The United States is Essentially a Nation of Cowards

[SuuT]

Holder 'nation of cowards' remarks blasted, praised
Story Highlights
Attorney general calls U.S. "nation of cowards" when discussing race issues

Eric Holder is the nation's first African-American attorney general

Conservative bloggers blast Holder's remarks

Others say Holder speaks the truth about race relations in the U.S.

From Ed Hornick
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- America is "a nation of cowards" when discussing race. That sentiment from the country's first African-American attorney general, Eric Holder, has stirred up pundits, bloggers and readers.

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial, we have always been and we -- I believe continue to be in too many ways essentially a nation of cowards," Holder told Department of Justice employees at an event Wednesday celebrating Black History Month.

He said that Americans are afraid to talk about race, adding that "certain subjects are off-limits and that to explore them risks at best embarrassment and at worst the questioning of one's character."

And that impression of race in America has set off a firestorm of criticism. Watch more of Holder's comments »

"Holder doesn't want an honest dialogue about race. In the Age of [President] Obama, 'talking enough with each other about race' means the rest of us shutting up while being subjected to lectures about our insensitivity and insufficient integration on the weekends," conservative blogger Michelle Malkin wrote.

Stephan Tawney, writing on the American Pundit blog, said a glimpse at the national political landscape -- namely the country's first black president -- suggests otherwise.

"Our attorney general is black, both major parties are led by black men, the president is black," he wrote. "Last month, the nation officially honored Martin Luther King Jr. as it does every year, and Holder is speaking during Black History Month. And yet we're apparently a 'nation of cowards' on race."

Ron Christie, a one-time domestic policy adviser to former President George W. Bush, said that for the nation's chief law enforcement officer to raise race issues "was wrong and it was very insulting to the American people."

CNN iReport contributor Jimmy Deol of Toronto, Ontario, called Holder's remarks "a bit strong and needlessly provocative."

"I don't think lack of dialogue on race relations in America makes Americans a nation of cowards. Perhaps most people are uncomfortable with the subject with its complex past. The solution: You tell me," he wrote. See Deol's reaction on iReport.com

Holder -- who said that he wants to "revitalize the Civil Rights Division" at the Justice Department -- said Wednesday that he wants to start a new conversation.

"I think if we're going to ever make progress, we have to have the guts. We have to have the determination to be honest with each other," he said.

And that view is something with which CNN political analyst Roland Martin agrees.

"But what he has asked African-Americans to say is personally, go outside of your comfort zone and begin to embrace folks beyond your particular race," Martin said.

Hilary Shelton of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People agreed that Holder's comments are "provocative."

"We don't talk about race in our country, and he's right. ... We've kind of learned to get along, but we've learned to get along by omitting things," Shelton said. Watch more on the Holder debate »

A reader on the liberal Huffington Post Web site wrote: "How can you read Mr. Holder's comments and immediately decide that he is wrong and should apologize? You are either disillusioned from the real world or caught up in some fantasy to which you believe there is no problem with racism in this country."

The reader added, "Mr. Holder is correct in everything he said. We will never get past this issue until we discuss, confront, understand and then heal."

CNN senior political analyst David Gergen agreed with Holder that there is "too much de facto segregation" on weekends, but he said the attorney general's comments failed to take into account how far the country has come.

"If you look at overall where we've come, we just had a huge, huge debate. And now we've elected a black American, and to seemingly after that to call this a 'nation of cowards,' it's just tone-deaf," Gergen said.

CNN's Jessica Yellin contributed to this report.

Note that @ 00:16 he uses the phrase, "Racial Soul" - which was first coined by Alfred Rosenberg (the in-house philosopher of the Third Reich).

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/play...26716&src=news



I'm getting very tired of this bullshit.

[woody]

I've never understood why everyone was so scared to talk about racial issues. I worked in a warehouse with 8 black men. I was talking to the one Black Nationalist in the bunch, and was telling a story about another black that worked there a few years before. I quoted him when I used the word "nigger". Harold didn't flinch, because he understood that I was quoting. The rest looked at my like I was crazy, even when quoting. It never bothered me. It never bothered me to sit and read Mein Kampf in front of them (though, it was just hard to read the damn book, in general).

Maybe it's my personality. I get people to talk frankly about things. They don't feel threatened around me. They know that even if we disagree, I'm not going to put them down. They also know that I don't have guilt over things that I've not had anything to do with, like slavery. I won't apologize for it. Too many of our people in the US have guilt because there were slaves 150 years ago. None of us were alive then. Why should we apologize? Once people get that through their thick skulls, we can move on from running from race issues.

[SuuT]

I've never understood why everyone was so scared to talk about racial issues.

Well, I would say some neurotic "white guilt" fed and nurtured by the media and some very much 'out-there' thinly-veailed black supremecists that get all of the media attention that they desire.

I worked in a warehouse with 8 black men. I was talking to the one Black Nationalist in the bunch,

What the F&%#k is a "Black Nationalist"?

and was telling a story about another black that worked there a few years before. I quoted him when I used the word "nigger". Harold didn't flinch, because he understood that I was quoting. The rest looked at my like I was crazy, even when quoting. It never bothered me. It never bothered me to sit and read Mein Kampf in front of them (though, it was just hard to read the damn book, in general).

I've been using the word "nigger" rather facetiously, as of late. Mostly to complete strangers on the street and on my morning runs.

Maybe it's my personality. I get people to talk frankly about things. They don't feel threatened around me.

From a certain perspective, I suppose that this is good. However, (and I can't stress this enough) America is in its death throes. - Perhaps you may want to consider installing a bit of fear in 'those' who do not fully comprehend not only the consequenses, but, also, the inherent cluelessness involved in the attempted take-over of an hisorically Anglo-Saxon nation. In a word, the "Seax". When did American 'whites' become such effete eunuchs, anyway?

They know that even if we disagree, I'm not going to put them down.

Ipso Facto, you put yourself "down".

They also know that I don't have guilt over things that I've not had anything to do with, like slavery. I won't apologize for it. Too many of our people in the US have guilt because there were slaves 150 years ago. None of us were alive then. Why should we apologize? Once people get that through their thick skulls, we can move on from running from race issues.

From your posts, I like you - very much. But you are giving benefit of the doubt where all evidence of the impetus to do so is nugatory.

If anyone thinks, for one iota of a nanosecond, that America is not being taken over with its own manipulated disposition, they are seriously endangered.

[Thorum]

Woody, you are exactly right. I grew up north of DC, in Silver Spring/Montgomery County. Completely overun with porch monkeys.

I should mention I had a few blacks as friends through my life.

On a different note, simply to mention race was to bring on a fight. Believe me, I have been in many fights since, "in my younger days", there was nothing better than driving around town with a carload of drunk comrades through Southeast DC yelling nigger and throwing beer bottles at everyone "African American" we saw.

Ah the good ole' days.

[Thorum]

Well, I would say some neurotic "white guilt" fed and nurtured by the media and some very much 'out-there' thinly-veailed black supremecists that get all of the media attention that they desire.



What the F&%#k is a "Black Nationalist"?



I've been using the word "nigger" rather facetiously, as of late. Mostly to complete strangers on the street and on my morning runs.



From a certain perspective, I suppose that this is good. However, (and I can't stress this enough) America is in its death throes. - Perhaps you may want to consider installing a bit of fear in 'those' who do not fully comprehend not only the consequenses, but, also, the inherent cluelessness involved in the attempted take-over of an hisorically Anglo-Saxon nation. In a word, the "Seax". When did American 'whites' become such effete eunuchs, anyway?



Ipso Facto, you put yourself "down".



From your posts, I like you - very much. But you are giving benefit of the doubt where all evidence of the impetus to do so is nugatory.

If anyone thinks, for one iota of a nanosecond, that America is not being taken over with its own manipulated disposition, they are seriously endangered.

With a post like that, SuuT, I feel you should let the forum know what country you live in and are from.

[SuuT]

With a post like that, SuuT, I feel you should let the forum know what country you live in and are from.

Uhhhhh...okay. To accomodate you, I have lived in Germany, Danemark, (and was born in) Norway (Oslo); Sweden, the U.K (for a year), and Germany. I currently reside in the U.S.. I possess dual citisenship in the U.S. and the Scandinavian nation that I was born in.



It is why I list both my ethnicity and meta-ethnicity as "Germanic": I, quite simply, have lived in too many Germanic Nations over the course of my life to narrow it any further.

Hope that answers your (rather bizzare) inquiry.

[Thorum]

Uhhhhh...okay. To accomodate you, I have lived in Germany, Danemark, (and was born in) Noway; Sweden, the U.K (for a year), and Germany. I currently reside in the U.S.. I possess dual citisenship in the U.S. and the Scandinavian nation that I was born in.



It is why I list both my ethnicity and meta-ethnicity as "Germanic": I, quite simply, have lived in too many Germanic Nations over the course of my life to narrow it any further.

Hope that answers your (rather bizzare) inquiry.

I am sorry if I offended you. I tend to speak directly and meant no offense or intrusion. My assumption is we are all friends here. I ask friends direct questions while strangers get watered-down questions. (Should I shut up?)

I asked only to clarify your perspective on the quote you made:

"However, (and I can't stress this enough) America is in its death throes. - Perhaps you may want to consider installing a bit of fear in 'those' who do not fully comprehend not only the consequenses, but, also, the inherent cluelessness involved in the attempted take-over of an hisorically Anglo-Saxon nation. In a word, the "Seax". When did American 'whites' become such effete eunuchs, anyway?"

Thanks SuuT.

[Æmeric]

This is just pity talk from the first nigger to be appointed US Attorney General. He's afriad the racial spoils system may vanish because we have a Negro president. (God! that leaves a bad taste in my mouth!)

If he wants to have a honest discussion about race, lets talk about black-on-White crime. There was an excellent column on this subject yesterday at Vdare. Or how about the huge numbers of Negroes still on public assistance, in spite of decades of preference in hiring & college admissions. Sometimes I get the impression the main reason for the existence of the Federal government is to provide middleclass civil service jobs for Negroes, why not do away with preferential hiring practices. What about the huge illegitimacy rate among Negroes, hovering around 70%. The taxpayers (Whitey) have to pick up the tabof raising those black bastards. What about the general anti-social behavior of Negroes that distroyed cities like Chicago & the better parts of Cleveland & Saint Louis.

Holder doesn't want an honest discussion about race, he wants to continue to milk White guilt for as much as his kind can possibly get. He's worried that the free ride of the last 60-years is nearing an end & he will have to go back to the back of the bus.

[Allenson]

Holder doesn't want an honest discussion about race, he wants to continue to milk White guilt for as much as his kind can possibly get. He's worried that the free ride of the last 60-years is nearing an end & he will have to go back to the back of the bus.

LOL--I was thinking that he might want to be careful what he wishes for. Does he really want to talk about IQs, crime, the historical flourishing of culture from Europe and the lack thereof from Africa, etc, et al.?

I do agree with him though that at the least, white America has become, generally speaking, very cowardly with regard to discussing race.

I'd more than happy to sit down and discuss some things with him.

[SuuT]

[...] My assumption is we are all friends here. [...]

We are.