Wednesday, January 22, 2014

NAACP's Barber not apologizing for 'ventriloquist's dummy' remark

The quote ran near the end of a story on The State newspaper of Columbia about Rev. William Barber's weekend appearance in South Carolina:

“A ventriloquist can always find a good dummy,” Barber told The State. “The extreme right wing down here (in South Carolina) finds a black guy to be senator and claims he’s the first black senator since Reconstruction and then he goes to Washington, D.C., and articulates the agenda of the Tea Party.”

The comment, aimed at U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the Senate's only African American Republican, generated national attention.

Scott told Fox News' Megyn Kelly Tuesday that he was the target of “philosophical bigotry.”

“What we’re hearing is baseless rhetoric about the same old things that have not worked so far," Scott said. “We’ve had a 50-year war led by the government on poverty, and it hasn’t taken people out...  In this country, conservatives, free market capitalism, produces greater success than the government can ever do.”

Barber's remark was picked up across the country. The N.C. GOP released samples of that reaction in a news release headlined, "America meets Rev. William Barber."

Barber made the comments in Columbia when he spoke against what he called the dangers of Republican "right-wing extremism" on issues such as voting, health care, environment and education. He defended his comment before an appearance Tuesday night in Charlotte.

"We believe leaders should not be echoes of the voice of extremism," he said. "The indignation should not be so much about the language. The indignation should be about the actions."


28 comments:

Wiley Coyote said...

Mr. Barber should go back to school and learn history again (or for the first time).

It was the same type "radical parties" in the 1850's that came together to form the anti-slavery party, the Republican Party.

I appreciate his comments though.

It keeps the fact alive that Blacks can be just as racist and bigoted as Whites.

Ghoul said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Garth Vader said...

A curious accusation by Barber, considering the nomination of Alvin Greene by the SC Democratic Party.

Gipper1965 said...

The truth hurts. Free speech.

Anonymous said...

He should apologies to dummies, not the tool his comment was about.

Redlight said...

Barber has found the dummy and it is him.

Anonymous said...

hedBarber IS the voice of extremism. I believe he has tagged onto Jackson and Sharpton. Until they see that the Democrats have to keep a dependent class based on entitlements, they will always be dependent. Sen Scott is a Constitutional Conservative and wants everyone to strive for their own liberty, responsibility, and freedom.

Unknown said...

the new Dem trick is to label everything they don't believe as "Extremist".
If you think it's not a good idea to kill babies, you are an Extremist. If you think that a $17 Trillion Deficit is proof that the Govt is way too big and wasteful, then you are an Extremist. If you liked your doctor or your health plan, you are an Extremist. If you grew up thinking it's normal for men and women to fall in love, get married and start a family, then you are an Extremist.
I hear this "Extremist" label all the time being placed on people for having opinions that are very normal and are "middle-of-the-road" American values.

Anonymous said...

Another in a long line of religious liberal oxygen thief's.

Anonymous said...

Another in a long line of religious liberal oxygen thief's.

Unknown said...

the new Dem trick is to label everything they don't believe as "Extremist".
If you think it's not a good idea to kill babies, you are an Extremist. If you think that a $17 Trillion Deficit is proof that the Govt is way too big and wasteful, then you are an Extremist. If you liked your doctor or your health plan, you are an Extremist. If you grew up thinking it's normal for men and women to fall in love, get married and start a family, then you are an Extremist.
I hear this "Extremist" label all the time being placed on people for having opinions that are very normal and are "middle-of-the-road" American values.

Anonymous said...

Barber IS the voice of extremism. I believe he has tagged onto Jackson and Sharpton. Until they see that the Democrats have to keep a dependent class based on entitlements, they will always be dependent. Sen Scott is a Constitutional Conservative and wants everyone to strive for their own liberty, responsibility, and freedom.

Anonymous said...

Barber IS the voice of extremism. I believe he has tagged onto Jackson and Sharpton. Until they see that the Democrats have to keep a dependent class based on entitlements, they will always be dependent. Sen Scott is a Constitutional Conservative and wants everyone to strive for their own liberty, responsibility, and freedom.

Anonymous said...

Barber IS the voice of extremism. I believe he has tagged onto Jackson and Sharpton. Until they see that the Democrats have to keep a dependent class based on entitlements, they will always be dependent. Sen Scott is a Constitutional Conservative and wants everyone to strive for their own liberty, responsibility, and freedom.

Anonymous said...

I'm so sick of the racist NAACP. They hate white people and and black that may agree or share any of the same values.

Anonymous said...

I guess you have to ask yourself about the definition of "insanity" after 50 years.

Anonymous said...

liberal racist

Anonymous said...

So Jim, how about revealing who some of those 75 activists were that met with Barber here in Charlotte last night--the ones who are going to participate in the Feb. 8 rally in Raleigh. Did any of them criticize him or even question him about his ventriloquist comments? Were there any local politicians among the group?

Anonymous said...

The only question I have is "why is he apologizing". I find his comments to be well said. The 50 year old war on poverty is probably the only reason we don't have anarchy here considering that the 85 richest people in the world hold more wealth that the poorest 3.5 billion people in the world. Witness most countries and parts of the U.S. where the wealthy live behind walls to protect their riches from the extremely poor.

Anonymous said...

“There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs-partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.” Booker T. Washington, Circa 1911

Anonymous said...

“There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs-partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”

Booker T. Washington, Circa 1911

Anonymous said...

What 50 year war on poverty?

Total socialist crock.

Anonymous said...

Jim, why is it that ventriloquist is spelled INCORRECTLY on the front page, and in the headline?

Scott said...

Where is this outrage when some extremist on the right makes these kinds of comments?

Anonymous said...

Barber is the only extremist here and he is an ENEMY of our once great state and a total LIAR!

How many million$$$ will he fleece from the taxpayers of NC this year?

He is a vile person of the cloth.

Anonymous said...

Barber seems to suggest that all blacks should think the same way he does. Is it his idea that all black people are exactly the same? This is the same type of racist stereotyping that George Wallace promoted in Alabama decades ago. The blacks I have known during my lifetime have different religious beliefs, different career interests, different levels of education ,different social interests and are unique in a variety of other ways. Why shouldn't they be conservative in their political beliefs? Barber does a disservice to the very people he claims to represent.

Anonymous said...

There should not be any apology.

I don't hear an apology coming from Rucho for what he said ... he has firmly stood his ground and refused to issue an apology.

How about an apology for all the nasty things Republicans,conservatives
and the Tea Party have said about the President and his wife.. We all know
most of it is driven by the pigment of his skin.

While I do not agree with what Barber said,I hope he never issues an apology.

Anonymous said...

As a teacher, I want to protest in Raleigh but not with him.. Can't win in this state.