State lawmaker sends racially charged email to voter.

[dixiegrrrrl]

State Rep. Joe Mitchell, D-Mobile, had an outlandish exchange via email with a Jefferson County man who asked him and other lawmakers not to pass any laws that would restrict gun ownership.

Eddie Maxwell sent a mass email to state legislators at 10:54 p.m. on Jan. 27, warning them that even attempting to introduce a gun control bill was, in his opinion, a violation of state law.

Mitchell responded from his public, ALHouse.gov email account at 11:59 p.m., telling Maxwell: "Your folk never used all this sheit (sic) to protect my folk from your slave-holding, murdering, adulterous, baby-raping, incestuous, snaggle-toothed, backward-a**ed, inbreed (sic), imported criminal-minded kin folk."

"That’s not the type of reply I expect to receive from a state legislator," Maxwell replied on Feb. 11. "I’m not a racist and I find your reply to be especially offensive considering the position you hold."

Copies of the email exchange were provided to AL.com by state lawmakers who were included in the correspondence. The emails are printed below, edited only to remove the specific addresses.

Mitchell, who is black, did not respond to email and telephone messages from AL.com seeking comment this week.
He told the Associated Press today that he was explaining that citizens who descended from slaves and were disenfranchised by the state constitution have a different view of history and the constitution than white citizens.

http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/03/post_44.html#incart_special-report

Oh...so THAT's what he was trying to say....

[Roland99]

1. real classy move there, Mitchell

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. He DID spell "sheit" the way it is pronounced down here, tho.

So there is that.....

[Roland99]

4. heh. too-shay

[Blue_Tires]

5. lol he does get credit for the proper vernacular

I fully understand your frustration and why you wrote what you did, Mr. Mitchell, but this only hurts what you're fighting for...

[JustAnotherGen]

2. It's racially charged

whenever black Americans tell the truth. My dad was a 'bama man. Should a Legislator - local, state, Federal EVER say or write something like that?

Hell no! Inapproporiate.

But is that something I've thought in anger these past four years when I see pictures of President Obama eating watermelon or dressed as a witch doctor with comments about him "taking away our rights" and "I want my country back!"

You betcha!

I've thought things like that member of Alabama's Legislature did.

"Oh yeah! Noooooooooooooow it's a big deal. But when it's a black American it's NOT a big deal. They just are uppity and have a chip on their shoulder."

I dunno - I've heard similar things out of my mother's mouth and she's a laid back California caucasian woman. I never thought I'd hear things like that come out of her mouth - but she she's 65 and still a mean mean mama bear when it comes to her kids.

[Mira]

6. I'm trying very hard

to wrap my brain around all of this and find a way to not blow it out of my own top.
I'm amazed, after reading everything at the link as well - that I am able to see parts of a bigger picture and also at that this even COULD happen and the lawmaker is still upright and in one piece.

I guess we have made some progress.