Jealous Much? NAACP Chief Backpedals (Somewhat) After Issuing Condemnation of Tea Party 'Racism'

I am afraid that there is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public.

- Booker T Washington; My Larger Education, Being Chapters from My Experience (1911)

The NAACP held its convention in Kansas City this week, which included the following resolution that was voted on:

delegates attending the annual NAACP convention in Kansas City, call upon “all people of good will to repudiate the racism of the Tea Parties, and to stand in opposition to its drive to push our country back to the pre-civil rights era.”

Jealous later had this to say when addressing the convention:

“Expel the bigots and racists in your ranks or take the responsibility for them and their actions,” Jealous said. “We will no longer allow you to hide like cowards and hide behind signs that say ‘Lynch Our President’ or anyone else.”

Besides the few but well-publicized racist and provocative signs that have shown up at Tea Party rallies, Jealous' statement are based in large part on the yet-to-be-proven allegations that black lawmakers were spat upon and called racial epithets immediately prior to the March 20th 0bamacare vote. Curiously, there were those in the lawmaker's entourage who were filming the crowd on their way to the vote, yet they have not stepped forward to collect the $10,000 bounty offered by conservative online columnist Andrew Breitbart for video or audio of such an incident- despite a preponderance of camerphones and video cameras among both the lawmakers, journalists and protesters that day.

Jealous then walked back his comments on Thursday claiming that the NAACP resolution never explicitly called the Tea Party 'racist'. Yet the initial draft published by the Kansas City Star (quoted above) and his address to attendees seem to indicate otherwise.

Let me put it to you in these terms, Mr. Jealous. Prior to the April 15th Tea Party protests, word was circulating of infiltrators planning on crashing the gatherings with racist or inflammatory signs to discredit the Tea Party in general. At the one and only gathering I've been to so far, some of the attendees were pretty quick to gather around somebody holding up a 'THE MOON LANDING WAS FAKED!' sign with little bright pink arrows that read 'Phony'. And you're somehow expecting me to believe these same people in the Tea Party who were all over Mr. Mooninite would've just shrugged it off if somebody else showed up at the rally with a 'LYNCH THE PRESIDENT' sign?

Of course! How else would this explain the warm reception this neo-nazi got at a St. Louis Tea Party?

Of course the other problem with the NAACP's 'stop-beating-your-wife-already' style resolution is that even before President Obama won the election, the definition of 'racism' has become quite malleable.

The “socialist” label that Sen. John McCain and his GOP presidential running mate Sarah Palin are trying to attach to Sen. Barack Obama actually has long and very ugly historical roots.

Using that line of reasoning, I guess 55% of the respondents to this Carvelle poll are raaaaacists, too. Having said that, if the Tea Party really were comprised of racists and Klansmen, maybe President Obama would have some kinder words for them like he had for a recently departed Kleagle in the KKK:

“And as I reflect on the full sweep of his 92 years, it seems to me that his life bent towards justice,” Obama said. “Like the Constitution he tucked in his pocket, like our nation itself, Robert Byrd possessed that quintessential American quality, and that is a capacity to change, a capacity to learn, a capacity to listen, a capacity to be made more perfect.”

Unless, of course, you apparently lack that capacity if you oppose the President's Financial 'reform', healthcare 'reform', Cap and Trade or Card Check. In which case, you're all a bunch of mean, no good racists- every last one of you.

Go ahead- just ask the NAACP.