Is that alright?
One could argue, whether Governor Susana Martinez forgives and forgets Rep Sheryl Williams-Stapleton's racist remark is Martinez' call; after all, the remark was directed at her.
Republican Party heavy hitter Pat Rogers also enjoys the Governor's forgive and forgetness, though in this case she wasn't the subject of his racist "humor", nor is she the target of his "deep personal animosity" as is CD1 Candidate Rep Janice Arnold-Jones.
Some of the actual targets of Roger's insults are apparently, not so willing to turn the other cheek.
According to Joe Monahan this morning, link,
Progress Now New Mexico will join leaders from Native American, Hispanic and LGBT communities Thursday morning (August 30) at 9:00 am outside of the Modrall law offices located at 500 Fourth Street NW, Albuquerque for a brief press conference before community leaders deliver letters and attempt to meet with firm representatives. The public and media are invited to attend this public event.
What Martinez does in forgiving and in particular "forgetting" this kind of behavior, is to demonstrate that she sees no qualitative difference between people who make racist remarks and say they're "sorry" and those who don't make racist remarks at all.Ayn Rand offers and asks;
"It is not justice or equal treatment that you grant to men when you abstain equally from praising men’s virtues and from condemning men’s vices.Martinez encourages the likes of Rogers and Williams-Stapleton at the expense of politicians and public servants who struggle successfully to behave within their public service; like ladies and gentlemen. She betrays good men and women is so doing.
When your impartial attitude declares, in effect, that neither the good nor the evil may expect anything from you—whom do you betray and whom do you encourage?"
photos Mark Bralley
5 comments:
Seriously Ched? You're better than that. It's the Governor's fault that Williams-Stapleton is a racist bigot because she accepted her apology?
It seems to me that Conservatives aren't very apt to playing the "race card"...not because they aren't offended, not because they don't disapprove...but because racist activity and racist statements from progressives / Democrats always gets a pass. Progress Now New Mexico, Leaders from Native American, Hispanic and LGBT communities, and La Raza didn't say a damn word to Stapleton, why is that? Well, it just doesn't fit the tired old narrative that the left supports minorities and the right is racist. Time and time again the left ignores racist activity on the left and finds it where it doesn't exist on the right. All the while exploiting minorities in every way just to obtain and maintain their power in government.
Blaming the victim of these remarks is lazy...it also leaves the not so subtle implication that she is some disloyal Hispanic for not standing up, some traitor. Somehow less Hispanic for tolerating the remarks. Using an Ayn Rand quote to drive that home was anything but subtle. Perhaps that's your intention...but you always seem more insightful and fair than that.
My point was, giving misconduct a pass, a forgive and forget, encourages more misconduct.
Your take that I blame Susana Martinez for Williams-Stapleton's racism is interesting. Williams-Stapleton's racism precedes her involvement with Martinez, so in that sense Martinez bears no responsibility. But the likelihood that she will continue to manifest her racism increases inversely with the likelihood of paying significant consequences.
Forgiving and in particular forgetting, is the opposite of a significant consequence.
Your notice of the hypocrisy manifest by PNNM, Native Americans, Hispanics and LGBT communities is well taken. I offered no endorsement of any of them, except to point out that they intended to stand up in protest.
Lazy is not a word I would apply to my efforts. "Blaming the victim" is too simplistic a characterization. I point out that victims' responses to the misconduct that victimizes them has an effect on the likelihood they will be victimized again, and that someone else will be victimized by the same bully.
I don't think that constitutes blaming the victim more than the perp.
I don't understand what I did wrong by quoting Ayn Rand. Subtle is not my style. Subtle is ignored by people in positions of power; subtle is never heard. That particular quote is one I have used as a tool in teaching and advocating for Character Counts! for nearly two decades.
Thank you for your thoughtful input.
It occurred to me after I published my comment, that the LGBT community was not a specific victim of Williams-Stapleton's racism and therefore needn't to have "said a damn word" to Williams-Stapleton. The same could be said for the Native American community.
Therefore I would like to retract my assertion that they manifest hypocrisy in showing up on Modrall's doorstep.
Fair enough...but what did Rogers say about LGBTs?
If you are asking what Rogers said about LGBT that would warrant their participation in the demonstration outside Modrall, I don't know. Mention was made that, in one of the emails being released, he made reference to someone's sexual orientation, which struck me as inappropriate.
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