More GOP Racism, this time from "Young" Republicans

I think I finally figured out what the acronym GOPER stands for: Grand Old Party Enabling Racism.

"It seems like some of us Republicans are taking our conservative message, mixing it with personal prejudices and racist views, and calling it patriotism.  You can cover cyanide with chocolate, but you still can't call it candy."      - Lenny McAllister, conservative African-American commentator 

I've lived in Texas all my life and have heard every kind of racist language imaginable. You'd think that almost a decade into the 21st century, society would have evolved.

It's surprising that one of the two major political parties in the country appears not only to attract racists, it seems to curry favor with them.  Latest case in point: Audra Shay, Vice Chairman of the Young Republicans and the leading candidate to be elected its chairman this weekend.  John Avlon writes on Daily Beast:  On Wednesday, Shay—a 38-year-old Army veteran, mother, and event planner from Louisiana who has been endorsed by her governor, Bobby Jindal—was holding court on her Facebook page, initiating a political conversation by posting that "WalMart just signed a death warrant" by "endorsing Obama’s healthcare plan." At 1:52, a friend named listed as Eric S. Piker, but whose personal page says his actual name is Eric Pike, wrote "It’s the government making us commies… can’t even smoke in my damn car… whats next they going to issue toilet paper once a month… tell us how to wipe our asses…"  Two minutes later, Piker posted again saying "Obama Bin Lauden [sic]  is the new terrorist… Muslim is on there side… need to take this country back from all of these mad coons… and illegals."  Eight minutes after that, at 2:02, Shay weighed in on Piker’s comments:  "You tell em Eric!  lol."  (The page was taken down, but you can see a screen shot here.) 

So he says "take this country back from all of these mad coons" and Shay responds, "You tell em Eric lol!"  And this is one of the "new leaders" of the GOP?  Incredible. 

But it gets worse. When fellow Young Republicans Cassie Wallender and Sean Conner inserted comments objecting to Pike's racist remarks and questioned Shay's supportive response to those comments, the Louisiana GOPer de-friended them on her Facebook page - and she kept Pike around to spout more of his hateful rhetoric!

Yesterday, Wallender wrote a letter to the Young Republican National Committee:  I was blocked for stating that Eric's racist comment was "NOT OKAY. And it is not funny." Please take a moment look at the entire screenshot linked above, and ask yourself: which comment would lead you to de-friend someone, mine, or Eric's?  (Of course now Ms. Shay is accusing "political opponents" of being "out to get her.") 

Avlon continues:  Taken by themselves, the exchanges on Shay’s page might be dismissed as an isolated ugly incident.  But there’s a pattern emerging from the fringe of the GOP grassroots. Three weeks ago, former South Carolina State Election Director and Richmond County GOP Chairman Rusty DePass "joked" on his Facebook page that first lady Michelle Obama was descended from a gorilla which had gone missing from a local zoo. Days later, Tennessee state legislative aide Sherri Goforth emailed out an image labeled "Historical Keepsake"—showing august portraits of all the presidents of the United States, ending with a pair of googly-eyes peering out from a black background to symbolize President Obama. When confronted, the aide to State Senator Diane Black said only that she regretted sending the image to the wrong email list and from her government address. She was "reprimanded" by her supervisors but not otherwise punished (a forced furlough at Memphis’s National Civil Rights Museum would have been an inspired penalty). And of course, all this has taken place after Chip Saltzman’s bid to be RNC Chairman was derailed by his decision to mail out a parody CD featuring the song "Barack the Magic Negro." 

How many incidents like this will it take before conservative African-Americans realize what most LGBT Americans have long understood - that the Republican Party is not a place that welcomes diversity.  Despite some half-hearted window-dressing, the GOP's "big tent" has only one entrance: the Straight White Door.   (Pictured: Audra Shay)

From Pam's House Blend - Colin Powell: The GOP Still Has A Race Problem. 

UPDATE:  After pomoting a whisper campaign about her rival's sexual orientation, Audra Shay has just been elected to lead the Young Republicans.  Racists are now officially the New Conservatives!

Comments

[Aggie]

I grew up in pre-civil rights Richmond, Va., so I know what you mean... Texas was probably worse, if anything. But, for example, in 1968 when I entered kindergarten in the D.C. area (Fairfax County), I was absolutely FORBIDDEN to tell my grandfather that I had an African-American teacher. Well into the 60's, the water fountains in Richmond still said "white" and "colored". To what extent it was still enforced, who knows, but it was there as a reminder, I suppose. And, I too bumped up against management at a civil engineering firm I worked at right out of college, because they drove my buddy Brian (a great DJ, moonlighted at the 9:30 Club) out of the place because he was black, then denied their racism. It all stinks. Stinks, stinks, stinks.

[Trent]

Nixon's "southern strategy" is still in play. Unfortunately (for Repugs), the country has changed.

[Bee Girl]

What a bunch of assholes. Shay is no better than the racist who made those comments.

[Amanda]

Doesn't 38 seem kinda old to be a "young republican" ?

[Chris]

Why is this a surprise?? Typical "self righteous republicans." They're so high and mighty. Mostly jealous scared people who when they start to fail or fall they resort to ignorant name calling and rebel yelling. Rednecks is all they are.

[Jay]

I don't mean to be contrary or a jerk, but please don't use the Confederate Flag to show racism. I love the blog, I really do, and I hate to bring it up, but as someone that grew up in the south, I can say with certainty that it isn't a racist symbol. Yeah there are some jerks out there that use it to show of how southern, proud, and racist they are, but for the rest of us, its just the first two. I'm not a racist, I DETEST racism, I also live in the south and have a grasp on how important that symbol is to our culture and heritage. People always spout about how it was the flag of the bad guys in the Civil War, but that was not a war we started. Yes there was slavery, but there was also the big issue of the north losing a massive producer of agriculture, and if allowed to secede, the south would not have made the friendliest of nations to trade with. Fact is, not everyone sees the Confederate Flag in such callous, black and white terms, there are large shades of gray.

[bda]

Hi Jay, you are wrong. The confederate flag is a racist symbol.If it flag was around, let's say decades before the Civil War, then I would agree with you.That flag came on the scene because the south wanted to break away from the rest of the country.Why? Because of the slave issue. They did not want to give up slavery.That is why the war was fought.What culture and heritage? America on the whole has no culture. This is a young country just over 200 yrs old, made up of different ethnic groups from different lands, only the Indians are native to it.

[wsummer]

It is more racist to name a baseball team the Braves or a football team the Chiefs, than it is to fly a Confederate Flag. Jay is right. It is not a racist symbol.