Uni-Tea Diversity Rally, Philadelphia

[Magic Man]

Mball to the rescue once again.

OK, I would ask Kilgore Trout to clarify his own comments, but since you're so doggedly responding to anything I post on any thread, I'll direct my question to you.

Where is the substantiating evidence that such a large percentage of Tea Party activists are racist? I have yet to see any clear evidence of this. The only psuedo evidence I see is the repeated statement of "Look - everyone there is WHITE!"

So WHAT if a majority of Tea Party activists are white? Show me evidence of racist policies and practices among the majority of Tea Party activists to back up your (or your friends) many claims of racism.

And don't show me a couple of old, tired, used and abused photos of one or two fringe elements holding weird home made signs - we can throw those sorts of images of fringe elements back and forth all day long. You and I both know there are a lot of weirdos on both ends of the political spectrum.

I'm no interested in getting into this with you. I'm interested in correcting your accusation that we assume they're racist because they're white.

 

[Magic Man]

Don't get too upset Kathryn. When the Liberals start smearing, it only means your winning the debate. This is a typical Liberal tactic when they have a lack of substance.

Repeating themselves with baseless accusations over and over is a sure fire sign of victory for our side.

That's right, Rick. Whatever helps you feel better.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Care to give any proof to back up that lambastic, spurious statement?

I can give the same amount of proof that you can that they're not. Anyone who has read a decent mix of my posts knows that I'm neither liberal nor conservative - I have no political identity or agenda - I use common sense and call 'em like I see 'em.

Just like you, my anecdotal evidence of people I know who identify with the movement, supports my comments. All the people I know who identify as "tea partiers" are people who tend to have underlying racism, along with other particular views and attitudes. It has nothing to do with the fact that they're white, nor would any logical analysis of statements support that conclusion.

Your anecdotal evidence of "tea partiers" supports your views. The difference between us is I don't have any emotional connection to either side of the issue, so have no reason to not see it for what it is.

 

[Duck]

What is it with teabaggers and obesity?

I would be more supportive of this statement if it was more "what is it with Americans and obesity?" As obesity is increasingly an epidemic in this country.

 

[Duck]

As far as charges of racism within the Teaparty, based a number of things, I initially placed the whole movement into the 'racist' box. The early rally signs that cropped up (yes the tired old signs). The other things that sent me in that direction was the fact that the birther loons seemed to be pretty prominent in the movement (I don't remember anyone asking about or suing over not seeing or having published Clinton's birth cert, nor Reagan's, or HW Bush's, see where I am going with this?). Combine that with the fact that the Tea party didn't really kick off (no matter how angry and upset they might have been regarding government spending and policy) until after the old white guy lost the election to the young charismatic black guy, and well, I had my doubts regarding the motivations of the Tea party and its members.

Truthfully, many of those doubts remain. I am willing to give a little benefit of the doubt, but not much. One of the only things that keeps me from chucking the whole movement into the 'bigot' bin is the fact that the organization is beginning to police its own and seems reluctant to become involved in civil rights issues.

 

[budha3]

The Tea Party is a racist party; just as the Republican party is a racist party. When Bush was president, and ran the country into the ground, no one was talking about taking the country back. The tea Party want to take the country back from the black president; and that's the sad truth. Maybe you think that spitting on the black congressman, and calling names toward a gay congressman is just politics, but to me it's racism. I was born at night; but not last night.

 

[Smoke]

Yeah all those black intellectuals in that group are just Uncle Toms, sell outs, and probably have fake degrees hanging on their walls - given to them by white people looking for a token Negro.

They probably don't even know they're being used by the white machine. Probably too dumb - or someone's payin' 'em off. Surely they can't actually be black and conservative or independent at the same time.

FO REAL.

I didn't say, or even imply, any of that, so you can stuff the implication of racism.

A right-wing propaganda group doesn't gain credibility just because its members are black. That's all. Sorry to disappoint you just as you were warming up your Stepin Fetchit routine.

 

[Kathryn]

No group has to have any certain percentage of black people (or vice versa) in order NOT to be racist. The Tea Party could be absolutely 100 percent white and not be 1 percent racist. To imply otherwise is racist in and of itself.

The vast majority of Tea Party participants (well, let me put it this way, every single one that I know and all the literature that I read from the rallies) would welcome more diversity within the groups. However, it's not RACISM that keeps the minority count low within the Tea Party movement - it's IDEOLOGY. Most black Americans vote Democrat, and Obama captured a huge majority of the black vote. The Tea Party has a very low number of DEMOCRATS within the movement, and a very low number of people who voted for Obama, so it stands to reason (I know, I know - it's hard, but use it) that the percentage of black people within the Tea Party would be low.

Maybe some black people voted for Obama ONLY because he's black (well, half black and half white). Maybe they would ignore or forgive just about any fool thing he does simply because he's black (well, half black and half white). Is that racist?

Personally, most of the black people I know are not Obama supporters and are, in fact, Republicans, independents or disenchanted Democrats. They are fiscally conservative, and opposed to the direction the government is going. In other words, thinking like MOST Tea Partiers. Why don't they attend the local Tea Parties?

Hmmm, not sure, but I am sure going to ask them the next time I see them. Their answer should be very interesting. Having attended several local events, I know for a fact that neither the organizers nor the participants have any sort of racist view or agenda.

 

[Alceste]

Care to give any proof to back up that lambastic, spurious statement?

EP.TC Presents TEA PARTY COMIX (2009, 2010)

Oh, and even in this short thread, here's another post (err, from you) implying pervasive racism within the Tea Party - because of the predominance of white people in the Tea Party.

Actually, it's the predominance of racists in the Tea Party. Really.

What you're doing here, insisting tea party critics claim that the number of white people in the tea party is all that makes it "racist", is called a "straw man". Mischaracterizing your opponent's argument is one of the most common fallacies stubborn people indulge in when they recognize, deep down inside, that their position is otherwise indefensible.

 

[Scarlett Wampus]

Uni-Tea was an EPIC FAIL! The turn out was less than 500 of the 3000-4000 the organisers expected at the least. The website was visited over 2 million times in the days leading up to it but the actual event barely even occurred.

What this says is that black people aren't supporters of the Tea Party and its actual supporters don't care about racial solidarity enough to turn up to a rally promoting it. We all know this but it seems the organisers didn't.

 

[Magic Man]

No group has to have any certain percentage of black people (or vice versa) in order NOT to be racist. The Tea Party could be absolutely 100 percent white and not be 1 percent racist. To imply otherwise is racist in and of itself.

Yes, a group can be 100% white and not be at all racist. No one is denying that, and the only one focusing on that point is you. No one has said or implied that the Tea Party is racist because it's almost all white. What people have said over the months is that the Tea Party is racist because of the things they say, the issues they support and the posters and other things we've seen from them. The lack of minorities as members is just support for it.

The vast majority of Tea Party participants (well, let me put it this way, every single one that I know and all the literature that I read from the rallies) would welcome more diversity within the groups. However, it's not RACISM that keeps the minority count low within the Tea Party movement - it's IDEOLOGY.

Exactly. They'll welcome Hispanic members, as long as those Hispanic members don't mind supporting racist laws like SB 1070, for instance. This is what we're saying. No one thinks Tea Partiers don't want minorities in the movement. We're saying their ideology is racist, and so generally no minorities would want to support that racist ideology.