April 30, 2014

Buzzfeed's headline editors maybe need a lesson in what shocking, racist statements are before they show their false equivalence to the world.

That video is Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi -- one of the few African-American Democratic representatives from that state -- speaking to the New Nation of Islam. (Cue Fox news scary music.)

Here are the 'shockingly racist' things Rep. Thompson said:

“I’ve been in Washington. I saw three presidents now. I never saw George Bush treated like this. I never saw Bill Clinton treated like this with such disrespect,” Thompson said. “That Mitch McConnell would have the audacity to tell the president of the United States — not the chief executive, but the commander-in-chief — that ‘I don’t care what you come up with we’re going to be against it.’ Now if that’s not a racist statement I don’t know what is.”

Which Buzzfeed recharacterized as Thompson calling Mitch McConnell a racist, which he didn't. McConnell's statement was as racist as it was cynical, by the way.

Moving on, we have the same breathless report informing readers that he called Clarence Thomas an Uncle Tom, and more:

Thompson adds at 2:40 in the video that the governor of Mississippi was against expanding Medicaid through Obamacare “just because a black man created it.”

At 3:00 into the video, Thompson adds opposition to Obama is “all about race” and “when a black man comes with an idea [for Obamacare] there’s something wrong with it. Again, it’s race creeping into the picture.”

These are not new thoughts, nor are they racist, but don't tell Andrew Kaczynski that, because he's sure they're not only racist, but shockingly racist.

Hint for Andrew: If a white guy had made the remarks, it would be racist, just like the way it would be if a black guy said those things about white guys. But when you're criticizing people who are the same race as you, it's actually not shocking, nor is it racist.

It really bothers me when anyone tries to dump something in to distract folks from the real racism. That isn't the current spew of comments by the likes of Don Sterling and Clive Bundy, either. It's their actions, and there are plenty of those to back up the words.

You can be sure Fox News will be all over this shortly, trumpeting a big dose of "See? They do it too...."

Except this isn't it, and Buzzfeed ought to be ashamed.

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