Trent Lott on BET Tonight

AKA2D '91 · #1 12-12-2002, 11:08 PM

http://www.time.com/time/nation/arti...0.html?cnn=yes

Also, should Lott step down as Senate Majority Leader for his remarks?

abaici · #2 12-13-2002, 01:32 AM

He is only apologizing for his comments because someone called him on it. The entire controversy raises questions of a historical nature. Mainly, can you judge past events by the social mores of the present time? Back then, his thoughts and behavior were in step with many of his contermporaries. While, we as African-Americans consider his stance horrible despite the time period, his experience was different. However, the fact that he looks back fondly at those times removes him from the aforementioned historical comparison model.

librasoul22 · #3 12-13-2002, 02:54 AM

I think Trent Lott can suck it. I cannot stand policians. Any of them.

One day I will run for office and be all conservative....then when I get elected I am changing everything up. And when I am done I will say, "Don't cry! You voted for me!"

Sorry you all. Look at the time stamp. Delerious, lol.

MissDSM · #4 12-13-2002, 10:21 AM

Hello GC!! I am new to the board. As for Trent Lott...

Many people were saying that he should apologize, but I say why apologize?? He was letting the world know how he truly feels. Knowing that without a doubt Trent Lott is a racist @$$ does not bother me. The ones who smile in your face, yet are thinking how much of a "nigger" you are, are the ones who trouble me. I have found that most southern whites are straight up with you like that. They don't try to hide that they are racists and that they believe that you are inferior to them because you are Black. Now those Northern ones...those are the ones to watch.

I believe that there are many people in the Senate as well as Congress who support Strom Thurmond and his segragationist views. He could not have lasted this long if this was not so.

Just my humble opinion...

snuggles12 · #5 12-13-2002, 11:58 AM

I don't think that Trent should apologize. He made similiar comments back in the 80's. At least we know where he stands and I rather know if someone has racist views than someone who smiles in my face and has racist views.

Also, there are alot of people who have the same beliefs as Trent but do not express them in public. Racism is still very much alive. It's just not in vogue to state that you are a racist like it was back in the 50's and 60's.

Steeltrap · #6 12-13-2002, 12:39 PM

Simply put, you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. The GOP knew what it was getting into when it welcomed anti-civil-rights Democrats back in the 1960s and such. Remember, people like Jesse Helms and ol' Strom Thurmond used to be Demos.

And it is better to know where one stands rather than be stealthy.

Here's a column by Armstrong Williams on the issue that appeared on www.blackelectorate.com. Some of his thoughts, and I said some, are on point:

[B]Trent Lott And The Republicans Drop The Ball On Race, Again by Armstrong Williams

Southerners are the only Americans to have lost a major war and to have had their cultural configurations torn apart.

In 1948, Senator Strom Thurmond tapped into the south's identity crisis with his third party bid for the presidency. Running as a "Dixiecrat" segregationist, Thurmond vowed to maintain the uniquely southern heritage by "stand[ing] for the segregation of the races and the racial integrity of each race." During a stump speech in Jackson, Mississippi, Thurmond declared that "All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, our schools, our churches." Ultimately, Thurmond captured 39 electoral votes and carried Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and South Carolina. It was one of the most successful third party bid in this nation's history.

A lot has changed in this country since days when Ol' Strom could make viable a run at the presidency by promising to keep "Negro's" from our schools. The shape of racism has now been twisted inward. It's subtler, less acceptable. Instead of donning white sheets and stomping down our streets, racists perpetuate their beliefs with snide remarks and insensitivity.

Case in point: Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott recently said that the Unites States would have been better off if Thurmond had actually been elected President in 1948. Lott made the comments during a birthday party celebration for Thurmond, who turned 100 last week. Lott went on to express pride in the fact that his home state of Mississippi supported Thurmond's 1948 presidential bid. "We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either. "

You mean those pesky problems associated with letting Negroes into our schools and churches? That is what Thurmond campaigned against in 1948.

For obvious reasons, Lott's office played down the significance of the senator's remarks, opting merely to issue a curt two sentence press release: "Senator Lott's remarks were intended to pay tribute to a remarkable man who led a remarkable life. To read anything more into these comments is wrong." Lott's office issued similar remarks in 1998 when it was reported that Lott appeared before-and praised-- the Council of Conservative Citizens, a group dedicated to the separation of the races.

Then, as now, there was scarcely little condemnation amongst Mr. Lott's colleagues. This needs to change. Our Republican leaders cannot keep squinching their eyes to Lott's racial insensitivity. As Congressmen, they bear a dual responsibility to represent the nation's conscience and to act as respectable faceplates for the party. By giving Lott a pass on his racist-seeming remarks, they've suggested the worst kind of stereotype: that lurking beneath the Republican party is a private identity that harkens back to a time when blacks were valued only as a cheap source of labor.

Some commentators have suggested that the Republicans use Lott's remarks, as an occasion to go on the offensive by pointing out that Democratic senator Robert Byrd was formerly a "Grand Kleagle" with the Ku Klux Klan, who recently used the N-word during an interview on "Fox News Sunday." This will not work. The Republican Party spent much of the 60's opposing the Democrats on civil rights legislation, affirmative action legislation and race-based quotas. This gives the democrats the benefit of the doubt on race related issues. Whereas Senator Byrd's history will be discarded as the indiscretion of one, Lott's remarks are seen as endemic of a party that has consistently displayed an insensitivity to the issues that blacks care about most. The Republicans simply do not have the credibility to go red of tooth and claw with the Democrats on the race issue. They will lose that battle every time.

So far, President Bush has made a considerable attempt to build bridges in the black community. His grass roots efforts support for school vouchers and the diversity of his own cabinet should proclaim to black Americans that they are part of the Republican Party.(This I disagree with)

But black America's distrust of the Republican Party runs deep. The psychological scars will not merely fade away. And whatever gains the president has made (and was poised to make with a GOP controlled Senate) can be ripped to shreds when just one leading member of the GOP makes remarks as racially insensitive as those offered by Senator Lott.

That is why the only acceptable response from the GOP should be harsh criticism. Sadly, no such criticism seems forthcoming.

That sound you hear is the GOP once again dropping the ball on the race issue.

Honeykiss1974 · #7 12-13-2002, 01:14 PM

Per www.cnn.com

Lott is scheduled to speak today @ 5pm (EST) to talk about the controversy surrounding his statements.

AKA2D '91 · #8 12-13-2002, 01:56 PM

There is a Republican female Senator or Congresswoman who feels Lott should step down.

I apologize, but I forgot her name.

Steeltrap · #9 12-13-2002, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
There is a Republican female Senator or Congresswoman who feels Lott should step down.

I apologize, but I forgot her name.

Anne Northrup (sp?) from Kentucky.

1savvydiva · #10 12-13-2002, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MissDSM
Hello GC!! I am new to the board. As for Trent Lott...

Many people were saying that he should apologize, but I say why apologize?? He was letting the world know how he truly feels. Knowing that without a doubt Trent Lott is a racist @$$ does not bother me. The ones who smile in your face, yet are thinking how much of a "nigger" you are, are the ones who trouble me. I have found that most southern whites are straight up with you like that. They don't try to hide that they are racists and that they believe that you are inferior to them because you are Black. Now those Northern ones...those are the ones to watch.

I believe that there are many people in the Senate as well as Congress who support Strom Thurmond and his segragationist views. He could not have lasted this long if this was not so.

Just my humble opinion...

LOL, you sound like my Nana...she says the SAME thing!!!
At least in the south you know who your enemies are!

soulfulremix · #11 12-15-2002, 10:26 PM

Trent Lott's statement at Strom Thurmond's celebration reflect the ideas of many southern whites, especially the good ol' boys. His apology should be taken with a grain of salt because he only apologized after being reprimanded by African Americans.

Good ol' boy himself, George Dubya, surprised the heck out of me with his harsh criticism of Lott. If Trent Lott does make it past the holiday season as Senate Majority Leader, I think he'll be able to save his behind.

I just think the uproar will be over in the coming months and politics will go.

soulfulremix

AKA2D '91 · #12 12-16-2002, 10:23 AM

ole Lotty baby is going to be on BET tonight.

CrimsonTide4 · #13 12-16-2002, 02:41 PM

Sources: GOP Sens. to Meet on Lott's Fate
5 minutes ago Add Politics - U. S. Congress to My Yahoo!

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans will meet early next month to settle the fate of Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record) as party leader in the wake of a racially charged controversy, GOP sources said Monday.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting would be called for Jan. 6, the day before the Senate convenes for a new session under Republican control.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans will meet early next month to settle the fate of Sen. Trent Lott as party leader in the wake of a racially charged controversy, GOP sources said Monday.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting would be called for Jan. 6, the day before the Senate convenes for a new session under Republican control.

The decision came as White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) criticized Lott's comments anew, and a key GOP senator issued a statement that pointedly refrained from saying Lott should remain as leader.

"My Republican colleagues and I are actively engaged in deciding what is in the best interests of the Senate as an institution and the country," said Sen. Bill Frist (news, bio, voting record) of Tennessee, who chaired the GOP campaign effort over the past two years.

"I am confident a consensus will emerge, but no decisions have been made yet," Frist said, "and I have endorsed no specific proposal at this time."

For his part, Lott spent the day preparing for an appearance on Black Entertainment Television, part of an effort to overcome controversy stemming from racially comments he made at Sen. Strom Thurmond (news, bio, voting record)'s 100th birthday party earlier this month.

Lott said Mississippians were proud to have supported Thurmond for president when he ran as a segregationist in 1948. "And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either," he said.

The Mississippi Republican has since apologized repeatedly for his remarks, but the original utterances set off a furor that poses a strong threat to his grip on power.

prayerfull · #14 12-16-2002, 03:41 PM

I would not have expected ANYTHING LESS than the comments made by Trent Lott. Anyone who was shocked and surprised is completely naive. He just said what all those other Republican bastards were thinking but never had the balls to say!!!

Does that make it right....Hell Naaawww.

Do I think he should step down?
Come on now, the same naive people who were surprised by his comments are the same naive people who actually think that their complaints are really going to change something. This fool is NOT going to step down..nor is he going to be voted out of office.

Of course G-Dub & all the other Capitol Hill big dawgs have to make this look good for the public and show some criticism, but behind closed doors, while they're chillin' in the sauna, tokin' on cuban cigars, and hookin' up with the interns....they're laughing that sh!t off.

Don't be fooled.

CrimsonTide4 · #15 12-16-2002, 04:43 PM

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

As you are all aware, racist republican leader Trent Lott has found a forum on BET. Mr. Robert Johnson, although he is canceling the few programs of value left on his network, was able to find a time slot for Trent Lott. Interesting.

This morning, radio jock and activist Tom Joyner appeared on the Today Show and clearly stated that he was not interested in seeing Trent Lott showcased on BET. To paraphrase, "How many times can he say he's sorry?" The deal is, you can't apologize for being a racist. He apologized for saying what he did, but his actions over the years clearly paint the picture of a man who supports segregation and everything that goes along with it.

But more important, at this junction, it is imperative that we, the ones who are affected by the likes of the Trent Lotts of the world do not provide him with the platform to espouse his lies. By tuning into BET tonight, you inadvertently support the agenda of both Mr. Johnson (seeking ratings) and Mr. Lott (seeking your sympathy and forgiveness). We must not provide either.

As responsible Black Americans we cannot let that happen. We cannot be "gotten over on" again. No other REPUTATABLE network has rolled out the carpet for this man. Therefore, you MUST ask yourself: then WHY Bob Johnson? The answer is clear-ratings equal dollars. And no matter what Lott says on BET, or how outraged we are sitting in our living rooms watching it, the bottom line result will be the numbers of viewers tuning in.

I must reiterate what Mr. Joyner said this morning: what is this man going to say that he hasn't said already? "I'm not a racist. Bob Johnson is one of my dearest friends."

Skip BET Tonight and catch the highlights on your evening news!!!

Let us tell Mr. Lott and Mr. Johnson exactly how we feel by BY-PASSING BET this evening. This issue cannot be supported by us for even an instant. Let Mr. Lott know we have heard enough from him.

Visit the BET website at www.bet.com and cast your opinion about Lott's visit on BET.

Call their switchboard and voice your outrage (202)608-2000

Write a letter and explain your disgust:
1900 W. Place, NE, 1 BET Plaza, Wash. DC 20018.