February 19, 2009 2:43 PM

Conservatives Hammer Holder For "Cowards" Comment

By
Michelle Levi
Topics
Domestic Issues
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Attorney General Eric Holder's assertion Wednesday that America is "essentially a nation of cowards" when talking about race has ignited fires across conservative America.

During a Black History Month speech, Holder said America must confront race relations head on or risk further polarization.

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards,'' Holder said at the Justice Department. "It is an issue we have never been at ease with and given our nation's history this is in some ways understandable."

The king of conservative talk, Rush Limbaugh, called Holder's comments "inexcusable" on his syndicated radio program Thursday.

"Eric Holder in his speech yesterday calling this nation still a nation of cowards on the issue of race – this country that has shed more blood than any nation in the history of the earth to wipe out slavery and discrimination against people of color around the world," he said. "It is an inexcusable statement and yet there they are the drive bys are right there defending it an explaining what he meant by it."

The Chicago Tribune, meanwhile, reports that Joe Hicks, a black Republican and the former executive director of the Los Angeles City Human Relations Commission, chastised Holder for his comments, calling them incendiary.

"Here's the first black attorney general appointed by the first black American president and he's espousing views that appear to be almost ultra-left in their approach to race in America, that blacks are victims and whites are intolerant and accepting of quasi-racist views,'' Hicks said.

Conservative syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin wrote in her column: "Funny. When I think of racial cowards, I think of Barack Obama at Jeremiah Wright's church, sitting there week after week, year after year, saying nothing about the separatist demagoguery echoing from the pulpit to the pews."

"I find Eric Holder's comments on race both hackneyed and reprehensible," a post by Jonah Goldberg in the conservative National Review reads.

"First, I think this is nonsense as we talk about race a great, great, great deal in this country. Endless courses in colleges and universities, chapters in high school textbooks, movies, documentaries, after-school-specials and so on are devoted to discussing race. We even have something called "Black History Month" — the occasion for Holder's remarks to begin with — when America is supposed to spend a month talking about the black experience," Goldberg wrote.

And a conservative talk show on KXNT Las Vegas solicited audience feedback that reflected conservative outrage – and sometimes bordered on racism, CBS News radio's Howard Arenstein reports.

"Maybe if my grandfather was a slave I would be a little indignant about it," one man said. "But I just think its time to let go."

"Most white people I know have black friends," another complained. "How many white friends do black people you know have? That's the problem."

Add a Comment See all 673 Comments
by ratbiggy February 21, 2009 12:54 PM EST
Go to

www.congress.org

type in your ZIP+4 to get a list of your elected officials

use the web form to send an email to all of your federal officials

tell them Holder must resign

It's that simple.
Reply to this comment
by ratbiggy February 21, 2009 12:52 PM EST
Holder must resign.

Obama should ask for his immediate resignation.

For the sake of national unity.
Reply to this comment
by wrmscvsuv February 21, 2009 9:08 AM EST
Are we really surprised at the kind of person Obama has appointed?

Are really surprised after electing Obama?

Obama may turn out to be a watered-down Adolf Hitler. I am really concerned.
Reply to this comment
by bradley6661 February 21, 2009 12:20 AM EST
Wake up America...We are Americans, why is AG Holder trying to DIVIDE us? Government officials work for the TAXPAYERS...that would be US.

I agree, he should resign. His message is OUTRAGEOUS. Americans are much nicer to each other - Why is our government not helping US they need to take a huge STEP BACK and start again.
Let's stand up for ALL AMERICANS!
Reply to this comment
by jjames828 February 20, 2009 9:33 PM EST
I agree with Holder 110% If WE close our mouths and open OUR ears his exact words were "WE". He did not refer to one demographic of people. WE have treated the issue of race like a powder keg and President Obama in office does mean America has overcame it's issues with race. It simply means we have taken the first step.
Reply to this comment
by ss3175 February 20, 2009 9:13 PM EST
Is this a denial of higher standard by race or office. The AG represents the rights of all people. In an adminastration that promotes change, yet says we are to cowardice to recognise that change is repugnent.
Reply to this comment
by alanrobisch February 20, 2009 8:10 PM EST
Ask yourself this the next time someone says racism is dead, Who''d pick cotton, oranges & such if this country had 2 b self-reliant on producing our goods??

Posted by ssreal at 05:04 PM

The Mexicans as they are now. I guess you are holding on to the past. blacks are no longer the farm hands
Reply to this comment
by ssreal February 20, 2009 8:04 PM EST
It's time to stop suffering in a muted tone. Speak up or speak out, or say nothing at all. And to those that do have "black friends", it means nothing until u've suffered such attacks, you cant sympathize with that kind of pain. If u were truly a friend u'd be outraged enough to speak up as well instead of allowing your counterparts continue to humiliate others & gain notoriety on the labor of others. Ask yourself this the next time someone says racism is dead, Who'd pick cotton, oranges & such if this country had 2 b self-reliant on producing our goods??
Reply to this comment
by ssreal February 20, 2009 8:03 PM EST
I find it interesting that some hide behind the false naivitee that now in 2009 there's still a great divide amongst people in this country. Really, we have "something called Black History Month". What about the other 8 months when our children are learning about the history of our "Great Nation" & very few other notable americans of color are mentioned, the ones that they continue to talk about year after year. Why must our children have to wait 7 months into the school year to find out about the numerous great works that took place on this soil at the hands, backs & blood of African Americans. It took the U.S. to elect a black president centuries into our existence to rewrite history & u say racism is dead? When such major corps can get away with underlying racist attacks & continue to operate w/o any reprocussion cause of fear of attack against the opposers or whistle blowers of such antics, & not the perpetrators, then yes we're a "nation of cowards" cause there's no reason for us to sweep such things aside, let them blow over & act as if there is no wrongdoing. We must call a spade a spade & take such topics head on n order to paint the clear message that blacks are still & continue 2 b victims of blatant racism & still even in this day & age have the fearful mentality of reprocussions @ the hands of those who've had the upper hand in this country since we were first brought here against our will.
Reply to this comment
by raflin0010 February 20, 2009 7:05 PM EST
Holder's comments were EXACTLY right on!!! To pretend that racism does not exist is to deny reality.
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