Not Racist? - SC Senate President Dresses Up Like Confederate Soldier With Black Slaves At GOP Event

[kpete]

South Carolina Senate President Dresses Up Like Confederate Soldier With Black Slaves At GOP Event
.........................

One shocking moment at the NFRW meeting involved a special event called “The Southern Experience.” In this event, attendees dressed in clothing reminiscent of the Civil War and the antebellum South. As FITS News reports, South Carolina Senate President Glenn McConnell (R) participated in the event by dressing up as a Confederate General, and at many points posed with African Americans dressed as slaves:

*****The National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) held its annual fall Board of Directors meeting in Charleston, S.C. last weekend – a decision the organization is likely regretting after several controversial pictures from one of the meeting’s sponsored events began surfacing on the internet. One of the pictures shows S.C. Senate President Glenn McConnell – who FITS readers will recall enjoys dressing up as a Confederate General – posing in his Rebel garb with a pair of African-Americans dressed in, um, “antebellum” attire.

*****The event in question – dubbed “The Southern Experience” – was held last Friday evening at the Country Club of Charleston. Hosted by the South Carolina Federation of Republican Women, it was included on the national conference’s official itinerary. In addition to McConnell, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford attended (and spoke at) the event – although it was not listed on his weekly public schedule. S.C. Republican Attorney General nominee Alan Wilson also attended.

more:
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/09/15/sc-senate-confederate-gop/

YES RACIST - and ignorant - TO THE CORE!!!!

[steve2470]

1. wtf.. nt

[lillypaddle]

2. Somebody point these people to a clue

sheesh.

[secondwind]

3. Am definitely not racist, but this photo, well.....hmmmm . I don't think it is racist, sorry.

[Orsino]

17. Context is all.

The event was part of a larger Republican gathering. Sure, it's Charleston, and sure, reenactors ought to play Confederate dress-up from time to time, but given the identities of the organizers and attendees, there is a faint stench of racism coming off this thing, and the sound of dog whistles.

I'd like to know more about the happening, but if the short version is a bunch of GOPers hiring African-Americans to dress as slaves in their holodeck fantasies, I'm not sure we should avoid the term "racist."

[Javaman]

25. No? What do you think the reaction there would have been like if the

African-American dress as a confederate general and the senator dressed as a slave?

[bushisanidiot]

4. Well, at least they found actual decendants of slaves rather than using black face.

I'll bet the old white boys had a grand old time at that party. What do you suppose the jokes in the little boys room were like? :P

[ensho]

5. they keep showing us how racist and christian they are

and then they say 'heck no, we aren't racists'

they always own up to being christian

why a black person would willingly dress and portray themselves as slaves at a repug event is beyond my understanding.

[Winterblues]

8. Money....people will do most anything for money

:shrug:

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. I don't understand why black people would participate in a "southern experience" event. n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

12. There could be any number of reasons for participating

For example, it could provide

1) A chance to make some extra money
2) A chance to do some acting
3) A chance to rub elbows with bigwigs
4) A chance to show what slavery may have been like

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

7. Where was Alvin Greene?

I'm surprised he didn't show up.

[jaxx]

9. The Massa and his slaves......

looks racist to me too.

[Jensen]

10. Who are these Black folks that would actually do this? Actors, homeless?? Who are they??

I just can NOT believe this!!!

[TlalocW]

11. Singing...

Oh, I'm glad I'm not in Dixie, Hooray! Hooray!
To be in Dixie, I couldn't stand
I would just die in Dixie
Away, away, oh stay away from Dixie
Away, away, oh stay away from Dixie

TlalocW

[dkf]

13. On the other hand is he supposed to duck out of pictures with black people?

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SoCalDem]

15. There is just something intrinsically weird about people who love to celebrate

one of the largest ass-whuppings a people ever got...and who take such pride in re-enacting that ass-whupping so publicly, hundreds of years later:(

[Obamanaut]

16. It is a fact that slavery existed in the south, AND the north. That is history.

It is also a fact that generals existed. Also history.

This protrayal by people who were willing participants, who may have even been paid, is hardly worse than sitting spell-bound watching Rhett Butler and Scarlett OHara on the veranda. Another instance of willing participants - actors.

[piratefish08]

18. the KKK is a pretty prominent part of history too.

should we have cross burning reenactments to honor the era?

[Obamanaut]

21. In most, if not all, areas cross burning with the intent to intimidate is

illegal.

I suspect that playing 'dress up' for a party is not illegal anywhere.

Perhaps poor taste, but not illegal. To many, there is a difference.

[Oilwellian]

24. Perhaps we can expect to see next...

"actors" as you call them, dressed up in white robes and hoods, re-enacting a cross burning event. That will be in poor taste as well, but the intent will be to re-enact a historical event, hence not illegal. I'm not sure why you've brought the issue of "legality" into this discussion. No one is questioning whether it's legal or not. What it does do is raise the question of what society will accept as the norm. Particularly in the racially charged atmosphere we live in today. If it were just the deep south, country club set acting out the conservative fantasy of "taking their country back" that would be one thing. But there are GOP political leaders toting slaves over each shoulder and sharing in the fantasy. Should we scorn and ridicule the hideous event? Damn straight. Should we expose it for the blatant racism that's oozing from the GOP right now? But of course.

[Renew Deal]

19. I have an idea!

I'll dress up like a soldier and you dress up like slaves. What could possibly go wrong? :rofl:

[Ganja Ninja]

20. And the door prize was a chance to participate in a good old fashion whipping of one of the slaves.

A good time was had by all.:banghead:

[MrScorpio]

22. Wow.

Massive fail.

[lonestarnot]

23. Are these the stupidest fuckers on earth or what?

[LiberalAndProud]

26. Genius! How else should AA's dress for the antebellum South?

I am in awe of these two people. Without speaking, they said it all. I love them!

[Iterate]

27. 620,000 dead. Let's party!

No need to "restore honor" when you have no shame.