Exercising the same voracity when condemning the Tea Party’s racist overtones, the NAACP’s Ben Jealous incurred egg on his face when he co-signed the forced resignation of USDA official Shirley Sherrod yesterday. Less than 24 hours later with the admission of failing to review the video gone viral in its entirety, Jealous
flip-flopped his position. Had it not been for the fact-finding foundation of old school journalism, the sliced and diced video’s sound bites to suit the TP’s purpose might not have come to truth’s surface.
Still, the right wing deserves blame for their below the belt tactics, however, we cannot absolve the NAACP’s young leadership team of errant haste. Jealous’ back slide demonstrated irresponsibility and set back colored people’s advancement. To be taken seriously, the NAACP must do better than this because something is wrong when our own fall short of getting it right.
Here's what the Color of Change organization had to say:
The Obama administration just caved in to the right-wing smear machine, firing a Black USDA official after she was smeared by far-right blogger Andrew Breitbart and his friends at Fox News Channel.
Sherrod's dismissal was based on a selectively edited video that made it appear she was confessing to discriminating against a White farming couple. In reality she was telling the story of how working with that family to save their farm helped her to lose her racial preconceptions.
It took less than 24 hours for the lies to be debunked. But by that time, it was too late — Sherrod was forced to quit. And even now that the truth is known, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is refusing to reinstate her. Worse, Vilsack has President Obama's support. This kind of political cowardice is beyond shameful.
...and don't forget Fox News and the Tea Party for being so messy
ReplyDeleteReferenced Fox News and TP as the right wing, and assigned blame accordingly. I fault the NAACP more for its failure to investigate fully.
ReplyDeleteCan you add another "Reaction:" box for DISGUSTING!!!!! I'm sick of feeling like a GD puppet and if the O-administration is only going to add to this travesty - what they hell good are they? I bet those crackers jes laughing dey fool head off...we coloreds iz soooo easy.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that the O-admin will follow the NAACP's flip-flip. Such spinelessness all to preserve political correctness. This, too, shall backfire rather than pass.
ReplyDeleteWhat transpired with Shirley Sherrod opens wide the encroached employment practices door especially in the Internet age. The blunder surrounding her dismissal is not the lone case whereby many are relieved from duty hastily every day. Shame on Washington and others in charge elsewhere for not affording employees the benefit of due diligence. This certainly is not the American way.
ReplyDeleteBut you know what made the NAACP's action so profound? The FOX right wing political show host who just said days before that the NAACP is no longer needed. Watch this argument resurface.
ReplyDelete