Demonstrators outside the U.S. Capitol, angry over the proposed health care bill, shouted "nigger" 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.
"They were shouting, sort of harassing," Lewis said. "But, it's okay, I've faced this before. It reminded me of the 60s. It was a lot of downright hate and anger and people being downright mean."
Lewis said he was leaving the Cannon office building to walk to the Capitol to vote when protesters shouted "Kill the bill, kill the bill," Lewis said.
"I said 'I'm for the bill, I support the bill, I'm voting for the bill'," Lewis said.
A colleague who was accompanying Lewis said people in the crowd responded by saying "Kill the bill, then the n-word."
"It surprised me that people are so mean and we can't engage in a civil dialogue and debate," Lewis said.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., said he was a few yards behind Lewis and distinctly heard "nigger."
"It was a chorus," Cleaver said. "In a way, I feel sorry for those people who are doing this nasty stuff - they're being whipped up. I decided I wouldn't be angry with any of them."
Protestors also used a slur as they confronted Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., an openly gay member of Congress. A writer for Huffington Post said the crowd called Frank a "faggot."
Frank told the Boston Globe that the incident happened as he was walking from the Longworth office building to the Rayburn office building, both a short distance from the Capitol. Frank said the crowd consisted of a couple of hundred of people and that they referred to him as 'homo.'
"I'm disappointed with the unwillingness to be civil," Frank told the Globe. "I was, I guess, surprised by the rancor. What it means is obviously the health care bill is proxy for a lot of other sentiments, some of which are perfectly reasonable, but some of which are not."
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14 comments:
Oh, Shaw...
Its all made up, it never happened ask Pam or Rational Nation...
They got a video that says it never happened...
And so what if it did happen!
Does one or two or three stupid people represent millions? I don't think it does.
The socialist must get some kind of a newsletter,every time it looks like the country is going to head in the right direction,they start yelling racism,all about the same time,must be some kind of Communist News Network..
Sorry Ken, Fox News is the only officially sanctioned political news agency in the world nowadays and I don't believe they represent the Commies...
ken,
Those are your people. And you're welcome to them.
Any organization that tolerates that evil has some soul-searching to do.
The first and last are awful. But the middle one: frivolous calls for impeachment, and equating with Hitler.... well, it was pretty common during the previous administration, and then as now, completely non-racial.
Not that I even agree with the idea that Obama is Hitler or that he should be impeached.
It's going to pass.
While I don't think this kind of ugliness represents all the right or even all the teabaggers, it's definitely there. I see nothing surprising about the story of the epithets. Would the people in that last photo have felt any qualms about yelling "nigger"? It's just that what was there all along is getting uglier as they realize they're losing.
Unfortunately the most important photo is the first one. That's beyond hate -- it's an implicit threat of violence, and it's not the first. Remember the "Psalm 109:8" thing? I do.
We've seen right-wing terrorism already (Dr. Tiller, Austin, the Pentagon), and I fear we'll see much worse after the health bill passes. The tone of some right-wing blogs is as bad as the sign in that first photo.
PS: Love the "one lump or two" cartoon.
Infidel, we're all over at Sue's having a "Passing the Health Care Bill" party.
Hopefully the Tea Party has jumped the shark with this spectacle. It's just been anti-Obama all along. No other purpose. If he'd been against health care reform they'd have been screaming for it.
Ken-in-denial: There were a hell of a lot more than 2 or 3 people! I have 2 videos on my blog to prove it.
Interestingly, yesterday the lying Fox said there were 2,000 to 3,000 people there. Today they're saying there were 20 to 30,000. Give me a break.
These people are the epitome of the Ugly American. All they need are their white sheets and ropes.
Forgot: Great post, Shaw. : )
great post! I'm quivering with disgust listening to Cantor, He is so putrid!!!
I think rather than a drink I need an alka-Seltzer after listening to all these neanderthals.
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