated, help the unfortunate, have faith in a power larger than yourself.......

We all want to be happy, have healthy families, and prosper (whatever that means to YOU)

No public servant should be calling his or her country a "nation of cowards," no matter the issue.  Is this how we improve the dialogue in Washington?  Is this how we improve discussion of race?  By insults?  Does the Attorney General sincerely believe that he can make positive changes by being deeply offensive?  If so, he isn't quailified for the job.  

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