Arizona Congressman (R - What else?) says black people had it better when they were slaves

[ck4829]

Arizona Congressman Trent Franks told blogger Mike Stark that African Americans were much better off under slavery. Franks, the most conservative member of the Republican caucus, who has in the past called the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision "the greatest holocaust in the history of mankind," is not new to conspiracy and bigotry.

Last October for example, Franks accused a prominent Muslim advocacy group of "trying to infiltrate the offices of members of Congress by placing interns in the offices." Franks, an on-again, off-again birther, has called president Obama "un-American," accused him of going "against American interests" and even called him "an enemy of humanity." His comments to Stark, as repulsive and abhorrent as they are, seem to be consistent with the reactionary mindset that some on the right hold.

FRANKS: In this country, we had slavery for God knows how long. And now we look back on it and we say "How brave were they? What was the matter with them? You know, I can't believe, you know, four million slaves. This is incredible." And we're right, we're right. We should look back on that with criticism. It is a crushing mark on America's soul. And yet today, half of all black children are aborted. Half of all black children are aborted. Far more of the African American community is being devastated by the policies of today than were being devastated by the policies of slavery. And I think, What does it take to get us to wake up?

http://mediamattersaction.org/blog/201002260004

You hear that? Black people are worse off today than when they were slaves because not all of us feel that 64 celled zygotes are worthy of worship.

[hobbit709]

1. STOOPID really should be excruciatingly painful.

[roguevalley]

8. is their anyone in Arizona in congress, etc. that isn't a jackass

[Suji to Seoul]

9. Raul Grijalva - Co-Chair of the House Progressive Caucus from CD-7

My former Congressman.


Mitchell is a Blue Dog
Giffords is a Blue Dog
Pastor is a Party Hack

The four Republicans are neanderthals and I don't want to discuss the two idiot Senators.

[Last_Stand]

11. Grijalva & Pastor...

voted against renewing the patriot act.

That's about all I've got for you.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Franks Put The Stu in Stupid...

Not a surprise this asswipe uttered this crap. It takes hard work to be the most ignorant rushpublican, but he's got that title wrapped up and then some. I don't mean ignorant, but outright stupid...no clue what he's saying, just told to say it.

It's yet another display why the rushpublicans will lose 90% or more of the black vote this year and how that is both underestimated and ignored by the corporate media. Just like there's anger in the white community...the tea baggers...there are also many blacks and hispanics who are suffering and don't take the GOOP race baiting lightly...and these people DO vote.

[malaise]

3. Yep Franks loves his freedom

but black people were better off without any freedom, without family, without their children. Ah fuck you Trent Franks.

[madmax]

4. I'm stunned

There are simply no words.

[Yurovsky]

5. Why has the press taken a powder on this one?

I'm sure corporate ownership of most media outlets has NOTHING to do with the silence surrounding this racist asshole...

Ah yes, the "good old days"...

[YOY]

6. I'm sure his first attempt to put this spin on things was called something like "Ni***rgeddon".

but at least one of his aides managed to convince him this was a bad idea.

[Cirque du So-What]

7. K & R

If the corporate media don't deem this story worthy of coverage, the least DUers can do is get it to the greatest page, right? I'm talking the VERY least here.

[Maru Kitteh]

10. I'm willing to be "policies of today" doesn't just mean abortion, it means welfare and affirmative

action too. It is the conservatives FAVORITE way of soft-pedaling the good old black-people-are-all-on-welfare meme, along with the every-black-person-who-has-a-better-job-than-you-got-it-because-of-quotas meme.

They clutch their pearls and furrow their brows as they speak with great concern about how the black family has been "destroyed" by "dependence on the government instead of the natural head of the black family, the proud, black man." I've heard this from Rush, Ingram and Hannity. I've never heard any of them talk about the the WHITE family being torn apart by welfare. I've never heard ANY of them talk about white people on welfare - at all.

How else are we "hurting" the black community? By employing them in well-paying jobs, of course. It's not the obvious racism of the bigots on the right that are most harmful to people in the workplace and the job market. Oh no. It's the tree-hugging liberals who keep insisting that people of color not be discriminated against in the free marketplace and that everyone be paid fairly that are causing the most harm. Because the tree-huggers and the brown/black people keep insisting on non-discrimination and equality, you can be sure that the minority person with a better job than you have didn't really earn it.

It's nuckin' futz, but that's how they think.

[opihimoimoi]

12. What is it that the fine people of Arizona keep sending these LOSERS to Congress and the Senate

is it in the air?

The water?

whad is it???

[JCMach1]

13. I am sure my ancestors enjoyed that serfdom thing too...

:grr:

[PhD]

14. I read this statement several times and don't see your interpretation

Where does he say blacks were better off as slaves? The words say slavery was terrible, and abortion is terrible too.

[Union Yes]

15. Is a blatantly racist comment an impeachable offense? That Fascist needs to be removed from office.

knr. Thanks for the heads up.

edit: too late to rec. Here's a kick.

[madokie]

16. That man has to be the stoopidest mo fo I've ever heard utter a word

My next statement was going to be who in the hell votes for people like that then it hit me that I'm here in Oklahoma where the likes of inhofe and coburn get elected.wtf I do believe that the electronic vote counting machines we use are responsible for that.

[unhappycamper]

17. Perhaps Franks should sell himself into slavery to prove he's correct.

I suggest he try being a sex slave in Mumbai or the Dominican Republic. He might even have the chance to meet the great limpballs...