Black congressman who called Tea Party lynch mob stands by “assessment”

posted at 1:28 pm on September 1, 2011 by Howard Portnoy
[ Congress ]   

“If you can’t say something nice about a person, then don’t say anything at all.” This is a lesson most parents impart to their children.

Mindful of this ageless wisdom, I will say therefore that Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) is a man who has the courage of his convictions. Unfortunately for Carson—and even more so for those who may be inspired to action by his words—his convictions are sorely in need of work.

After telling a crowd at a Congressional Black Caucus event in Miami that Tea Partiers want to see blacks “hanging on a tree,” Carson stood back from his incendiary words and carefully reassessed them.

Then, in the cool light of day, his passions in check, the congressman appeared on CNN, where he said, “I stand on the truth of what I spoke.”

So Carson truly believes that the Tea Partiers on Congress would “love to see [blacks] as second-class citizens” and want to turn the clock back to the era of Jim Crow.

I realize that Carson is not alone in these absurd notions, but as a member of Congress, his remarks seem to carry the weight of the federal government. “Official” pronouncements like his and those of his fellow CBC members are apt to resonate more in the black community than the views of garden variety community leaders. If their words result in bloodshed, let it be on their heads.

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