Mississippi Elections Commissioner Accused of Racism After Complaining 'the Blacks' Are Having Voter

[Soph0571]

Registration Events

That was more than evident in a recent Facebook comment from Gail Welch, a Mississippi Elections Commissioner.
Welch expressed concern that "the blacks" were having too many voter registration events. Mississippi has the highest percentage of Black Americans in the country at nearly 40% of its population, but due to centuries of unjust voting laws and jurisdictions, the Black vote is largely suppressed, thus necessitating massive outreach for voter registration.
Attitudes like Welch's, especially when helping oversee elections, is a large part of that problem.

[link:https://secondnexus.com/gail-welch-mississippi-elections-blacks|]

Not THE BLACKS! Shock horror.👀 Surely the Elections Commissioner should be encouraging voter registration events? Huh. I am not one for calling for people to be sacked for being racist dicks, but when you are a racist Elections Commissioner in a state that has up till today danced a very complication black voter suppression tactic, in that context - then this racist needs to be told to take a seat.

[chriscan64]

1. The recently removed flag was only a symbol.

This kind of thing is the nuts and bolts of what the symbol represents. This is where the voices of the people are heard or silenced.

[gollygee]

2. Notice how this is constructed

"the blacks" are having lots of events. And "People in Mississippi" have to get involved too. There is a distinction between Black people in Mississippi and "People in Mississippi" who have to get involved TOO. That means that people in Mississippi doesn't include Black people in Mississippi. This says a lot about the person who wrote this.

[peggysue2]

22. Exactly!

That phrasing popped out at me immediately. Unless the writer is talking about out-of-state activists working to increase registration in Mississippi. If so, he didn't take the time to clearly state that and/or left it deliberately vague (always good to have deniability escape hatch).

Plus this reference to 'the blacks' just clangs against my ear, as if it refers to some monolithic entity, not a community of individuals or flesh and bone people or members of a specific group--BLM volunteers, for instance. Trump has used the same reference:

MAGAs love the blacks.

Really?

[niyad]

23. That was the first thing I noticed. The second (admittedly VERy minor thing) was not knowing the

difference between "fir" and "for".

[whopis01]

30. Well "fir" is how her pa always pernounced it

And that how her pa's pa done pernounced it.

So ya'll best shut up or she'll give you what fir.

[Luz]

37. I stopped at "I'm a Elect..". You're "an" Elect...Obviously

she slept thru 5th grade English.

[gollygee]

34. That could be a typo

I and O are next to each other on the keyboard

[PTWB]

24. Yep. That stuck out the most.

She considers there to be two types of voters - the Blacks and the People. As much as it shouldn't shock me, given everything else going on in the country, it still does.

[AwakeAtLast]

39. This is their fear.

Organized Blacks. In Mississippi.

[Demovictory9]

46. exactly

[uponit7771]

48. "The blacks" like we're kitchen utensils or some shit

[SheltieLover]

3. K&R!

Ty for posting this.

[The Magistrate]

4. Note, Ma'am, The Distinction He Makes

Blacks are having registration events, so people in Mississippi have to step up....

[Lochloosa]

6. The one person I hate to correct on DU. "She makes"

[The Magistrate]

7. So It Is, My Friend

I caught on the Harrison and did not note the Gail. Thank you.

[PTWB]

27. Even when we know someone's sex, we should still not assume their gender.

[Polybius]

36. So I can't say "Have a good day, sir" to a customer that's leaving?

This article says "her."

https://www.towleroad.com/2020/07/gop-election-official-sounds-alarm-the-blacks-are-having-lots-of-events-for-voter-registration-video/

[Decoy of Fenris]

38. I wouldn't, nowadays. Lots of nonbinary, trans and gender-fluid folk who deserve consideration.

Done my fair share of misgendering (accidental) in the service industry and when it happens, the look of just... hurt... I've seen on their faces? Ain't worth it. I don't know what the gender-neutral equivalent is myself, but I'd humbly suggest using a neutral term to any unknown customers you may have.

[Polybius]

40. I'm talking about if there's pretty much no doubt

If I'm ever on the fence about it, I would never say sir or ma'am.

[Decoy of Fenris]

41. You're probably good. Still, it's treacherous ground.

Someone could have just discovered their identity, or are -very- closeted. Buddy of mine of going on 30 years came out to her family as nonbinary and female-identifying (I won't lie, the particulars are lost on me but I'm just there for her.) Today's a different world than when I was a young one, but I've learned to try not to use gendered language unless with your own personal friends and you know their given identities.

Sounds like I'm just being pedantic, so my apologies for it. Good day to ya, mate. o7

[PTWB]

42. I don't see any reason to gender a stranger.

Why isn’t “Have a great day!” sufficient?

[Bettie]

19. I noticed that too

and it is the most telling part of the whole thing.

[dalton99a]

20. +1

[Laelth]

5. OMG, that's offensive.

The author has no clue. “Blacks are registering voters. People have to get involved too.” What? This person PUBLICLY admits to believing that “Blacks” aren’t PEOPLE.

We still have a long way to go, folks.



-Laelth

[patphil]

26. My feeling exactly. She is totally afraid that the blacks will vote themselves into office.

[Laelth]

32. Heaven forbid!

Blacks might vote! Where are my smelling salts?

It’s just so shocking to me that in 2020 there are still people who are this tone-deaf. I can accept that many Americans are racist, but you would think that a government official, like this one, would be better at hiding it.

-Laelth

[bobbieinok]

8. Horrifying reminder of 1964 Mississippi Summer, when college students worked to help blacks

They weren't registering blacks. They were working to simply get them into the right building so they could then convince the white gate-keepers to register them

That was what Chaney, Swerner, Goodwin were doing when they were murdered in Philadelphia County

Reagan made his 1st election campaign speech in 1980 at the Philadelphia fairgrounds, where he empasized how strongly he suppoted states rights!

Quite a loud dog-whistle there!

But in 1980 who could really imagine that a has-been movie star could become the president of the US of A?

[bobbieinok]

10. A minister in CA where I was in grad school spent a week helping, then spoke to our group

I can see and hear him still, 54 yrs later, as he said--'I could leave, but they (ie the blacks living in MS) can't. They live there'

[procon]

9. And they will no doubt deny their views are racist.

That attitude is so deeply entrenched that they fell quite confident in airing their racism for all to see because that has been the established cultural norm for centuries.

How do you change an entire culture when the majority are in denial that any sort of problems exists and don't want to change? How do you motivate black voters to get out the vote if they want to see any change?

It's a Herculean task, so I dunno the answers, but turning out black voters and electing more black people to public office is obviously a key part and a way to start off any long-term strategy.

[bobbieinok]

11. A minister here took part in 1964 Mississippi Summer. He said they called McComb MS 'Bomb, MS'

He was one of the many college students who trained in workshops then worked helping blacks that summer

And black homes, churches were bombed in MS that summer---and before and after. Whites were determined that no black would ever vote in MS!

[AJT]

12. This seems fake to me.

[Alacritous Crier]

13. It's not fake...

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2020/06/30/mississippi-election-commissioner-accused-making-racist-comments/3280055001/

[AJT]

17. Good lord, what happened to education in this country.

☹

[William Seger]

33. "A social media comment with racial undertones..."

Undertones?

[PTWB]

43. If those are undertones, what are overtones?

Jesus.

[Beakybird]

14. Mississippi is sadly one of several openly racist states where this gets a pass.

Her statement is so dehumanizing.

[edhopper]

15. His title should be

Election Suppression Commissioner.

[edhopper]

16. This is what the Mississippi GOP is

2011 Poll: 46 Percent of Mississippi GOP Want to Ban Interracial Marriage
https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/04/mississippi-republicans/349433/

[Nitram]

18. Ergo, "blacks in Mississippi are not people."

[Alacritous Crier]

21. Probably...

still counting us as 3/5ths.




GOTV.

[PatrickforO]

25. This is disgusting. This lady doesn't even see black people as people.

When she says, "The blacks are having lots (of) events for voter registration," and then follows it up with "People in Mississippi have to get involved too," it shows what we're up against with these racist jerks.

[Scarsdale]

28. Every state in this country

needs to have voter registrations ASAP. Maybe getting republicans OUT will help improve the school districts, and lots of other things. They like to keep all people downtrodden, and uneducated. Time to fight back.

[frogmarch]

29. It's for people like Gail Harrison Welch that

Phil Ochs wrote the song "Here's to the State of Mississippi."

[33taw]

31. As an election commissioner - this could be grounds for removal.

[Still Sensible]

35. Absolutely! n/t

[Grins]

44. Why does author not want to fire people for being racist dicks?

”I am not one for calling for people to be sacked for being racist dicks, but...”

Seems to me that might be high on anyone’s list, especially a government’s.

[Demovictory9]

45. wow

[Skittles]

47. "the blacks"

you know, THOSE people

[Hermit-The-Prog]

49. That commish didn't even consider them "people"

The message from that elected official illustrates the need for Mississippi to work on their education system. Perhaps if more of "The Blacks" were voted into office, such shortcomings will be addressed.

Maybe this will be the year of black and blue elections in MS, and I ain't talkin' about bruises.

[Skittles]

50. when I read "the blacks" I am reminded of repukes saying "illegals"

putting legal status ahead of human status.....it is just wrong