FACT: CLARENCE THOMAS IS NOT BLACK

Editor and Publisher spoke with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's editorial page editor Ricardo Pimentel about the paper's stance that Clarence Thomas is "a black man who deserves an asterisk because he arguably does not represent the views of mainstream black America."

To date, the Journal Sentinel has ignored the national outrage that its editorial has generated. Although the piece appeared on Monday, not one word has been printed in the paper or on its website in response to the outcry.

Moreover, not a single letter to the editor has been published. Pimentel told E&P not to worry, "they're coming."

He said that most of the nearly 150 critical letters, e-mails, and phone calls to the Journal Sentinel had come from out of state.

Pimentel appears to be suggesting that since much of the reaction comes from out of state, it is the result of an orchestrated effort by conservative groups.

Rather than marginalizing the negative comments as the work of the fringe Right, Pimentel should interpret the extent of the national reaction as indicative of the outrageousness of the editorial.

About the comments from critics, Pimentel said, "They've been fairly unprintable and unmentionable, sometimes calling us racist. I think folks are jumping to conclusions that we think Thomas isn't black enough. That is not what we said. We just said his views are not within black mainstream thought."
Lame.

What is "a black man who deserves an asterisk" supposed to mean if not that Clarence Thomas isn't really black?

The editorial claims that Thomas does not provide racial diversity to the Court. It criticizes Bush for nominating Samuel Alito because he's white and male.

Certainly, Pimentel cannot deny that he believes Alito is a poor choice because he's not black enough.

E&P writes:

Pimentel said he had no regrets about running the editorial, and had no plans for a column or other explanatory note about it. "I let it in as a statement of fact," he said of the editorial. "That Clarence Thomas did not represent mainstream black thought. I think that is demonstrably true if you look at his rulings. A reasonable person could surmise that, saying he would weaken the voting rights act, outlaw affirmative action, dilute black voting power, make it difficult to prove various kinds of discrimination, and approve cruel and unusual punishment."

A STATEMENT OF FACT?

Pimentel thinks it's a FACT that Thomas should not be considered truly black since he has a conservative philosophy. Because of his conservative mindset, he requires qualification. He needs an asterisk.

In other words, a conservative black man is not as black as a liberal black man.

I said this previously.

The Journal Sentinel editorial claims:

Black = Liberal.

Anyway you look at it, that's a racist position.

All blacks do not think alike. It should not be assumed that if one is to be recognized as black, one may not hold conservative views.

Thomas' race is not debatable. He's black, regardless of his conservatism. No asterisks need apply.

Furthermore, Pimentel's statement that Thomas' rulings aim to strip blacks of rights, literally casting him as an enemy of his own race, is NOT something that a "reasonable person could surmise."

I find Pimentel's accusation completely unreasonable, but typical of Leftist race-baiting drivel. Demonizing Thomas in that fashion is an unfair characterization. Portraying him as a defender of discrimination, seeking to harm African-Americans, is disgusting.

Pimentel's refusal to acknowledge and apologize for the blatant racial slur reminds me of Dick Durbin clinging to his statement about Gitmo, when he compared the actions of Americans to those of "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime—Pol Pot or others —that had no concern for human beings."

Much like Durbin, I think Pimentel and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will eventually have to express regret for printing the reprehensible statement.

The longer they stand by their racist remark, the greater that regret will be.
___________________________

Here is an interesting site.

It states:

EXPOSE THE RACISTS & FIGHT THE HATE!!!

We are here because we do not agree that one race is any better than the other. We believe that ALL people deserve the right to be free and prosper. We believe that there is no room in this world for hate.

...A person deserves the right and has the right to walk down a street without fear of being attacked for their race. There is an enemy and that enemy is hate. Hate is alive and well in the racist hate groups. these groups survive only because more of us dont do something about it. Its time to do something about it today!

Actually, this particular site is referring to Nazis as racists, calling on people to speak out against the hate that their bigotry promotes.

I think the site's "EXPOSE THE RACISTS & FIGHT THE HATE!!!" message can justly be applied to Ricardo Pimentel and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.