Free Shirley Sherrod

[Stephen Fox]

I don't care who needs to Do it.

The USDA; Fox News, the NAACP; Roland Martin.

Apologize to her and give her Job back to her.

I have heard the testimony of the White Couple in South Georgia for whom she went to bat in 84.

Give her her job back and apologize to her; A National Apology if that is what needs to be done.

[Cathy]

Absolutely agree with you on this one SF. And some others as well. A woman gives testimony to how her eyes are opened and Right Wingers take her words out of context and attack her as a means to attack Obama et al. Knee jerk democrats fail to see the trick. Hopefully they will turn around and rectify this matter immediately. I don't know which side to be the most upset with.

[Cathy]

Looks like eyes are opening.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/us/21 ... ml?_r=1&hp

[Big Daddy Weaver]

Last I heard, Vilsack was standing by his decision and Obama apparently affirms that decision. Will be interesting to see what Robert Gibbs has to say tomorrow on the issue.

As to the NAACP, Benjamin Jealous & Company look like a bunch of doofuses in this matter. Instead of a knee-jerk reaction, they should have taken a moment to talk to Sherrod and perhaps view the entire tape before wacking her in the media. I'm not too surprised - the NAACP has made a few missteps over the years (poor leader selection in particular) - they do still have the Image Awards going for them though.

[ET]

What's this got to do with "Baptist Faith and Practice"?

[Haruo]

Agreed. I moved it here where it really belongs.

[Stephen Fox]

Where it rightfully belongs

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc ... cus/60137/

That said I think there are a lot more less than Baptist Faith and practice matters than this that have a long life on that site.
I may come back to it later.

[Big Daddy Weaver]

Let's see: the NAACP - an organization comprised largely of black Baptists.

Very likely that Shirley Sherrod is a Baptist. I'd put my money on it. Anyone here ever been to Albany?

Racism = a moral issue not some secular public policy question. I'd say racism is a distinctly Baptist-related question!!

The BF&P forum could use some new life with an interesting topic.

[Stephen Fox]

I was trying to formulate something like that, but didn't want to appear to have a chip on my shoulder.

I think Joshua Green has put the focus on Breitbart where it belongs.

The NAACP has its faults, does its share of posturing and Grandstanding.

Everytime I listen to Ms.Sherrod's speech in full the stronger it gets.

I hope the temptation to exploit this situation, her moment of fame doesn't lead her into a pitfall, cause right now she is something of a latter day Fannie Lou Hamer.

I don't want to put Jim Dant and Highland Hills on the Spot, or FBC Americus, but maybe one of those two pastors ought to vacate the pulpit some Sunday morning in September and let this woman Preach.

Roger Spooner can deliver the Sunday Morning Prayer, as I'm guessing with you, Bdidd; if not a Deacon now in his 88th year, has been sometime in the past.
It would be hard to imagine all that character springing up from nowhere in those Parts without the Word of God playing a part in it somewhere along the Way.

If Highland Hills or FBC Americus doesn't have the good sense to put them on the Program, then for sure the Next meeting of the Baptist Covenant ought to recognize them in some fashion on site.

I have to confress that ET's 2nd guessing goaded me in some ways to be so effusive ; but still it is a Grand Redemption Drama we have seen played out in the last couple days, and I'm glad one Baptist recognizes it for what it is; even while I continue to congratulate Haruou for his fine Worship in Bham last week.
Nobody can be call it right every time out to Seattle

[Jim]

[Stephen Fox]

Jim:

I know you're just having fun but that poem is ill timed and tone deaf.
I don't think I blamed this on the SBC; but there is in the SBC a poor institutional memory on their history in these matters.
None of us are blameless.
What will be interesting is to see if Baptist Press addresses it at all and how they address it; if they place any blame on the Tea Parties,Fox News or Breitbart.
If you really care about understanding these matter, the concluding analysis in Curtis Freeman's study of Criswell and 1956 are a good case study for Fox News and Breitbart in this matter.

[Jim]

[Chris]

[Chris]

[Chris]

Vilsac should resign. He acted on information he got from Andrew Dull-bart and Fox NewsChannel, before he asked for Sherrod's side of the story.

[Stephen Fox]

At the Tea Party fiasco earlier this year in Nashville.

No, Chris is wrong; Vilsack made an eggregious mistake but he should not resign; just more blood for the worst aspects of the Tea Party another scalp for them and that is not in the National Interest at this time.

Interesting take on Jesse Jackson few days ago in The New Republic.

[Stephen Fox]

Do not distract this mess and blame it on Vilsack.
It is Breitbart where the attention should be focussed.

http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/ ... ist-method

[KeithE]

I've been TDY and haven't commented much lately (don't like entering a lot of text on an iPhone).

This whole affair is but another example of muckraking lies (this case over 20 years old and context removed) by politically dishonest spin-masters. Brightbart ought to be banned from blogging. He was the one behind the ACORN set-up as well.

Since he largely got away with that gambit, he tried it again.

While O'Reilly apologized very curtly w/o remorse

others at Fox News and on the right have not done so to my knowledge. They are actually pursueing more muck on Sherrod


The automatic reaction from Obama and Vilsack is an example of a too quick reaction in deference to Fox News power to destroy reputations. Americans should not trust Fox News (to put it mildly); they pick out people to demonize regularly.

My question is what has caused Obama's turn to the right from July 2008 on? - is it corporate interest (aka election/re-election campaigns funds), straight blackmail, or is it fear of political smearing by Fox News / tea party crowd?