Something Al Sharpton needs to do.

[Archae]

Until Sharpton owns up to being a part of this farce, he has little credibility.

In 1987, Sharpton helped fuel a sad and racially divisive hoax. For weeks, he grabbed headlines and the nightly news spotlight as the chief spokesman for Tawana Brawley, the black teenager from Wappingers Falls who claimed she was kidnapped by a gang of white men. She said that after the men raped her, they stuffed her in a plastic bag, smeared her with feces and wrote racial epithets on her skin. If that wasn't bizarre enough, Sharpton made the additional claim that one of the attackers was a Dutchess County prosecutor, Steven Pagones.

The story was painfully disturbing, and it was false. A state attorney general's investigation determined that Brawley had fabricated the story to avoid being punished by her parents for staying out late.

Pagones sued Sharpton for defamation and won a $65,000 judgment. With the financial help of Percy Sutton, the former Manhattan borough president, Sharpton eventually paid off his debt to Pagones. Nevertheless, by all accounts, Pagones' life had been ruined by the slander.

Sharpton has steadfastly refused to apologize for the Brawley case, even though over the years he has sought to reinvent himself as a statesman-like figure.

http://www.nynews.com/newsroom/011304/b01p13reisman.html

[Character Assassin]

1. He will never do this

and, accordingly and appropriately, will remain an eternal footnote in American politics.

[spooky3]

2. I believe his view is that he does not believe he should

apologize for having believed Brawley, and for acting in accordance with those beliefs.

[beaconess]

3. Sharpton says that he won't apologize because he believed her

He says that he should not be attacked for believing a young woman. Whether you agree or not, he has a great line about it, "I stood up for a 15-year-old girl I believed in. Where is the scandal? I guess if I fondled her, they'd make me governor of California."

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. I don't think that it is believing Tawana that many whites find so

off-putting about Sharpton. His manner is neither humble nor meek, he does not adopt a deferential attitude toward white politicians, nor does he make any attempt to "act white."

This is much more disturbing to the white power elite than any one single incident.

As someone pointed out when this was discussed in a previous thread, it is inconceivable to some among the white power elite, and the general public as well, that anyone would deliberately eschew "acting white."

[beaconess]

7. Agree

That explains why when Dr. Dean challenges white people about race or accuses George W of using racially charged code words, he's hailed as a hero for engaging in a "dialogue."

When John Edwards calls Howard Dean's claim that he's the only white politician talking about race to white audiences untrue and divisive, he's applauded for setting the record straight.

When John Kerry gives a speech blasting Republicans for stacking the courts with judges who arenhostile to civil rights, he's praised for telling it like it is.

But when Al Sharpton points out that Howard Dean's rhetoric on race doesn't match his record, he's accused of racebaiting.

Apparently, white folks can talk about race all they want, but if a black man does it, he's playing the race card.

Racebaiter = modern day euphemism for "uppity negro."

[ecstatic]

9. exactly nt

[angee_is_mad]

27. its perceived as whining

and trying to make white people feel guilty!

[Character Assassin]

12. How profoundly, comically wrong

His manner is neither humble nor meek, he does not adopt a deferential attitude toward white politicians, nor does he make any attempt to "act white."

Please, by all means, tell me, exactly, precisely and definitively, what it means to 'act white', and how that applies to Sharpton.

This is much more disturbing to the white power elite than any one single incident.

You are extraordinarily, almost indescribably wrong.

[ecstatic]

13. name one pro-black, non-apologetic black person

who is in favor with the media/ general public.

[beaconess]

19. Or, name one white politician who is called a race baiter or demagogue

for speaking up about race?

[beaconess]

30. Black folks are fine, as long as they play along

But the minute someones questions the status quo, they're relegated to demagogue status.

[DuctapeFatwa]

18. I think you can answer that question yourself

List the African-Americans you would vote for for President.

[Character Assassin]

35. For starters, Ken Chenault

But I don't foresee him running, unfortunately.

[DuctapeFatwa]

36. LOL and I started to mention him in my previous reply to you but

refrained because I thought it would be rude and "inflammatory"

Thank you, Mr. President. This has truly been a very productive meeting. On behalf of all of us here I want to thank you for your outstanding leadership. The job of a leader is to define reality and give hope. And you are defining this new reality, and you're acting in a very positive way to bring us forward. And you are giving us a great deal of hope through your leadership.

Your team is moving very quickly and decisively on a range of actions to help stimulate the economy....We have some short-term challenges, we have a number of specific actions that you are putting in place that we have confidence will restore the economy, will restore the growth for our nation.
And Mr. President, your leadership has been outstanding on every level. You have the support of everyone in this room. You have the support of the American people. You have the support of our friends around the globe. We will not succumb to this evil. We believe in the American promise, and we will do everything to build on that promise.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/bushtext_100301.html



"I believe women should be admitted as members of the Augusta National Golf Club," Chenault said in a statement released by American Express, the newspaper reported. "I have made my views known within the club because I believe that is the most effective and appropriate way to bring about a change in membership policy."

http://www.ericmcerlain.com/offwingopinion/archives/000409.php

[angee_is_mad]

26. and he is totally independent of their influences

hell, look at how Bush has Powell shucking and jiving for him and has totally relegated him to total insignificance.

What is Powell's post again? With Baker, Rumsfeld, Condi, Bermer, Ashcroft and the rest I have totally forgotten.

[Bush loves Jiang]

33. "he does not adopt a deferential attitude toward white politicians"

Unless it's Al D'amato or George Pataki.

[Bush loves Jiang]

34. Coherence?

Posted in wrong thread

[H2O Man]

5. I did not agree with his stand in 1987....

....but do not believe it has any relevance at this time. The Rev. Sharpton is trying to expand the base of the democratic platform for the fall. Less than 35% of potential black voters took part in the 2000 election. He has the ability to inspire people - real people - who may have had some experiences 18 years ago that no longer define them today, to take a part in this process. I applaud him, and hope that you will consider that he has matured. Thanks.

[patricia92243]

6. Sharpton needs to quit the race and endorse Howard dean!!!

[ecstatic]

8. So, if a girl told you she was raped, you'd call her a liar?

Just wondering. I think if someone told me they had been brutally raped, my first instinct would be to get justice, not to assume she is a liar.

[ecstatic]

14. nobody on this board has EVER answered this question

:argh:

Apparently, there is no need to answer this question, since I'm totally out of line. Because everyone knows that only black men rape white women, right? The opposite would never happen would it? So anyone who would have the audacity to believe that a black girl was gang raped by white men should be locked away for life!

[H2O Man]

15. Actually, I spent 20 years....

....where part of my job was accessing this type of thing. While your question has some merit, the truth is no, not every time a woman says she has been raped is it true. Next, your comment on race is out of place here. Third, even if it were open to question at first, this case became an obvious scam early on. Saying that, I still have come to respect Sharpton much more in the past six months.

[DuctapeFatwa]

17. The least believable aspect of Tawana's story was that she reported it

The mainstream may not feel comfortable with that reality, but in a case such as you describe the victim's claim would be examined with what it is probably most tactful to call "careful scrutiny."

[RUexperienced]

10. Sharpton is a charlatan. He gives a bad name to

Democrats, New Yorkers, African Americans, Civil Rights workers, and Christians.

But don't ask me what I REALLY think of him.

[SadEagle]

11. I don't think it's his most serious issue.

I hardly think that someone who would endorse Al D'Amato has the credentials to represent the Democratic party.

[lcordero]

16. It's not his "past" that disturbs me, it's his "present" that does

I'm wondering why he is attacking the only current non-DLCer(Dean) that's registering any sort of numbers in the polls.

[beaconess]

20. Here we go again

Dean can go after the other candidates, claiming they're not doing enough about race. The other candidates can criticize Dean for falsely posturing as the only candidate talking about race to white audiences.

But when Al Sharpton does it, he's out of line?

Here's a hint. Sharpton is criticizing Dean, not because he's the only non-DLCer who's making a showing in the polls (pretty tortured qualifiers, eh?) but because Dean's the only candidate in the race who has been lecturing everyone else about how the race issue needs to be resolved and boasting that he is the candidate who is best able to address the problem but has never done a damned thing in his entire life to advance the cause of civil rights for minorities, except talk about it and who, when he had the chance to actually do something meaningful, he didn't lift finger because, at least according to some of his defenders, it would have been too hard.

That's why Sharpton challenged Dean and thank God he did.

[lcordero]

21. I'm no fan of Dean because of his stance on re-evaluating

civil liberties.
What disturbs me is that the slaps aren't evenly distributed in between candidates since minorities are only receiving lip service and nothing more by all of the candidates.

[beaconess]

22. What "slaps" about race should he make at the other candidates?

[lcordero]

24. how about the lack of support in order to contest the

presidential election in 2000?

How about unemployment and blacks?

How about subpar education and blacks?

[beaconess]

25. Response

1. Sharpton has criticized the other candidates for this. He probably hasn't brought it up recently since none of the candidates are strutting around claiming to be the only one interested in electoral reform. I'm sure if any of them try to go there, Sharpton will slap them down but quick.

2. Sharpton has been talking constantly about education and unemployment. What specifically is Sharpton supposed to say in criticism of any of the individual candidates with regard to unemployment and education deficiencies. Have any of them individually done something to exacerbate the problem or are any of them refusing to do anything about it?

[lcordero]

28. my response

Have any of them individually done something to exacerbate the problem or are any of them refusing to do anything about it?

The perception is that they have done nothing.

[beaconess]

29. Well, the perception is wrong

And even Sharpton knows it - that's probably why he hasn't been going after them and, at least where Edwards has concerned, has given them credit for standing up and fighting for what's right.

Case in point:

Edwards has been actively fighting to keep Janice Rogers Brown, an unqualified right wing idealogue, off of the federal bench. A couple of months ago, a conservative talk show host blindsided Al Sharpton and asked whether he thought this nominee, an African American woman, should be given an up or down vote on the Senate floor. Apparently unaware of that Senator Edwards and others were filibustering her nomination, Sharpton said she should at least be given a vote and criticized Edwards for blocking her, even though he, too, opposed her nomination. But, to his credit, as soon as Sharpton learned all the facts, he retracted his comments and praised Edwards for doing the right thing.

Shortly thereafter, a Republican group launched an attack ad against Edwards in South Carolina, accusing him of mistreating this poor African American woman and preventing her from going on the bench. The ad was obviously aimed at African American voters with the intention of convincing them that John Edwards was bad on civil rights (so much for the argument that the Republicans don't fear Edwards).

The ad included Sharpton's original quote calling for her nomination to go to a vote and ended with, "The daughter of a share-cropper who worked her way through law school as a widowed mother has been nominated to the second highest court in the land. But she's being blocked by Sen. John Edwards . . . Al Sharpton gets it; Senator Edwards doesn't. Shame on you Senator Edwards."

Sharpton immediately blasted the Republican front group and demanded that they pull the ad.

"I am outraged and disgusted to see . . . a White House front group use my name, my face and my statements in a misleading manner to smear Sen. John Edwards. I am strongly opposed to the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown. Senator Edwards properly voted against Janice Rogers Brown after a careful and deliberative review of her right wing judicial findings - not her politics - and at the urging of myself and other civil rights leaders."

Clearly, any perception that John Edwards is not fighting and fighting hard for civil rights - and being attacked for it like no other candidate - is just not based on reality.

[spooky3]

37. Thanks for this info. That is admirable of Sharpton.

[phirili]

32. Kinda messed Dean up.

[arewethereyet]

23. wouldn't this have about as much effect as Pete Rose's mia culpa ?

that is to say, too little too late ?

[beaconess]

31. kick