September 19th, 2009

Inspired by “DC Mean Time” (Washington Post 9/14/09) and a followup to my 9/10/09 post “Show some respect” about Joe Wilson yelling “you lie” during Obama’s healthcare speech to the Congress. Inspired by Washington Post articles 9/16/09 “The High Ground Feels a Little Lonely” and 9/15/09 “High-Profile Outburst: Do We Hit New Lows?” Regarding the reference to Wilson’s website, after the shouting incident, Congressman Wilson’s website was “temporarily unavailable” due to “exceptionally high traffic” (see Google cached copy from 9/10/09), after which that notice was replaced with a one page bio. The regular page has now been restored. Regarding the reference to “calling a space a spade,” as of this writing, a Google search on Joe Wilson and “spade” generated over 50 thousand hits, most of which praised him. So even if we give Wilson the benefit of the doubt and assume he himself is not racist, many of his supporters seem to be.

 

You, Serena, and Kanye

All spoke out of turn

But the difference between you and them is

Their lesson they did learn.

 

Each of them made apologies

Public and profuse.

But when you were asked to do that

You instead refused.

 

Your own “apology”

(forced by Republican leaders, you admitted)

Was phoned in and private

Not like the public offense you committed.

 

Given your public accusation

Made in front of the whole nation,

I think it’s true

That your apology should be public too.

 

Not only that,

You still claim Obama lied

In spite of the many factual sources

That say you misguide.

You should admit you were wrong

(I know the odds against that are long).

 

What happened to your website?

For a while you took it down.

It’s back up now since I guess you’re main goal is

To add to your renown.

 

I remember well your mentor Strom Thurmond

To preserve “segregation forever” he was bound and determined.

But still he fathered an illegitimate child

With a black woman he’d beguiled.

 

When the daughter came forward you called her a liar too.

Then Strom’s family admitted that it was all true.

You “apologized” to the daughter for saying that she’d lied

But you still condemned her for hurting Strom’s image, even though he’d already died.

In spite of the many lessons Strom did teach

It must be a surprise to find he didn’t practice what he did preach.

 

Yes, Strom taught you everything he knew.

Did he teach you his racism too?

Or were you already proficient

In regarding others as deficient?

 

The political world has been rearranged.

And alas, times have changed.

But not you, you’re not afraid

To “call a spade a spade.”

 

You, or the people who think you’re a hero:

It’s hard to say who’s worse.

Upon reflection, the latter, of course.

Because you’re a BM,

But there are more of them.

 

The House has censured you.

That’s the least that they can do.

But when the next election comes around

I hope you’re crushed into the ground.

 

Boehner was wrong: Censuring you was not a “partisan stunt”

Or a “witch hunt.”

You’re not a martyr.

Just ask Jimmy Carter.

 

We’ll get our real vindication

From your electoral annihilation.

Only then will we know for sure

That South Carolina’s not racist anymore.

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Comments

One Response to “Is Joe Wilson a racist?”

1. Newsericks » Blog Archive » Apologies Says:
   June 26th, 2010 at 5:14 pm

   [...] Which in public life has become increasingly common: [...]

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