CBS This Morning‘s Norah O’Donnell gave Perry the opportunity to respond to Bundy’s remarks but Perry sidestepped the question.
“I don’t know what he said, but the fact is Bundy is a side issue here compared to what we’re looking at in the state of Texas,” Perry said. “He is an individual. Deal with his issues as you may. “
What does that mean? Does Perry condone Bundy’s racist remarks or does he expect us to believe that he really doesn’t know what Bundy said? Either way it’s problematic because Bundy represents the worst kind of thinking in a nation where people of color are gradually outnumbering whites.
And as the multi-cultural landscape changes, more racists emerge. According to The Southern Poverty Law Center, there are currently 939 known hate groups operating across the country.
“Since 2000, the number of hate groups has increased by 56 percent. This surge has been fueled by anger and fear over the nation’s ailing economy, an influx of non-white immigrants, and the diminishing white majority, as symbolized by the election of the nation’s first African-American president,” The Southern Poverty Law Center reported.
I’m not suggesting that Bundy is part of a hate group, but I am saying that his comments about African Americans are hateful, offensive and bigoted. Even though some Republicans have denounced Bundy’s remarks, others remain silent because they have stood by him during his highly-publicized refusal to pay the federal government more than $1 million in grazing fees, which resulted in a recent armed standoff between the federal Bureau of Land Management, Bundy, and his supporters.
Meanwhile, Bundy insists that he’s not a racist. That’s not surprising. What wrong-thinking bigot ever admits to being prejudiced?
What do you think?
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COMMENTARY: Bigots And Their Political Allies Can’t Be Ignored was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
