But I can't deny that I'm happy to see the Romney camp call out Al Sharpton on what certainly sounds like an anti-Mormon comment. Here it is:
"As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation," Sharpton said during a debate with [Christopher] Hitchens at the New York Public Library.Not everyone in America signed on to Sharpton's elevation to National Moral Arbiter during last month's Imus imbroglio. (The news networks, on the other hand, were happy to acquiesce. That Tawana Brawley messiness was wiped from the record in an instant.)
"In no way did I attack Mormons or the Mormon Church when I responded that other believers, not atheists, would vote against Mr. Romney for purely political reasons," Sharpton said.Last month Sharpton insisted, when asked if Imus was bigot, that he couldn't know what was in Don Imus' heart - i.e., perception matters as much intent. Fair enough.
Well then, all we have to go on are Sharpton's words and how they sound. And they certainly sound, um, bigoted.
Reader Comments ( Page 6 of 7)
76. For someone to be Pentecostal/Baptist minister that is not suppose to pass judgement,or hatred for one another. And to be a civil rights activist passes judgement on others by only defending one race. Sound like to me he speaks out of both sides of his mouth.
Yes he has done some great things but he also said done terrible things per this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Sharpton
countryheartntexas at 10:25AM on May 11th 2007
77. For someone to be a baptist preacher which I believe is not suppose to pass judgement and is not suppose to spread hatred Al does a good job and then to be a civil activist that is suppose to help eveyone. He only helps those that are black. I thought we were all of Gods children? Yes I know that he has done great things but he has also said racist words per the link below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Sharpton
countrybrenda at 10:48AM on May 11th 2007
78. republican = faith ,Democratic = atheist
jon at 10:44AM on May 11th 2007
79. If there was any other context in Sharpton's mind, it was he he spoke out of context.
It is hard to take a comment like
"as for the Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways..."
"The Mormon" being the subject noun and "him" being the pronoun.
No matter what other conversation there was, his sentence says what it says.
Vincent at 10:51AM on May 11th 2007
80. Sharpton the big mouth should apologize. He only proves that there is a DOUBLE STANDARD. He better do more marches on getting rid of the horrible music that hip hop and rappers put on the air ways. I saw his first march and was not at all surprised to see the small amount of black people supporting him on this issue.
maria aragon at 11:02AM on May 11th 2007
81. If don Imus had been black then the nappy headed ho comment that he made would have been funny . I think its time that someone shut this man AL Sharpston up
babykitkat43 at 11:06AM on May 11th 2007
82. Al Sharpton is a poor excuse of a human being and is the most biggoted individual I have ever seen. He is a lyer, racist, and an over-all idiot and the people that listen to him and support him are no different than he is.
Larry at 11:15AM on May 11th 2007
83. Al Sharpton and his bosom buddy Jesse need to be eradicated. They are constantly creating havic whenever a black is involved....They are both so bigoted and should not be allowed to enter any means of their spoken word to be heard...They are American terriorist at work...Thank God we are Americans and are able have freedom of religion...
And, YES, freedom of speech...However NOT to have hurtful words...I feel both these men belong in Africa...WHY, since they are PRO-black No matter what...Perhaps they could stop the killing in the Sudan...AND YES...Their Bad mouths when the Duke boys were in trouble...WHY nothing since there clearance and the little black chick was found to have lied....Give me a break..apologize to our LDS (Mormon) candidate and get yourself a one way ticket to Africa where they NEED you.
Jan at 11:32AM on May 11th 2007
84. Rev Sharpton is covered by media, because he
represents a large group of people. What he
said may represent his constuancy, or it may not.
Regardless, he stated what he thought. Did he do
something illegal? I may disagree with his
position, but he has an obligation to his
constituancy to state his position.
Rev Sharpton has an agenda to pursue. Apparently,
the agenda excludes Mormon participation. It does
include the elimination of racists remarks and
actions against Blacks.
My objection is that he is attempting to clarify
his statement. Are some misinterpreting his
statement? I think not! What he should be doing
is arguing his position. What has happened is
Rev Sharpton thinks he has weakened much of his
arguement against racism in general. Bigotry is
an obstinent belief. We are all bigoted for
something/someone. We are even bigoted against or
for bigotry.
A bigot has difficulty rationalizing their
position. A racists has the problem of rationalizing
their racism, therefore they are bigoted.
Apparently, Rev Sharpton is a bigot, because he cannot
rationalize his position that Mormons should be excluded
from seeking the Presidency. Is he a racist? Since
Mormans are not a race, he can not be called a racist for
in this instance. Because the Mormons, at one time,
discriminated against the black race, it is a subject
for scutiny.
Bill Miller at 12:01PM on May 11th 2007
85. sharpton is a lying asshole, full of hot air and the biggest racist of all time. who gives a crap about him? if the freaking media would stop reporting everytime he takes a shit maybe he'll go away. but everytime he opens that big mouth of his everyone's afraid of being labeled a racist. hello....he's a nobody with a big mouth who believes everyone who's not black is racist. maybe he should use that big mouth of his to educate his own people who think that dressing like a pimp, acting like a thug and singing about killing cops is cool.
mio at 6:41PM on May 11th 2007
86. @ dale-baby (comment 55)
What's up dude, is your browser stuck on this page? Look the word up yourself.
Goddam, self-righteous yank... 'one nation, 'under Canada', indivisible'... what a laugh, what a joke... Bush put the kibosh on that... " wawa warpre-wawa"... make a draft, mobilize all your cretins and kill the muslims already.
Don't blame Warprewawabush if he can't conduct a genocide right, he's an idiot.
pboyfloyd at 7:04PM on May 11th 2007
87. @ Mike (comment 60)
You said, " And now the muslims want our public schools to wash their feet at the expense of my tax paid dollars."
I'm wit' you brotha... what's next... the muslims wil want us to brush our teeth(toothpaste is EXPENSIVE... well, it's not really ... but, y'know..for the point and all) and shampoo our hair(Have you seen the price of 'Head-and-shoulders' lately??).
Pretty soon they will be demanding that we wipe our bums after each and every single poo. Oh, where, oh WHERE WILL IT END?(We must kill them all now.)
pboyfloyd at 7:34PM on May 11th 2007
88. @ Eliza (comment 86)
I'm wit' you sista... guys like Sharpton should not only be apologizing to all Mormons.. they should be apologizing to all white people for their ancestors being SOOOOOOOO wimpy as to be taken into slavery in the first place.
Even after that ... the buggers didn't run away. It's not like they didn't have a place to run... an entire free continent...
(except those pesky 'indians'... don't... DON'T think about those 'incidental' 'indians'... heck... is it the white man's fault that they weren't resistant to smallpox....NOOOOOOOOOOOO... God did it. As for them 'uppity ones'.... shouldn't have stood in front of the bullets now.. HUH? Makes sense to me.)
Al probably helped O.J. .... you 'know' how those 'people' stick together... huh.. huh? You hear me... I know you do.
pboyfloyd at 8:51PM on May 11th 2007
89. Anyone remember Tawana Braley? Al in his pimp suits? He is a snakeoil salesman. He is a piece of human garbage.
glworth at 8:58PM on May 11th 2007
90. @ glworth (comment 88)
That's what I'm getting at too... like young George... who dreamed of making it big in oil, anyone remember Arbusto Oil???... and now he's got the entire US Army standing on a lake of oil... and it's not snake-oil..
... but like Al Sharpton... he can't be kidding anyone... right... right???... RIGHT????
pboyfloyd at 9:24PM on May 11th 2007