Murtha apologizes for calling W.Pa. 'a racist area'

[Sheets of Easter]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-gazette

A day after he called Western Pennsylvania "a racist area," U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha said in a statement today "I apologize for making the comment."

He continued, "While we cannot deny that race is a factor in this election, I believe we've been able to look beyond race these past few months, and that voters today are concerned with the policy differences of our two candidates and their vision for the future of our great country," said Mr. Murtha, a Johnstown Democrat.



Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/08290/920412-100.stm

---

I was a western PA resident for 26 years. As much as I love and miss the area, Murtha was right. I've lived in Ohio for eight years now, and haven't come close to witnessing the amount of racism and bigotry I experienced in Pittsburgh.

[madmom]

1. What part of Ohio, the southern part is very racist IMO

[Sheets of Easter]

4. Cleveland area.

Not to say it's nonexistent, I just haven't seen it as much out here.

on edit- I took a vacation recently in the Hocking Hills area, and the cultural shift was terrifying, to say the least.

[madmom]

11. that's the exact area I was referring to, my daughter goes to school down there, needless to

say visits are nerve racking.

[Hestia]

13. When I lived in Cleveland I thought it was very racist - much more so than living here in the South

people in Cleveland said stuff out loud that would shock me. The South has nothing on that part of Ohio, PA and even New Jersey.

[ohio2007]

18. interesting color coded election map of Ohio and western Pa counties

people in Cleveland said stuff out loud that would shock me. The South has nothing on that part of Ohio, PA and even New Jersey.

If anybody cares to draw a conclusion to the blue/red counties,it's easy to see Murtha is bashing the democratic base and calling democrats racists.




http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2004_election_county-by-county/



What state/county in the south do you reside in Hestia?

[UTUSN]

23. So is the huge red area empty of population like most "Red" states? n/t

[Chovexani]

24. Cleveland is racist as hell.

Trust me on this one. I'm black, and dated a white guy from Cleveland a few years ago. It's one of the most segregated cities I've ever seen, like shockingly so. I don't think I've ever been anywhere else where the white side of town and the black side were so clearly delineated, even when visiting relatives in the South. Many a time I was the only person of color at a gathering or function, and I got a LOT of the "can I touch your hair" type of bullshit, from educated people who really should have known better. We had a fair bit of an age difference (I was 19 and he was 26), and when we would go out (white) people would assume I was a prostitute because what else would a white guy be doing with a black chick? I'm not shitting you.

NY isn't perfect but we never had that kind of BS happen when he would come see me.

[Sheets of Easter]

26. Maybe I need to clarify.

From my own personal experience, I've dealt with more racist attitudes from people in western PA then I have in NE Ohio. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, and as a white guy living in the 'burbs, I'm probably blind to a lot of it. Maybe it's a hell of a lot more subtle here. In many cases, it isn't. Maybe I'm fortunate to have surrounded myself with people who aren't as ignorant about things.

You make some great points, though, especially about the not-so invisible color line between certain parts of the city. Still, I've discovered a stronger sense of multiculturalism here than in Pittsburgh; perhaps not much, but noticeable to me.

Most of all, as I said before, when you move somewhere on your own accord, it's much easier to surround yourself with people that don't have the same principles and closed minds that you were forced to grow up with.

[Klukie]

2. He shouldn't apologize for telling the truth.....

I hail from central PA and currently reside in NW Pa and let me tell you, I am knee deep in it. I had a neighbor actually say " We don't need a black man as president". It is that open and direct. Lifelong democrats are voting for McCain. Only one reason comes to mind for their shift to the right. They aren't voting for McCain, they are voting against Barack Obama. We have bigots galore in this region and nobody will convince me otherwise.

[MountainLaurel]

5. My mother calls it Pennsyltucky

Pretty much everything west of Phillie and east of Pittsburgh

[Kalifornia.Kid]

3. As true as saying five pennies in a nickle.

[DebbieCDC]

6. Don't apologize for telling the truth Murtha

I grew up 20 miles from the Western PA border (in southeastern Ohio) and it is a sink hole of prejudice and everything else that goes with that mindset.

[HopeHoops]

7. I think Murtha is wrong to apologize, but he could have clarified a bit

I lived in N.W. PA for four years and my wife is from there. While it is accurate to say there is strong racism in the area, it is different from what you typically encounter in say South Carolina. The distinction is intent. From my experiences in the South, I view the racism as a combination of hatred, resentment, white superiority, the general use for "racism". The type of racism in N.W. PA tends to be more ignorance, meaning lack of experience, at least in the rural areas. I spent a lot of that time hanging out with a close friend who was black. A particular time comes to mind when we stopped in for beers at a hunting bar near a national forest. Our initial thought to the reaction of those inside was "we are going to die". We shot some pool and two of the locals joined us for partners, I think to teach us a lesson. We held our own on the table and before long we were having a great time. They even invited us back. Given the demographics of that particular area, I suspect he was the first black man ever to walk through the door.

So yes, race is definitely a factor and Murtha is correct that it will cost Obama points in that region, but I doubt it matters since the region he is talking about would be voting GOP even if the Dem ticket was two white males. But I do think the so called "racism" in that area is far more likely to be overcome than it is in areas that are truly what we think of when we hear the word "racist". Overall, I'm not sure why he bothered to mention it in the first place.

[happyslug]

14. Western Pa vote GOP? Not Likely

Except for some of the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Western PA has been heavily Democratic since BEFORE the Civil War. After the Civil War, the City of Pittsburgh was an GOP stronghold within a Democratic Western Pennsylvania. Starting in the 1920s Pittsburgh Started to go Democratic and was overwhelmingly Democratic by the Early 1930s (The Last GOP councilmen for the City of Pittsburgh lost his seat in 1934, and no Republican has been elected since).

Post WWII, the GOP made a stand in the Suburbs of Pittsburgh and are still they, outnumbered even in the Suburbs but between higher GOP turnout and moderate stands the GOP get elected in the Suburbs. In the rural areas, Western PA is still heavily Democratic. The Democratic majority starts to run GOP as you near pass Butler going north (The City of Erie is the Big Exception, heavy Democratic is a Sea of Republicanism) and as you cross Allegheny mountain into Blair County and the middle of the state (Which is Heavily GOP). Westmoreland, Indiana, Washington and Somerset has huge GOP controlled area, but all four Counties are overwhelmingly Democratic. Thus Murtha's District is so weirdly shaped, to put as many Democrats into his district as possible, freeing GOP areas to be put into 18th District, Between Murtha's 12th District and the 14th District and the City of Pittsburgh. Thus Murtha's District includes Greene County in the Southwest Corner of the State, Armstrong County NORTH of Pittsburgh in addition to Cambria county to Pittsburgh East (Murtha District is almost a half moon around Pittsburgh's District but they never touch, the GOP controlled 18th is in between). Thus rural Democratic Strongholds like Greene and Cambria counties are in Murtha's district, but the Suburbs of Pittsburgh are NOT.

For nice mao of Congressional District see:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=PA

List of Pennsylvanian members of the house and their Districts:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=PA

Murtha's 12th District:
ttp://www.govtrack.us/perl/cd-map.cgi?state=PA&district=12&size=512

Murphy's 18th District:
http://www.govtrack.us/perl/cd-map.cgi?state=PA&district=18&size=512

[kirby]

27. Racist, yes != voting for GOP

They are two different things.

[Chovexani]

25. I'm calling bullshit on this post.

There's no such thing as "intent", racism is racism. It all comes from the same place and it's all about the same shit, it's just a matter of degrees and what lengths they feel comfortable in going to express that same mentality--if you really think, gosh those good folk in NW PA aren't those "evil and scary kind of racists", just the "stupid kind of racist" because they just don't know any better, your privilege is showing. I'm not coming down on you or trying to flame, I am saying your friend probably has a very different opinion of the situation in the area. And if you don't think they didn't call your friend a n***** when they saw him coming and after you left, I've got a bridge for sale in the NY area. It's ideas like that which give rise to the laughable notion that racism doesn't exist in lily-white areas where there are no PoC.

Just as a footnote, I also will point out that I saw far more skinheads during my drives through that area to Ohio as a child than I ever did during my summers in South Carolina. On one of those occasions, we saw another black family that was passing through get their tires slashed.

[CC]

8. Dear Western PA and other areas

that do not like their racism pointed out. Prove it. If you vote your pocket book and want change you will vote for the black guy not for more of the same.

Have a lot of closet racist here that would like to deny it. I have used the prove it and research then vote what is best for the people. It has worked on some since if they are embarrassed about being called out on it they at least know it is wrong.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. I've experienced far more racism in rural PA than in the deep South

I think one of the problems is that there simply aren't any black people in many rural areas of PA.

[Klukie]

12. I agree

[Orrex]

10. Speaking as one who lives in western PA...

I can tell you that this region is no more racist than any other racist backwater.

[noiretextatique]

15. thanks for that

:rofl: best post in the thread

[winston61]

16. It's not just in PA, brother-

come on down to Texas for big, steaming pile of bigotry. You would not believe some of the shit I hear. People that are piss ignorant and damned proud of it. We live in a country ruled by and inhabited by aggressive simpletons.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

17. Good, now maybe he'll apologize to the troops he accused of murder.

[President Kerry]

19. huh?

what a non-sequiter

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

20. How doesn't it follow?

I'm glad he apologized for calling people racist, that's a stupid thing to do right before an election and now I hope he'll apologize for his false statements against our soldiers.

David

[winston61]

21. How do you know they are false statements?

Not everyone who wears the uniform is a hero. The word is over used and ill defined. When I think of hero I think of Audie Murphy and Alvin York.

[OnionPatch]

22. I grew up 40 miles from Pittsburgh.

And Murtha is right. Sadly.

[RPM]

30. Agreed...

I have been here the better part of 25 years, and I have heard and seen some shit in my time.

The worst kind too - decent to the face, but racist as hell behind the back.

[goodgd_yall]

28. Too bad he thought he had to back down

You can't speak the truth about racism on the MSM anymore, it appears.

[RamboLiberal]

29. Yep - how dare Murtha call us racist!!!!!!!!!!

One of them is John Kashin, of Mount Pleasant.

Over a lunchtime hamburger and a beer at Perry's Pub and Grille in Greensburg, the 33-year old, who works for a window manufacturing company, described himself as "not exactly a racist person. But I am not ready for a black president and I don't think the country is."

-----

Across Greensburg's main street, at a coffee shop, Brandon Allshouse, 20, said he's voting for John McCain "because he's a Christian. Obama is not. I heard he's a Muslim and that he took the oath of office on the Quran."

-----

At the Hot Metal Diner in West Mifflin, George Opsitos, 68, predicted Mr. Obama may lose the election because of his color.

"People aren't saying anything, but when it comes time to vote, there are people who will never vote for a black man or a woman," the 68-year-old Munhall resident said.

Mr. Obama, he added, "is snooty, arrogant, elitist. As this thing goes along he acts like he's won it. He's got this attitude, you know?"

His wife agreed.

"There's a lot of blacks I love, don't get me wrong," said Barb Opsitos, 61. "At my mother's nursing home, I laugh with them, talk with them. I don't want to sound prejudiced but she comes across like, 'you owe me.' I just don't like her. There's something very 'up' there, like she's above it all."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08291/920658-470.stm

[WorseBeforeBetter]

31. Sigh. (n/t)