Kirk David Lyons, of the Southern Legal Resource Center, seems to think so. He and his organization are suggesting that people who embrace the Confederate battle flag and feel persecuted that they’re not allowed to display it proudly, carve out a new category for themselves on the 2010 Census. Particularly, he wants “Confederate Southern American” as a write-in vote on Question 9 on the Census.
And no, it’s not a sly Colbert Report send-up.
And here again we revisit the notion that though it takes all kinds, sometimes it’s painful that it takes all kinds. Speaking as someone who falls into Lyons’ would-be demographic, I shall not be including this on my Census form — should mine ever arrive. I am Southern (southwest Missouri). I am not Confederate. And neither is Lyons, bless his heart. That any one would think this should be a protected group just slays me. Here’s a bit more on Lyons and his organization, from a 2009 North Carolina newspaper article.
And thanks, Sis. Sharon, for the link.
Pfui. This guy is delusional.
We’ve got folks like him in Alabama and one of them, Roy Moore, is actually in the running for Governor.
When did they stop calling themselves the KKK?
A few more Racial Groups in 19 spaces:
Pop Culture Refugee
Sugar Loving Leftie
Uppity Geezer Woman
Yours?
Embittered Dried-Out Old Shell of a Woman
That might be too long.
The peoples front of Judea.
Wait – HE abbreviated, you can too!
Embit DOOS oa Woman
Excellent. I’ll have that printed on a tshirt to confuse the populace.
Aging Techo-Geeks
ATG
I often use those letters to praise or thank someone.
“All Time Great.”
It’s not like race as used on the Census is scientific. Ethnicity certainly is not…and both are self-selected.
Let them be who they wish to be.
Absolutely. Agreed. I have every respect for people carving out their ethnic niche. But someone based on a concern about displaying the Confederate battle flag seems a thin thread on which to balance.
Oh, good grief. So Steve Martin WAS a poor black child, because he said he was?
Everybody! Check “other,” then “Deadhead.”
Under current law regarding the Census and reporting of race/ethnicity by non-minors, yes, Navin Johnson was in fact “a poor black child.”
And there are no penalties or alleged false reporting….because there can’t be since it can’t be easily proven.
But will we all get a call if we check “other” and then list something stupid?
Maybe…but so? then you can make your case.
Nah. I don’t wanna talk to any one. I just want to be a turd. But if that means I have to talk to someone, I won’t be a turd.
I have a white friend who was born in South Africa. He calls himself African-American.
Which is true. It’s all so silly, Isn’t it?
Well, like Obama. He’s African and American too.
A confederate flag is hardly an entire culture, is it? If so, then Deadheads have a way bigger claim for a census designation.
DIY Liberal Westerner.
That’s what I’ll check, then — even though, to me? All Dead songs sound like the same song. I’m sorry. I really am, but just to strike a blow for this important demographic, I now officially christen myself a Deadhead.
It all sounds the same to me, for the most part, too. So maybe I’m an UnDeadhead. Zombie music lover?
“A confederate flag is hardly an entire culture, is it?”
It is, in my experience. But yeah, Deadheads probably outnumber them in the this, the year 2010. heck, there were probably more people at Woodstock than there are CSAs.
I wouldn’t count on it. Living in the capitol of confederacy and having traveled very extensively throughout the rural south, I think the CSA easily outnumbers the deadheads…especially those that name more than “Truckin’” and “A Touch of Grey” as among the songs of the Dead.
But more importantly, Jerry was a faboo banjist.
Really? I did not know that.
Or there are maybe more people who claim to have been at Woodstock than would claim to be CSAs?
And we’re not talking about culture are we? I mean, there’s countless subcultures in America, the census isn’t so much concerned with that.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125219716
More evidence–as if we didn’t know already–that there is no such thing as “race.” Clearly Mr. Jobrani is talking about national origins. The “race” question should eliminated and replaced with a menu of the names of 75 or 100 nations that exist or have existed in the past 100 years, with an instruction to “check all that apply.” Maybe by 2030 or 2040 we can eliminate even that question.
Thanks for this. I’ve heard this from others. The race box is problematic for a lot of people.
1.) They’re called scissors. Ffs, trim that godawful moustache and get a haircut.
2.) Set your disgusting tie on fire. Just do it.
3.) Watch his eyes. He doesn’t believe what he’s saying.
3) I think he’s reading from cue cards.
3.5) Oh. My. God. When I saw this, I thought the exact thing, that the guy was bluffing/lying/not believing what was coming out of his mouth.
But he’s not talking to you. He’s talking to people who want to believe him, people who believe THEY’RE being discriminated against and who want their country back, and they’re going to accept anything he says if it will help them feel — uh — good about themselves again. IF they ever did.
Cynical, if you’ve time or inclination, I posted this on my day-job-blog. Go see the response of one guy. There’s no harm and no foul if you don’t, but I was so flabberflapped I could hardly type.
I went over to your daytime blog, too. This “Rev.” probably is either self-ordained or comes from some snake-handling kerosene -drinking sect.
I can guarantee that he is not One Of Us.
I was going to leave a message for Rev. Billy, but I failed to type in the funny letters correctly, and the blog ate all my typing. His name, “William,” sounds pretty elitist to me. Where I come from, people have names like Bobby, Patsy, Tammy, and Billy.
That blog is worse for comments than anything you’ll ever visit. I would enjoy watching you lay him out and I kind of hope he comes back so I can get in a slap-fight with him. Weird thing is, that blog seems to attract people who are more contentious. The tone is a lot different, even though I pretty much post just about everything (except for the really local stuff) here, first. I have been unable to get conversations going over there, but I get lots of arguments.
Try the Montgomery Advertiser forum. You’ll see all the racists and teabaggers you want.
Strange thing is that the Executive Editor of the MA is a Black woman, and the administrator of the forum is a Black man.
Do they vomit into their mouths when they have to read this stuff? I would be horrified.
I swear it’s something about the news sites. I make a point of avoiding comments on these sites, it’s never good.
I left a comment for the Reverend.
You are too, too kind. I didn’t mean for everyone to go defend poor me, but I notice I’m a lot bigger turd there, and that probably sets the tone. Or maybe, the people who disagree with me on the newspaper blog are nastier about it and I, committed to never ever turning the other cheek, respond in kind. It’s actually made me wonder. Why can we disagree here — sometimes disagreeably so, but more often not — and on a newspaper website, it’s knives at 20 paces?
The Danbury News-Times comments were much much worse. They were tied in to a much wider commenting system , and anytime there was an immigration story–which was frequently–or a story from the campaign 2008 trail, or even a story about local politics, because it was so strongly associated with immigration, comments would come in from all over the country. Very very ugly. Lots of racial slurs and f*o*u*r letter words that people quickly found out how to slip past the filters.
Or, “Billy Bob.” or like one of our esteemed senators from Alabama, Jefferson Beuregard Sessions.
He kind of got all the names lined up there, save maybe for Stonewall.
“but I failed to type in the funny letters correctly, and the blog ate all my typing. ”
Sharon, I’ve found that when that happens, if I click the browser’s “back” arrow I usually get my comment back and give the new funny letters a go.
I figured. Rev. Dr. my big ol’ be-hind. No, I’m fine if he actually got a de-gree, but I can’t imagine he and I would enjoy a long bus trip together. Or, rather, I would enjoy it but it would be for all the wrong reasons.
Wow, and that from a Rev. Or someone who identifies himself thusly.
I almost signed mine “Archbishop Drunky McDrunkerson,” but thought that would be inappropriate. Somehow. I know. You never know who people really are (like, how would I know you’re Cynical, right?), but this person has a habit of commenting on All Things Confederate on other blogs and should I ever meet him, I will cheerfully request that he kiss my hillbilly ass — but I will request it so sweetly that no one will be offended, or think to remind me that good Christian wimmens don’t talk that way.
Has anyone else ever called you an elitist?
And did they survive reasonably intact?
This may be my first time. Do I get points for not correcting his spelling out loud?
You bet.
It would have just made you seem more elitist anyway.
Well, maybe around the edges. Elistest, if you don’t mind.
It’s like another word the “conservative” folks often misspell.
“Athiest.” As in “Your a rotten leberal athiest.”
“(like, how would I know you’re Cynical, right?)”
Only by using your Super Journalisticalish Powers of Deduction (no, not taxes-ish).
Journalistic-ish is right.
“but I will request it so sweetly that no one will be offended, or think to remind me that good Christian wimmens don’t talk that way.”
Because you are, above ALL, a Delicate Flower of Southern Womanhood (DFSW).