NORMAN — Editor, The Transcript:
The Norman Tea Party would have done themselves a greater service admitting there are racists in their ranks and promising to eradicate it to the greatest extent possible. Instead, they slammed the NAACP’s charge as being “... cheap, tired ...”
I haven’t forgotten Tea Party darling and Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Randy Brogdon’s rhetorical question during a recent discussion of what he insisted on referring to as “Obamacare.”
“Are we going to have to purchase fried chicken for dinner ?” Mr. Brogdon asked during the debate on the prospect of Oklahoma opting out of National Health Care provisions. “Fried chicken” is racist code for a food that traditionally black people are particularly fond of, although after so many years in use there’s not really much to decipher.
I also observed a sign at a Tea Party rally in OKC (photo attached) bearing the words, “We want our country back, Send Obama back to Africa.” I am old enough to recall white racists in this part of the world a generation ago expressing the sentiment that “N------ should go back to Africa.” Too close for comfort, Tea Party.
I suppose the Tea Party should be excused. They are a curious political party in other respects as well. Their “... Strong Christian influence within it which we proudly embrace” certainly doesn’t attract this Jew to the Tea Party. It has always been my understanding that most political movements wanting to be successful would seek to be all-inclusive not exclusionary, and particularly not because of religion.
Barbara Hill
Norman
