Is Paul Ryan A Racist?

[PJABBER]

I have pretty much given up on trying to understand the whole racist vs non-racist thing.

When I was growing up, my family and I didn't have a problem with kids from different countries (for the most part, my family immigrated from Europe post WWII,) different races or different religions.

I was kinda shy around girls but made up for it later. (My wife sometimes jokes that I am not very liberated, but she is always packing and I am not when she says that, so maybe she is trying to make a joke. She always says it in Spanish, to remind me of certain times and places, just to add that little bit of frisson.)

When I was in the Army, everyone was green and bled red.

In business, I am looking for smart people that have a good work ethic and talent. I have a zero tolerance policy for people who don't know how to get along with others.

I've lived outside the US about half of my life and in quite a few places I really stand out. I've experienced xenophobia, but find it relatively rare.

Racism to me is having an unreasonable preference for or against people of a certain racial profile. But it seems by the Left's constant use of the word "racist" that the meaning is no longer literal but merely scatological and pejorative and thus meaningless.

It is like when I call "progressives" toadstools. I haven't ever done this, but if I ever did, you would know what I mean, because it is "codespeak." :awe:

So, I make no claims to understanding the many meanings that others seem to find to define people in this way. Hateful labeling with terms such as "racist" no longer seem serious when they are overused like schoolyard taunts. In fact, being labeled a "racist" by a liberal or a progressive is usually just an indication that you are independent of the group think that they all about. And that is a good thing.

The following article is written by an African-American woman that writes quite a bit about being black in America. Maybe she is right in her perspective, but maybe she is wrong in thinking that people's feelings for individuals diverge all that much from how they think about groups of people.

Certainly people judge groups as well as individuals. I happen to despise lazy people. And progressives. But you already knew that. I don't happen to think the color of a Marxist's or a fascist's skin changes anything.

So, is Paul Ryan a racist for having had a black "college sweetheart?"

Is he racist for having a close family tie to his sister-in-law, who just happens to be African-American?

If the color of a person's skin doesn't matter to Paul Ryan, does this make him a racist?

Does Paul Ryan's Black Ex-Girlfriend Matter?
Keli Goff is The Root's political correspondent.

August 20, 2012 at 10:05 AM

(The Root) -- Shortly after it was announced that Rep. Paul Ryan would join the Romney ticket as this year's Republican vice presidential candidate, I wrote a piece titled, "What We Know About Paul Ryan and Blacks."

Well, I recently learned of another significant addition to this list.

As reported on Twitter by CNN's Pete Hamby, Ryan said he has a black sister-in-law, but perhaps even more interesting, his "college sweetheart" was African American.

So here is the million-dollar question: Is the fact that Ryan has dated interracially a noteworthy detail to consider when analyzing his politics and policies?

Here's a well-known phrase that has virtually become a punch line: When someone finds himself on the ropes facing an allegation of racism, the go-to reflex defense is usually something along the lines of "But some of my best friends are black!" Translation: "I can't possibly be racist or racially insensitive because there are black people I like and they like me. So there." Many of us are so used to hearing this -- and, frankly, dismissing it (remember George Zimmerman's media-friendly pal Joe Oliver?) -- that we long ago stopped asking, What if it's actually true?

For years Lou Dobbs was the face of the anti-illegal-immigration crusade. As a result of his seeming obsession with the issue, he became in the eyes of many the face of xenophobia and racism, not to mention public enemy No. 1 of Mexican immigrants. There's just one hitch to this narrative: Dobbs is married to a Mexican-American woman, meaning that he is the father of Mexican-American children. (His Mexican-born mother-in-law even lives with his family.)

When I discovered this I was surprised, and not for the reasons you may think. While I was somewhat surprised to learn of his wife's heritage, given his own politics on issues that overwhelmingly affect a community of which she is a member, I was even more surprised that I'd never heard him mention it on his program or prominently in interviews. He certainly didn't hide it, but my point is, if anyone could have benefited from a "But my best friend -- in fact, my wife -- is Latina, so I can't be bigot" defense, it was Dobbs, and yet he chose not to hide behind that.

Certainly, having a relationship with someone of a different race does not automatically make someone more racially sensitive and enlightened. Throughout his lifetime, Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina financially and emotionally supported the daughter he fathered with an underage black servant. In addition to paying for her education, he was also known to play the part of proud parent by visiting her college campus and make inquiries to faculty about her educational progress.

Yet at the same time he was doing this in private, he was publicly advancing policies that would have rendered his daughter's education virtually useless. If those policies had succeeded, she and her children, with whom he also maintained a relationship, would have remained second-class citizens. Does this mean that Thurmond's relationship with his daughter was not genuine? From her recollections regarding the lengths he went to in order to remain a part of her life, I doubt it.

So then, how could he genuinely care for his black daughter and promote policies that would harm African Americans, and therefore harm her? Research has shown that those who hold stereotypes about a particular group of people are unlikely to have those stereotypes altered merely by encountering someone who defies that stereotype. Instead, they are likely to view the individual defying said stereotype as an exception. In other words, it is possible to have a black friend, Asian friend, Hispanic friend or Muslim friend or wife and still exhibit prejudice toward that group. The friend or wife is simply viewed as the exception who is not like the others.

For the record: No, I am not calling Ryan a racist. I am saying, however, that if you want to know where a politician's heart lies when it comes to a particular community, it may be best to look at that person's policies -- such as his or her record on civil rights -- rather than personal relationships. What do you think?

 

[HomerJS]

News flash: it will probably matter to the base of the Republican party, Ryan went black.

Go back and look what happened to John McCain in South Carolina during the primary of 2000.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I don't think you know what "scatological" means.

 

[MrColin]

I grew up in a very white part of the country (WI). I remember riding a city bus with my mom one day, where I saw a black person for the first time. I was puzzled by the fact that the palms of his hands were a different color than the rest of his skin but lacked the vocabulary to describe my observation. I just got my mom's attention and pointed toward the guy's hands. She was embarrassed I think and probably thought I was freaked out by the black guy in general which wasn't the case. Think there was a lecture that evening at the dinner table with her and my dad where they told me not to treat people differently based on skin color, not that I was inclined that way.

Later on, through my parents' church, I was taught to be racist. For a couple of years I was but my black friends won me over and I recognized my error.

The Republican Party courts the white racist demographic, regardless of whether the candidates themselves are racist. Everyone knows this.

 

[LumbergTech]

I grew up in a very white part of the country. I remember riding a city bus with my mom one day, where I saw a black person for the first time. I was puzzled by the fact that the palms of his hands were a different color than the rest of his skin but lacked the vocabulary to describe my observation. I just got my mom's attention and pointed toward the guy's hands. She was embarrassed I think and probably thought I was freaked out by the black guy in general which wasn't the case. Think there was a lecture that evening at the dinner table with her and my dad where they told me not to treat people differently based on skin color, not that I was inclined that way.

The Republican Party courts the white racist demographic, regardless of whether the candidates themselves are racist. Everyone knows this.

Exactly this, quit pandering to racists to win elections and it would be a lot harder for people to call the party racist.

 

[PJABBER]

I don't think you know what "scatological" means.

 

[PJABBER]

The Republican Party courts the white racist demographic, regardless of whether the candidates themselves are racist. Everyone knows this.

Exactly this, quit pandering to racists to win elections and it would be a lot harder for people to call the party racist.

Short term memory issue?

 

[DucatiMonster696]

This writer suffers from a serious political and personal bias that leads to an assumption of views as to why these people have not acted in the perceived manner which the writer believes to be appropriate. These biases by the writer of this article create a serious and false series of fallacy based assertions about Paul Ryan's alleged racism which is only proven to be true because the writer came to this conclusion without any factual evidence needed and used her own opinion. Furthermore the same can be said about her view on Lou Dobbs. Of which both men are then linked together with Strom Thurmond's actual well known racist past and the writer's own political views favoring illegal immigration and her other political leanings which differ to that of Paul Ryan and/or Lou Dobbs. So I guess if someone enjoy's writers who suffer from serious confirmation biases in their articles (which later go on to make unproven accusations) then this must be a scintillating story.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

PJABBER is on ignore so I don't know what he is saying but Ryan is not a racist, neither is Romney.

 

[rudder]

Ryan is a racist by virtue of the fact that he thinks the federal government pays out too many entitlements. Add this to the fact that he is running for VP with Romney who is the whitest white guy around. Anyone who disagrees with obama is a racist... and that is a fact.

 

[PJABBER]

PJABBER is on ignore so I don't know what he is saying but Ryan is not a racist, neither is Romney.

I LOVE it when someone does this and then publicly announces it.

It is like a free pass.

Now, I do not want to cross any particular lines here, but I can't get the image of Pr0d1gy as Niki Minaj out of my mind when he posts.

I know it is his avatar, with the flowing locks and go go boots, that does it. As well as his attempt to claim he is a Republican while holding to no Republican beliefs.

I do like a lot of Niki's music and I sometimes like to play it when I log into ATPN; it just gets me into the mood.

So this post, which Pr0d1gy will never see and be all the more deprived for missing it, is dedicated to hisself.

:awe:

Playing in the background...

Super Bass

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Ryan is a racist by virtue of the fact that he thinks the federal government pays out too many entitlements. Add this to the fact that he is running for VP with Romney who is the whitest white guy around. Anyone who disagrees with obama is a racist... and that is a fact.

That is more than a little over the top man. Our government DOES pay out WAY TOO MANY entitlements, without a doubt. We cannot be expected to carry every drug addicts' addictions, rent, food, etc. out there. On the other hand, there is also no reason for us to spend more on our military than the next 17 countries combined as well. That is also a form of welfare, albeit a more corporate form.

 

[diesbudt]

I LOVE it when someone does this and then publicly announces it.

It is like a free pass.

Now, I do not want to cross any particular lines here, but I can't get the image of Pr0d1gy as Niki Minaj out of my mind when he posts.

I know it is his avatar, with the flowing locks and go go boots, that does it. As well as his attempt to claim he is a Republican while holding to no Republican beliefs.

I do like a lot of Niki's music and I sometimes like to play it when I log into ATPN; it just gets me into the mood.

So this post, which Pr0d1gy will never see and be all the more deprived for missing it, is dedicated to hisself.

:awe:

Playing in the background...

Super Bass

But what if I was to quote this?

 

[PJABBER]

Ryan is a racist by virtue of the fact that he thinks the federal government pays out too many entitlements. Add this to the fact that he is running for VP with Romney who is the whitest white guy around. Anyone who disagrees with obama is a racist... and that is a fact.

 

[alien42]

the irony in the OP is as thick as mud.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

But what if I was to quote this?

I could care less. I would fight for his right to say those things. I just don't have to care about, or pay attention, to it. Thankfully, AT has also seen fit to allow me to not see most of it so I can go on with my day without the open ridicule.

 

[PJABBER]

But what if I was to quote this?

Awwww, you just have to go and spoil the fun! D:

Here is a make up song, just in case Pr0d1gy don't care for Niki...

Make Up Song

(I really mean it!)

:awe:

 

[thraashman]

We all know that everyone's a little bit racist.

 

[PJABBER]

We all know that everyone's a little bit racist.

LOL! Great song out of a very good play!

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I have no idea whether Paul Ryan is a racist, though I am not aware of any reason to think he is.

That cartoon is rather witless in my opinion, though that is just my opinion.

And I still don't think you know (or at least did not when you started this thread) what "scatological" means.

 

[PJABBER]

I have no idea whether Paul Ryan is a racist, though I am not aware of any reason to think he is.

That cartoon is rather witless in my opinion, though that is just my opinion.

And I still don't think you know (or at least did not when you started this thread) what "scatological" means.

I have an appropriate education for my station in life and can be as blunt and "scatalogical" as circumstances may demand. I choose the path of subtlety and innuendo as it amuses me to no end.

Should my little forays into humor not amuse you, you are likely either exceedingly dull or you are exceedingly dense, possibly both, and there is little to be done about it but to weep piteously.

I expect you cannot find sufficient or appropriate insult yourself and are mostly worried that I might turn my stance of power upon you. You are right to have this dread, but you yourself can achieve similar greatness by simply following the step by step of instructions of masters such as this.

 

[OrByte]

who says Ryan is racist?

who says Romney is racist?

link? thnx

 

[cybrsage]

Darn, beat to the punch.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I have an appropriate education for my station in life and can be as blunt and "scatalogical" as circumstances may demand. I choose the path of subtlety and innuendo as it amuses me to no end.

Should my little forays into humor not amuse you, you are likely either exceedingly dull or you are exceedingly dense, possibly both, and there is little to be done about it but to weep piteously.

I expect you cannot find sufficient or appropriate insult yourself and are mostly worried that I might turn my stance of power upon you. You are right to have this dread, but you yourself can achieve similar greatness by simply following the step by step of instructions of masters such as this.

I find it bizarre that such an inveterate troll would simultaneously fancy himself an evolved spiritual master, but over the course of life it has become increasingly clear to me that human arrogance and lack of insight know no bounds.

 

[PJABBER]

I find it bizarre that such an inveterate troll would simultaneously fancy himself an evolved spiritual master, but over the course of life it has become increasingly clear to me that human arrogance and lack of insight know no bounds.

You will find no argument from me there. Now grovel, minion.



:awe: