I wonder how Sherri Goforth of Tennessee feels as the picture of modern “Old South” racism?
What you are looking at in this post is a photo the executive assistant to Tennessee Republican state Senator Diane Black sent out from her government office with the subject “Historical Keepsake Photo”. It shows portraits of the 44 presidents of the United States; however, it’s unlikely that the Obama “spooked eyes” approximation is really our President looking his best.
The haplessly-surnamed Senator Black chairs the Senate Republican Caucus, and a note on the e-mail said it was paid for by the Tennessee Republican Party. GOP officials denied that it was theirs.
The racist Goforth, who will keep her job for Senator Black, also saw nothing wrong with sending the photo; she just sent it to the “wrong list of people”. According to Christian Grantham of Nashville is Talking:
I spoke with Sherri Goforth minutes ago to confirm she sent this email. She confirmed she had sent it and also said she had received a letter of reprimand from her superiors but said she will stay on the job.
When I asked her if she understood the controversial nature of the photo, Goforth would only say she felt very bad about accidentally sending it to the wrong list. When I gave her a second chance to address the controversial nature of the email, she again repeated that she only felt bad about sending it to the wrong list of people.
“I went on the wrong email and I inadvertently hit the wrong button,” Goforth told NIT. “I’m very sick about it, and it’s one of those things I can’t change or take back.”
Best response to that came from Wonkette:
Yes, yes, Republicans must be careful not to hit the “wrong button” when sending out the racist bullshit. Sadly, our liberal technology sector has yet to create a button that would only send your racist fuckwad idiocy to fellow mouth-breathing racist cretins who think there is NOTHING as funny as the idea of … people with dark complexions. Even when you’re just sending the Funnies to proper white folk, there is still often a “N.L.” who will complain about old-fashioned Southern comedy.
But Senator Black has protested that she is friends with all kinds of colored folks:
In fact, Black says, she’s “reached out to people all over this world” as a nurse. As evidence of her racist-free heart, she cites her trips to Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. She went deep into the jungles of Guatemala like a great white bwana to help babies.
“I spent time in Haiti during the time of Aristide working with people with black skin who needed medical help,” she says. And if that’s not enough, her family once hosted a Brazilian exchange student in their home. Wow!
In response to Black’s love of the dark-skinned, a comment by “Jake” to that post wrote this:
So, she has “reached out to people all over the world” (selectively)… What about the people in her own district? Are they too common to deserve her time and attention? The LGBT community certainly did not meet her exotic qualifications.
Jake’s comment was expounded upon at Daily Kos:
For those of you not familiar with her boss, Senator Diane Black, she’s a Republican who was the main Senate sponsor of S.J.R. 127, a trigger amendment passed this year that, if passed in one more legislative vote and by a ballot initiative, will allow abortion to quickly be banned in Tennessee should Roe v. Wade ever be overturned. She also rudely cancelled a meeting with GLBT activists from her own district (you know, people she was elected to represent) at the last second by saying that they “wouldn’t change her mind” and therefore she didn’t even need to hear from them. So in other words, a really charming individual who’s doing SO MUCH for the people of her district.
Is now the time to remind readers that former Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chip Saltsman sent out the “Barack the Magic Negro” song as a “gift” to Republican National Committee members during his bid to head the RNC?
Old habits die hard, ay Tennessee?
Joan Rivers – a Musto-inspired photographic Creative Commons essay
I’m living with a ghost in New Jersey
A man has lived in a van outside my home for 8 years
Making out in public – good or bad?
Obama Condoms in Union Square
New York City water shots
RNC characterizes Republican base as ‘Reactionary’ and ‘Ego-Driven’
Celebrities and downtown denizens salute 25 years of Michael Musto
I just can’t wrap my mind around:
“Goforth would only say she felt very bad about accidentally sending it to the wrong list.”
It’s one those statements that is so obviously screwed up all I could do was cock my head, look quizzical, and say “Really, that’s your response?”
Redincolorado hits the nail on the head. As if that explanation even remotely makes it right. It only further reinforces that racism is alive and well, just a little bit more buried and repressed.
Goforth would only say she felt very bad about accidentally sending it to the wrong list.”
No apology, or no regret in terms of the contents of the email. Just that it was sent to the “wrong” people. What, she meant to send out to another group, or person? No one is perfect in terms of what they may find humorous, but there is a time and a place for everything. She should have been terminated!
Twitter: davidshankbone
says:
Agree, Jamie, Bobby and Nate. Although she did finally issue the following apology:
Given it took public condemnation, it’s hard to see this nit-wit’s attempt to give a true apology as sincere. And I personally dislike the passive-aggressive ’sorry if I offended you’ tone and lack of self-acknowledgment that she did anything inherently wrong.
Why can’t people just say, “I’m sorry, I was wrong.” Full stop.
Absolute horseshit, sorry it was sent out to some people who did not belong to RACIST.com! Obviously the only reason Goforth has not been fired is because Senator Black condones her actions. Both of them should be fired.
I might have a slightly different view on this….I’m not suggesting her conduct was wise, or even nice. I do think her first apology was actually genuine. Think about it. Have none of us ever sent a personal email while at work? How about sending a tasteless joke to our friends while at work? I promise that if anyone saw some of the emails that are sent back and forth between my friends, all of whom I consider to be warm, open minded, largely liberal people, you might be similarly disgusted. Yet none of us are racist jew hating gay bashers. And if one of us made the stupid error to send an email to a work distribution list and not a friend list….well that’s a stupid move for sure….but not a necessarily hateful one.
And email aside, I wonder how many of us has made the off color joke now and again….not meaning to offend a soul. I know I’ve done all of the above, minus sending the joke to the wrong people.
I for one am an equal opportunity joke maker. I joke about all sorts of things, religion, race, sexual orientation, whatever. It’s all fair game. And that’s not because I’m racist or a hater, but because I’m exactly 100% the opposite. I see humor in all people. I think that this woman was clearly inept, and obviously wrong to use work resources for personal thins, but I’m not so quick to pass judgment on her, or her Senator and label them as “racists”.
She might just be a dummy and maybe her boss appreciates her work enough to let this slide with just a reprimand.
I think we need to be careful in this world where people are sometimes outraged for outrage’s sake. Maybe take a deep breath and think…..am I really so different? Anyway, I think I’ll save my energy for someone really deserving of my outrage.
Get a @#$%ing grip. This was a tasteless joke, and not even a funny one, but this is not “a sign that racism is alive and well”. Rather, the reaction to it is a sign that politically correct hypersensitivity is unfortunately still alive and well.
Twitter: davidshankbone
says:
J, based upon your comment, it’s hard to figure out what you define as racism. If ridiculing a man simply based upon the color of his skin is not racism but “a tasteless joke” then do you think only lynching and denying jobs to ethnic minorities is the only “real” racism?
That’s how it sounds to me, Dave.
Republicans are should say:
“WTF? No reason for apologizing. We have no intention to solve virtual problems like leftist media”.
Now they are again and again in defensive.