Tea Party Protesters yell racial slurs at congressman

Abusive, derogatory and even racist behavior directed at House Democrats by Tea Party protesters on Saturday left several lawmakers in shock.

Preceding the president's speech to a gathering of House Democrats, thousands of protesters descended around the Capitol to protest the passage of health care reform. The gathering quickly turned into abusive heckling, as members of Congress passing through Longworth House office building were subjected to epithets and even mild physical abuse.

A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) had been spat on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a 'ni--er.' And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "fa-got," as protestors shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president's speech, shrugged off the incident.

But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.

"It was absolutely shocking to me," Clyburn said, in response to a question from the Huffington Post. "Last Monday, this past Monday, I stayed home to meet on the campus of Claflin University where fifty years ago as of last Monday... I led the first demonstrations in South Carolina, the sit ins... And quite frankly I heard some things today I have not heard since that day. I heard people saying things that I have not heard since March 15, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus."

"It doesn't make me nervous as all," the congressman said, when asked how the mob-like atmosphere made him feel. "In fact, as I said to one heckler, I am the hardest person in the world to intimidate, so they better go somewhere else."

These people are beginning to sound like the brown shirts. They are presumably Fascist without even knowing it. The Tea Partiers started off peacefull and now have turned to racial slurs and spitting on congressman to get their point across. Where is the morals in America? It's okay to yell at congressman and to protest, but to yell racial slurs and spit on them? That's insane.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

[edit on 3/20/10 by Misoir]

Wow, assuming too much. Assuming that the congressmen aren't exaggerating. Assuming that the entirety of the protesters were spitting and hurling insults. Assuming that that the Huffington Post isn't exaggerating, as i think we can agree that the Post is mildly liberal and supportive of Obama.

There were thousands of protestors, and yet only three instances of disrespectful behavior, and Clyborn relates it to the 1960s civil rights protests? Come on.

reply to post by Zedd31415


I read these comments in a similar article on yahoo. So no, it's not a huffington post lie.

You know that "some" on the hard right, the fringe...will say things like this. This isn't surprising......it's sad....but it's not surprising.

Tea party protesters call Georgia's John Lewis ''n-word''

WASHINGTON — Demonstrators outside the U.S. Capitol , angry over the proposed health care bill, shouted "'n-word'" Saturday at U.S. Rep. John Lewis , a Georgia congressman and civil rights icon who was nearly beaten to death during an Alabama march in the 1960s. The protesters also shouted obscenities at other members of the Congressional Black Caucus , lawmakers said.

news.yahoo.com...

reply to post by Zedd31415


Well if Huffington is too liberal for you...here is a Fox News link


Fox News Source

Originally posted by David9176
reply to post by Zedd31415

 

I read these comments in a similar article on yahoo. So no, it's not a huffington post lie.

You know that "some" on the hard right, the fringe...will say things like this. This isn't surprising......it's sad....but it's not surprising.

Your right, it's not surprising for this to be happening. These idiots don't even know how much they are hurting themselves. One day they will get sick and possibly not have money and what then, they will just sit down and die just as the tea baggers want sick people to do if they don't or can't help themselves.

I'm sure there were some in the crowd that did say those things. Next thing ya'know, Nancy Pelosi will be calling us Nazis. The FBI might even classify people that read the Constitution and own a firearm as terrorists...

I wouldn't be suprised to findout that the Senator from W.Va was a member of the KKK. This will probably degenerate into a ame calling spat...

I bet Harry Reid says that Pres. Obama speaks with a Negro dialect... but only when he wants to.

Yup, The TeaBag movement is in good company.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher

here is a Fox News link

Dude that is FAR TOO LIBERAL for my tastes. I want CAVE MAN conservative values.

Regardless, I agree that the people have the right to protest if they're not pleased with their representatives.

However I just don't see what those two words have anything to do with health care reform. Hence, maybe this quote is true to a certain extent.

"A lot of us have been saying for a long time that much of this, much of this is not about health care a all. And I think a lot of those people today demonstrated that this is not about health care... it is about trying to extend a basic fundamental right to people who are less powerful."

Although he did say "a lot of those people", really?? Is it that bad? He might be exaggerating.

would it surprise any of you if the people were planted there to undermine the movement?


[edit on 20-3-2010 by ashnomadonte]

reply to post by ashnomadonte

would it surprise any of you if the people were planted there to undermine the movement?

Do you think it's possible that someone who actually is racist or homophobic would shout these obscenities?

Does it always have to be a plant?

And i'm a big enough man to say okay, the story is presented on other mainstream media outlets, so its probably not an exaggeration. But what is your problem? Is being a conservative wrong? is it stupid? I don't think being a liberal is wrong or stupid AND i respect and will stand up for your right to be a liberal. So call me a cave man or whatever. Be my guest.

I don't want this Health Care bill because i don't think that the government should bail ANYONE OUT. I think they should get their pretentious hands out of our pockets. And anyone who actually thinks that these "representatives" have YOUR interests at heart, you are poorly misguided. They dont know you. They dont want to know you. If you want to be insured, you damn well better get a job and pay for it. If you don't have a job that pays well enough to cover your bills, that sucks. But i'll bet if you ask your family and friends, even your community, they would be glad to help you out. Give you some money. But don't expect me to be happy that you're asking big brother to forcibly take my money and give it to you, think again.

Originally posted by ashnomadonte
would it surprise you if they were planted there to undermine the movement?
Second line

Sure, some people may believe that, but most of us that live in the south know better. There are more than enough conservative racists around that plants are not needed.

I am not saying that all the tea party members are racists, but its almost a guarantee that a portion of them are.

Originally posted by David9176
reply to post by ashnomadonte

 

would it surprise any of you if the people were planted there to undermine the movement?

Do you think it's possible that someone who actually is racist or homophobic would shout these obscenities?

Does it always have to be a plant?

Um, yes, i would be surprised if they were planted there.

it would not surprise me if those people were not planted. If you recall a while back they had just that plan, to disrupt the tea parties. The Dems say they want to embrace the tea party people but don't believe it they want to disband everyone and discredit. The Reps have their faults too, however they are not wanting to push the take over of everything in sight in the quickest possible time.
obama has taken over GM/banks/now its the healthcare/insurances and student loans.
If you think it ends there ... i have ocean front property here in MT to sell.

Originally posted by Kaploink

Originally posted by ashnomadonte
would it surprise you if they were planted there to undermine the movement?
Second line

Sure, some people may believe that, but most of us that live in the south know better. There are more than enough conservative racists around that plants are not needed.

I am not saying that all the tea party members are racists, but its almost a guarantee that a portion of them are.

Just like there are racist liberals, racist communists, racist congressmen, racist senators, and yes, racist judges. There are racists everywhere, but they aren't everyone and they certainly are not the majority.

reply to post by ashnomadonte


Not anymore surprised than if we were to find out that both sides have been infiltrated. I'm sick of the "conservatives" getting a free pass in the eyes of America just because they pander to the fears of the "common man". Do you even realize why Obama was elected? It's because America was sick to death of hearing the neocons defending a war criminal. We need to go after both sides if we hope to change the future of America.

reply to post by Kaploink


Don't fool yourself in to thinking the south has cornered the market on racism. I dare say we have less racism than most places on this planet. The north has just as many racists if not more and I was completely stunned in my first visit to Europe listening to people respond to an "invasion" of black refugees from Africa. In the South we've been well mixed for 100's of years. We're over it.

Originally posted by Torgo
reply to post by ashnomadonte

 

Not anymore surprised than if we were to find out that both sides have been infiltrated. I'm sick of the "conservatives" getting a free pass in the eyes of America just because they pander to the fears of the "common man". Do you even realize why Obama was elected? It's because America was sick to death of hearing the neocons defending a war criminal. We need to go after both sides if we hope to change the future of America.

I think we need to get some common people into Washington to start dismantling all the crap thats been done over the past 100 years or so.

Did it occur to anyone that those yelling the slurs could've been an most likely are plants to make the Tea partiers look bad for the press with the up coming vote? Come'on do you really think the democrates wouldn't pull something like this.