Monday, July 11, 2011

"It was not meant to be racist or anything."

The holier-than-thou righties are big on pledges. They've got purity pledges and "cut, cap and balance" pledges and tax pledges and and who can keep up with it?

But this one takes the cake. The "Family Leader" offered up an anti-gay, anti-porn, you'd better be faithful pledge that Rick Santorum has agreed to sign and Michele Bachmann bellied up to sign without so much as a blink.

Whether or not they read the opening preamble is anyone's guess, but here, you read it for them:

Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA's first African-American President.

What's even more stunning than that darling excerpt is that Family Leader brass couldn't understand why in the heck anyone would take issue with it. Politico offers up this quote from Julie Summa, director of marketing and public outreach for the Family Leader:

"We came up with the pledge and so we had no idea that people would misconstrue that," she said. "It was not meant to be racist or anything. it was just a fact that back in the days of slavery there was usually a husband and a wife...we were not saying at all that things are better for African-American children in slavery days than today."

The group has since removed the language from the "Marriage Vow" pledge.

Well gee, that sure fixes everything!

* * *

46 comments:

Tony Rugare said...

They really meant to say that back in the days of slavery there was a husband and a wife whose chilren were prime products for sale.

Cleveland Bob said...

Good one, EOB!

Now let's all sit back and watch your throng of Right Wing readers defend the various facets of this "pledge" that suit their peculiar tastes in human kindness.

Bill said...

Why these politicians get suckered in by these pledges, is beyond me. But, they HAVE already taken a marriage vow. I guess it's like renewing your vows. The slavery reference is stupid. What the hell is The Family Leader, anyway?

Jim said...

Of all the idiotic things to do. Family Leader? Really. Candidate pledges? This sounds like some kind of sophomoric sorority pledge, the kind rich white kids would make. Tell me what this has to do with the imploding economy, job suck, and how the rich get away without paying taxes, even though they drive on our roads, ship their (made in China) products on our roads and railways, and generally take advantage of all the publicly funded infrastructure there is. Yet they want pledges. Excuse me while to go throw up.

Erin O'Brien said...

I like this provision in the "pledge:"

Recognition that robust childbearing and reproduction is beneficial to U.S. demographic, economic, strategic and actuarial health and security.

Erin O'Brien said...

Here's a link to the entire document

Bill said...

Cleveland Bob: Don't hold your breath.

J9 said...

But did you read between the lines about making it more difficult for a woman to survive as a single, or a single mother?

The Expatresse said...

This has been a hot topic at our house lately.

Assuming you've seen this: http://www.baratunde.com/blog/2011/7/8/michelle-bachmann-is-running-for-president-on-a-pro-slavery.html

Big Mark 243 said...

As one of the few (if there are any, I wouldn't know) AA's who read your blog, I first want to say great hair!! I just noticed your profile pic and am blown away!! Do you ever get tired of it and how long does it take to dry??

First of all, there are certain things that you have to be a club member to say. Had this came from the mouth of Herman Cain (and if anyone had given him the chance... I bet he would have said something just as stupid!) it would have been a different kind of discussion. Now, I am wondering about the tactics that would be used by this 'gift'. The Repugs slung dirt on John Kerry's service until the he was buried so deep that he was completely distracted from the task at hand, which was winning the Presidency. As a strategist, I would have dummy Michele Bachmann and stupid Rick Sanctorum trying to explain this for their entire run up... that is what the folks on the right would do if there was a similar goof'em up on the left.

That anyone signed it is an ominous statement about their potential leadership ability. You really want someone who is either gullible and willing to say anything to win potential votes in office or someone who is that dim that comparing ANYTHING as being 'worse than in the days of slavery' for African Americans is worthy of support is ludicrous (I ate my Mike Tyson chewables..!)

I would make the nimrods who signed that pledge explain that decision once a week for the entire election cycle. Can't you see them getting flummoxed and imploding? I know that I can..!

Erin O'Brien said...

Mark: thanks. My hair is only this long because I detest going to the beauty shop.

Anonymous said...

OT Erin but--what ever happened to Jungle Jane? I think that's how I got to your blog...

Harry Finch said...

This is about winning the Iowa Caucus. Bachmann must win Iowa if she is to have a chance, and this pledge stuff plays with Iowa Republicans.

rraine said...

i started to read the whole document, and had to stop. this kind of stuff infuriates me to the nth degree. remember the loyalty oaths in the 50s? i hear echoes...

Norm said...

Of course they didn't read it. I don't think they can read.

msprimadonna67 said...

Oh my...

Dudesworthy said...

This is just a gift to Dem strategists really. All they have to do is run an Ad about this with clips from the following debate where Bachmann complains about how France isn't white anymore and she is toast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP4hYkfwuTY

Kirk said...

Idiots.

Leslie Morgan said...

Robust childbearing and reproduction certainly seem beneficial to me. Just what we need in these times! I was going to eat lunch. I think I'll pass for right now.

Bill said...

That pledge could've come right out of the Quran. The 10 Commandment is quite enough and most of us don't even have a shot at keeping half of them.

twinkly sparkles said...

What can you say? FUCKERS is about it.

Has anyone read Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale?"

fuckers and creeps

makes my skin crawl and my blood boil

Katherine

Anonymous said...

What's truly astonishing here is that these religious thugs could look at a slave couple and see traditional family values as opposed to two enslaved individuals either of whom could be raped, abused, worked to death, or sold as chattel at their owner's discretion. Slaves could not have a legal marriage, traditional or otherwise, because they could not enter into contracts. THEY WERE PROPERTY! To see anything else is to be profoundly blind.

Erin O'Brien said...

Yep.

Jim said...

Not all cultures are equal? So, ours is the mark by which all others must measure up? The murder capitol of the world? Really. BTW, I'm referring to the Bachman clip on youtube clip that Dudesworthy posted. What utter arrogance.

Bill said...

It is curious that there are no lib pledges. Or, are there?

Harry Finch said...

Just the oath of office, Bill.

Erin O'Brien said...

Yep.

Bill said...

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

tomhark said...

The only pledges necessary for liberals are the Oath of Office and the Pledge of Allegiance. They should be the only ones anyone takes for elected office, especially federal. And now, at long last, won't some of the Right Wing advocates on this page, who are so throaty in their defenses of liberty, justice, God, etc. under most circumstances finally develop some BALLS and acknowledge that a significant, and growing, percentage of their ideological brethren are just plain dangerous and wrong. These people will stop at nothing to wage war on the disenfranchised, and it's only when they step out of their own echo chambers long enough to be scrutinized by reasonable people, that they are made aware of their own horror. "Worse than slavery." HA! And here I thought Grover Norquist was the biggest horses ass in the Republican Party.

Bill said...

That pesky Constitution. If the libs could just take that part out of the oath, it would be so much easier to honor.

Erin O'Brien said...

I always omit "under God" when I recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

VideoDude said...

Erin, me too.

Bill said...

EOB & Viddude: God Bless America is probably not something you'd be singing. and then there's that line in "Oh Beautiful" that says "God shed his grace on thee". Think of all that sing along fun you're missing.

Erin O'Brien said...

God can bless or shed his grace on any goddamn thing he chooses. The ommission has nothing to do with my spiritual beliefs. It has to do with the separation of church and state.

VideoDude said...

No one wants to hear me sing anyway. It is not pleasant! lol!

VideoDude said...

+1 for Erin!

Bill said...

LOL! Yeah, those songs sort of get the chuch and state thing all mixed up.

VideoDude said...

I prefer Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land". Written has a response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America".

VideoDude said...

That should be "Written as..."

Jon Moore said...

Vid,
Fifth verse, Woody refers to a sign he saw that says "no trespassing". In Ohio I see signs here and there throughout the state that say "No Trespassing Property of the State of Ohio". I wonder how Woody would feel about the usurpation and denial of private property at the hands of our government.
If you own your home, you do so only so long as you can pay your rent in the form of property taxes, and only so long as the government does not desire to acquire your land for the greater good.
This land may have been made for you and me, but it's now at the discretion of the ruling class.

VideoDude said...

Well, it's not owned by God either! I wasn't proposing the song as political doctrine. I think it is a better idea than some nebulous God owning the land.

As far as politics, I don't think I would have much to agree with Woody Guthrie.

Al The Retired Army Guy said...

Hmmm ... I guess we're going to have to rewrite some words to some things ....

"Somebody/anybody/whoever/I don't know/the guy next door bless America, land that I love, stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with the light from above... from the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam .... Somebody/anybody/whoever/I don't know bless America, my home, sweet home ... Somebody/anybody/whoever/I don't know/the guy next door bless America, my home ... sweet ... home."

"I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America ... and to the republic, for which it stands, one nation under somebody who we're not really sure exists, but we have to leave him/her/it out of this pledge because of the separation of church and state and because nut jobs everywhere of all stripes use his/its/her name to justify any number of things, with liberty, and justice for all."

Jeez, I crack myself up sometimes.

Al
TRAG

P.S. Not a political comment. Merely an attempt at levity.

VideoDude said...

What about: "...one nation, indivisible..."? That is how it was first written. The words "under God" were added in the 1950's.

VideoDude said...

Here a little history. The pledges original author did not like the addition of the words "under God".

http://oldtimeislands.org/pledge/pledge.htm

Mrs. C said...

@VideoDude and EOB et al:...and that dude who authored the Pledge was a minister; HE understood the separation of church and state and respected it in proposing his pledge.

BTW, many (slacker uninformed who just can't be bothered with a nonce of research) believe the Pledge of Allegiance is another of our founding documents; it is not, having been written in the LATE 19th century. And when its (plagiaristic) revision was forwarded in the 1950s, it was promoted as a "test" (something akin to dunking accused witches?) to winnow out all those anarchistic Commies that were terrorizing the masses (of slacker uninformed who couldn't be bothered to do a little research).

*sigh* This business of trying to merely keep bringing the simple truths forward to the uninitiated is exhausting sometimes.

Bill said...

Mrs C. I doubt that you actually know of anyone that thinks the pledge is a founding document. Please! Don't make shit up.