Got this from the Andrew Sullivan blog, after seeing it on the Ta-Nehisi Coates one:

“In an effort to honor the life and service of Strom Thurmond, Senator Lott made some comments that he probably wishes he had phrased differently. I do not believe Senator Lott meant to be malicious or racist with the comments he made. I believe he was merely honoring a great American on his 100th birthday [...] I do not believe he harbors racist sentiments in his heart,” – Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), December 13, 2002.

“There is no other way you can interpret [Sotomayor's "wise Latina" speech]. She thinks that a woman with her experience can make a better conclusion than a white male – and to me, I consider that racist,” – Inhofe, August 4, 2009.

Bonus:

I had the pleasure of seeing Roger Bonair-Agard perform this piece at Amherst College several years ago. I like to use its written form in workshops to start a discussion about word choice. Absolutely phenomenal poem:

Tags: politricks

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