Remember Obama's commencement address at Arizona State U?

[radhika]

And the University's Honoray Degree Committee decided NOT to give the newly inaugurated President the customary Honorary Degree? Because he had not yet proven himself. Because he did not yet have 'achievements of eminence'. In retrospect, doesn't that racist slur all make perfect sense now? I'd like to know how many members of the ASU Honorary Degree Committee had a hand in the drafting and/or passage of Bill. 1070. This story will refresh us on that distasteful episode.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/asu-stiffs-obama-claim-to_b_185296.html

[Hekate]

1. Well, well, well. Thank you for that stroll down memory lane. KnR.

[donheld]

2. indeed

[winstars]

3. Nice Spot my Friend... nt

[boppers]

4. He has not cured cancer yet.

Therefore, he is not a liberal.

:sarcasm:

[Clio the Leo]

6. I guess you haven't heard...

In a major breakthrough that may pave the way for an effective treatment against cancer, British scientists have discovered a new group of molecules, which they claim could prevent the deadly tumours from spreading.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Breakthrough-in-fight-against-cancer/H1-Article1-527347.aspx

... sure, there's no proof that he had anything to do with this, but in a tribute to our birther friends, I haven't seen any proof that he DIDN'T have anything to do with it. I really cant say for certain one way or the other. :)

[secondwind]

5. am mulling over designing a t-shirt to wear when I go to AZ with my grandchild this summer.

[DevonRex]

7. Wow. It DOES make perfect sense now. When viewed in that context

the state showed itself for what it was way back then.

[Cha]

8. I had forgotten about it..thank you for

reminding us.

[Tim4319]

9. Also.....

....AZ was the last state in the country to recognize The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday! I would say, this does make a lot of sense.

[ecstatic]

10. AZ flew under the radar for quite some time, but all the signs have been there all

along. Maybe we just didn't pay attention because of the geographic location of the state?

[radhika]

15. I think we bought into the independent maverick meme....

We coastal and urban types sometimes give the Wild West states a pass. We attribute their orneriness to an old-timey pioneer spirit. Good people that just don't want to be fenced in (gag). But as we watch the movement of time, it becomes clear that they don't support Independence as a principle for all people; they are just flat out racists, fascists and authoritarian bullies. Walking the streets with automatic weapons, stripping civil liberties; letting Bull Arpaio run loose over prisoners, dissing a duly elected President.

We need a task force as in 'Mississippi Burning'.

[Seneca]

11. Back in the 80's

They refused to acknowledge the MLK holiday too. I remember a boycott of AZ was called for, and this was before the internet took off.

Remember this Public Enemy classic?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijeXGv9QLRc

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

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[Blue_Tires]

14. thanks for this...

How did I EVER forget that stunt?

[IndianaGreen]

16. Now that you mention it...

there seems to be a pattern of racism in here!

[sweetloukillbot]

17. Remember though, one of the leading progressives is from AZ as well

Raul Grijalva. We also had one of the more successful Air America affiliates (until it was sold). We just have a lot of batshit crazy in Maricopa County - well, in the suburbs of Phoenix, the central core is pretty liberal.

[drmeow]

18. As an employee of ASU

I will be the first to admit a pattern of racism in this state which I find extremely disturbing and there is even a pattern of discrimination at ASU (which I believe is primarily related to Michael Crow being incapable of tolerating anyone who says "no" to him and especially "uppity" women, but that's another story). However, the honorary degree situation was not related to this. The honorary degree situation was something that started as a stupid bureaucratic mistake which primarily resulted from the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing (the honorary degree committee was operating 100% independently of the commencement speaker committee) that some dumbass made worse by first not overturning it right away and second by making a stupid irrational statement justifying the mistake and failure to overturn it and then Crow hammered the final nail in the coffin by also being unable to admit and correct the mistake. They are more likely connected because of their evidence of the gross STUPIDITY of certain people in this state but they are not necessarily connected due to the gross RACISM of too many people in this state.

[Nikki Stone1]

19. I'd hate to think that this was NOT about civil rights but about personal bitchiness

It's a civil rights issue, after all.

[DevonRex]

20. I would hate to think that you just accused a female DUer of "personal bitchiness."

[dionysus]

21. i am still trying to comprehend exactly what that post is trying to say...

[DevonRex]

22. Just rearrange it a little bit.

Like:

"I'd hate to think that this is about personal bitchiness and not about civil rights."

Could that possibly refer to ASU? No. ASU couldn't possibly have "personal bitchiness." And if it did, certainly that would be PREFERABLE to them denying the honorary degree because of racism, right?

And, Nikki couldn't possibly be saying that the "personal bitchiness" is her own, right? I mean, she was never mentioned in the OP.

So, we have the original poster (a woman), ASU, the state of AZ, the new racist AZ law and Obama as the characters.

Which one do you think "personal bitchiness refers to? :shrug: