Supreme Court Decisions Akin to Calling Blacks the N-Word, Says CNN Guest
On CNN's Monday night special "The N Word," guest Tim Wise claimed that
the Supreme Court used that racial slur against all black Americans
through its rulings on the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action.
"I mean, the reality is, we have a Supreme Court that in the last ten days has just basically called 40 million black folks that word without saying it
by restricting or limiting the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and basically
ending for all intent and purpose or, at least, limiting in many ways,
affirmative action," Wise insisted.
[Video below. Audio here.]
The one-hour special focused on the use and offensiveness of the
"N-word," particularly in regard to Paula Deen's recent plight. Tim
Wise, author of "Colorblind" and anti-racism activist, thought the
Court's decisions on racial issues were far more offensive than Deen's
use of the word.
"So I'm far more concerned about the kind of racism that comes from
very well-educated law school-educated high powerful people who know
well enough not to use that word, but still restrict opportunity based
on the same kind of fundamental mentality that affects a lot of people,"
Wise continued.
This isn't the first time Wise has spewed his racial liberal tripe on CNN. In 2010, he appeared
with anchor Don Lemon, who let him defend his "withering rebuke" of the
"white right" just days after the Tea Party swept Republicans back into
the House majority.
Wise insisted that "the right wing in this country, which is
disproportionately- if you look at the exit polls- being fed by older
white folks, has more or less declared war on the last 100 years of
liberal and progressive progress. I mean, Glenn Beck calls himself a
'progressive hunter' and says the main goal for Republicans should be to
undo the legacy of progressivism, which is like the last century of
human progress: civil rights laws, environmental laws, labor laws."
Below is a transcript of the segment, which aired on Erin Burnett OutFront on July 1 at 7:10 p.m. EDT:
TIM
WISE, author, "Colorblind": The only thing about Paula Deen that
troubles me is her world view that nostalgizes the antebellum South.
That to me is a far bigger issue. But I agree with the last commentator.
I mean, the reality is, we have a Supreme Court that in the last ten
days has just basically called 40 million black folks that word without
saying it by restricting or limiting the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and
basically ending for all intent and purpose or, at least, limiting in
many ways, affirmative action.
So I'm far more concerned about the kind of racism that comes from very
well educated law school-educated high powerful people who know well
enough not to use that word, but still restrict opportunity based on the
same kind of fundamental mentality that affects a lot of people, Paula
Deen among them, perhaps, but at the end of the day, millions of us.
-- Matt Hadro is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center
