RACIST EMAIL from Va. Beach Republican chair- resigns...... but there is just so much more

[underpants]

Let's cut to the chase- this is the email

MY DOG
I went down this morning to sign up my Dog for welfare.
At first the lady said, "Dogs are not eligible to draw welfare".

So I explained to her that my Dog is black, unemployed, lazy, can't speak
English and has no frigging clue who his Daddy is.

So she looked in her policy book to see what it takes to qualify...

My Dog gets his first check Friday.

Is this is a great country or what?
http://bluevirginia.us/diary/2026/virginia-beach-republican-committee-chair-forwards-racist-email

Props to Derechos for posting this in the Virginia forum
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=183&topic_id=6470&mesg_id=6470

THE EXCUSE From March 15 2010 mind you
The e-mail was dated March 15 and sent from the address that Bartholomew uses as party chairman. Bartholomew forwarded it without reading the contents when "he was first getting familiar with the Internet," Byler said.
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/10/beach-gop-chairman-agrees-resign-over-racist-email


Rigell does damage control
Just after 7 p.m., Rigell came out with a statement of his own: "The email sent by Republican Party of Virginia Beach Chairman David Bartholomew is reprehensible. It stands in stark contrast to the core values of the Republican Party, the party of Lincoln, and my personal belief in a colorblind society. I call upon Mr. Bartholomew to immediately resign his position as Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia Beach."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/10/rigell_condemns_another_racist.html

[madmax]

1. I can not believe

this shit still exists. Ok, I could understand it coming from some backwoods mountain man but...

Disgusting son of a bitch.

[antigone382]

17. The racism is disgusting and saddening.

But it doesn't help to characterize other Americans (almost certainly Appalachians) as "backwoods mountain men." Even as far south as Georgia there was considerable support for the Union in the mountains during the civil war, and we were some of the most dedicated union loyalists to be found until unions lost all effectiveness in the south through "right to work" laws, etc.

We're currently facing the dispossession of our land and the continued erosion of our livelihood due to mountain-top removal and clear-cutting by truly horrible corporations like Massey Energy (not to mention their abusiveness and disregard for the lives of their miners). And they've been sure to make themselves the only game in town, so a lot of people are terrified of losing the mining on which our current livelihood depends, even as it makes the future that much more bleak. But virtually no one in America knows or cares about this issue, because we're just "backwoods mountain folk."

There are Appalachians--a lot of us--who are fighting what's happening right now (many of us went to march in Washington about a month ago, with over 100 of us getting arrested), but if we seem too well educated and don't fit the "image" of Appalachian hillbillies then they accuse us of being "hippie" outsiders imposing our views; and if we do fit that image, we're just ignorant backwoods trailer trash whose lives and futures don't matter nearly as much as the cheap energy lurking beneath our feet. Watersheds are being destroyed. People are being endangered and poisoned. Entire landscapes full of incredible biodiversity are being permanently wiped off the map, but America does not care, because the people of these hills are expendable trash in the eyes of many.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, and I don't mean to attack you. But in addition to the larger, ongoing exploitation of the mountain people and their land, I have seen the legal discrimination and loss of opportunity my friends have suffered because they were identifiably from "the mountains." I don't think you intended to put forth a harmful stereotype, because everyone does it. I'm just trying to raise awareness that yes, this stereotype is indeed harmful, and we do all need to think about it.

[madmax]

18. Please accept my sincere apology.

You're right. What I wrote was completely stupid, wrong and unfair. It was very flip and stereotypical - my fault because I didn't try to apply less hurtful and dumb analogy. I appreciate you bringing it to my attention, we all need to be reminded about being sensitive to people who may live in a certain area and are stereotyped by their geographical location and/or other reasons. It's just as bad as judging someone by the color of their skin, or the origin of their birth and I'm truly embarrassed and sorry.



:blush: Can I buy you a beer?

[antigone382]

19. Apology (and definitely beer) accepted.

;)

Thanks for being so willing to understand my point of view! You seem like a pretty awesome person, to be honest, so don't be too hard on yourself. We are products of a racist, heterosexist, classist, regionalist, whatever-ist culture, and we all express that sometimes. The way I've learned to deal with my own prejudices is to accept responsibility for my words and actions, while remembering that I did not choose that worldview. In other words, we can accept responsibility for unraveling the prejudices and stereotypes that have been ingrained in our perceptions, without feeling guilty about them, because we didn't put them there.

[madmax]

20. Thank you

:hug: :toast: To better understanding and good will towards all men and women ;)

[LoZoccolo]

2. This is why it may be a good idea to check the history of forwards that sometimes accumulates

in the body of the email, if you have the time. You might find someone who really shouldn't be forwarding such things, especially from work email addresses. I found a police officer once!

[ZombieHorde]

3. Recommended. nt

[pacalo]

4. Duh, it's the "party of Lincoln" that sends out tons of these type e-mails.

The party of Lincoln would easily be the Democratic party if he existed today. And he would be labeled as a Socialist & his name would be smeared by those same monsters.

[Wednesdays]

6. The "Party of Lincoln" pretty much died when he did.

After that, it became the party of corruption--with the exception of TR, who was hated by the GOP regulars.

[pacalo]

9. Eisenhower deserves some props for his prophetic warning against the corporate/military complex.

Startling, selfless words from a five-star general.

If he had been alive to see how his vice president had served in the high office, he would surely have felt shame & embarrassment of his past connection to him -- not to mention spanking his grandson David's behind for marrying into the Nixon family.

[zbdent]

5. "he was first getting familiar with the Internet," ...

and I guess he probably claims that he's more in touch of what this country needs to return to greatness, hum???

[Dappleganger]

7. Not surprised, I grew up there

and VA Beach is full of people like this.

[underpants]

10. Va, Beach is the money for the Republicans in this state

almost all of Ollie North's Senate race money (THANK YOU Sen. Warner and Marshall Coleman) was from The Beach.

[Dappleganger]

16. Pat Robertson's 700 moran club, too.

Their tentacles are everywhere.

[gratuitous]

8. My dog

I went down this morning to sign up my Dog as a Republican candidate for office.
At first, the Republicans said, "Dogs are not eligible to run for office as Republicans."

So I explained to them that my Dog is dumb as a stump, strings together inarticulate sounds, and occasionally emits near-toxic clouds of unbreathable air.

So the Republicans checked their slate of candidates they're already running . . .

My Dog will appear on the Republican line of the ballot in November and has already received his first campaign contribution from Americans for Prosperity.

Is this a great country or what?

[pacalo]

12. You are hired as the Democrats' version of

"The Basement Warriors", where all the idiotic political forwards originate & are vastly circulated.

Don't neglect to frighten your list of superstitious recipients that if they don't send to 10 people in the next hour, their fingers used to press "forward" will rot off...or something to that effect.

(Actually, I loved your joke -- good job!)

[Initech]

11. My god, how does an ignorant piece of shit like that get elected?

[underpants]

13. He was elected within the Va. Beach Republican operation

which is, local knowledge, a shade off the John Birch Society.




No surprise.

[Initech]

14. Isn't Va Beach home to Pat Robertson and the 700 Club?

Now that I think about it, it doesn't really surprise me.

[Toucano]

15. So much hatred...

Horrible people. Horrible.

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. wow...that's RACIST!

ugh

[underpants]

22. Yes, in fact, it is quite racist

:nopity:

[_ed_]

23. Not all Republicans are racist

just the people they vote into elective office.