Such can certainly not be said of Jason Whitlock, an African-American sportswriter for the Kansas City Star who not only wrote a remarkable, must-read column on this subject Wednesday, but also went on MSNBC’s “Tucker” Thursday to say things about this issue and race relations in this country that few in the media would ever dare.
In reality, this is so fabulous that you must see the entire video (h/t to NB reader nicksmith112 and Hot Air), but here are some of the amazing highlights:
And—and I would say to CBS, don‘t negotiate with terrorists, because that‘s what Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are. They go around the country lighting fires and dividing people, and then start picking everyone‘s pocket.
You never see them go back and apologize for the messes they make. Jesse Jackson today, right now, should be down at Duke, apologizing to those soccer (sic) players, rather than trying to turn these basketball players at Rutgers into the ultimate victims. He owes the people down at Duke an apology for going and stirring in that mess, and dividing people and dividing this nation. They‘re terrorists. They go around this country starting fires. And they need to be stopped.
Amazing. Outstanding. But, there was more:
I believe that most, or a significant segment, of black America is tired of Jesse Jackson. We look at his track record of his accomplishments, and there‘s nothing there. There‘s nothing there. Other than Jesse and Al lining their pockets, they have done nothing.
If you compare Jesse and Al to Martin and Malcolm, and what those guys accomplished, it‘s an embarrassment. I don‘t understand how these black leader, how our black leaders, get these lifetime appointments, like they‘re Supreme Court justices.
We need to vote them out and bring in new leadership. It‘s not 1965. The problems aren‘t the same as they were in 1965. It‘s 2007. Black people have a new set of problems. And we need some new leadership and people with new solutions. These guys are trying to drag us back into the 1940s and ‘50s.
To this, all Carlson could say was, “Well, I nominate you.”
So do I, Jason. So do I.
What follows is a full transcript of this segment. (Noel Sheppard, reporting from Arlington, Texas, having survived last night’s tornados, hail, fire, and even possibly brimstone.)
TUCKER CARLSON, MSNBC HOST: In the course of expressing his contrition on “The Today Show,” Don Imus asserted that his offensive language was, in fact, the product of African-American culture, not the creation of white America.
Few were impressed by that claim, but out next guest believes Imus was making an important point.
Joining me now is the columnist for “The Kansas City Star” Jason Whitlock.
Mr. Whitlock, thanks for coming on.
JASON WHITLOCK, COLUMNIST, “THE KANSAS CITY STAR”: Thanks for having me.
CARLSON: You have got a pretty tough column on this whole affair.
Let me just read you one paragraph from it—quote—“Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it‘s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our own self-hatred. The bigots win again.”
What do you mean the bigots win again?
WHITLOCK: I mean that people that don‘t want to see black people advance have won.
And it‘s because we keep deluding ourselves and getting caught up in distractions that have nothing at all to do with what is really setting back, holding black people back. And it‘s our own self-hatred.
Don Imus is irrelevant to what‘s going on with black people. Don Imus is no threat to us. Don Imus will not shoot one of us in the street. He will not impregnate our daughter or our sister and abandon that kid and that woman.
Don Imus is a bad shock jock who cracked a bad joke, apologized, offered a sincere apology. And two ministers who have needed forgive in their own life don‘t have the moral integrity to give this man the forgiveness that he has asked for in a sincere fashion.
I‘m repulsed by this whole thing. I‘m not a Don Imus fan. Don Imus has attacked me on his show. I‘m not a guy that—that has any love for Don Imus. But this is wrong. This whole thing has been handled horribly. For black people and for all of America, it has turned into a terribly divisive issue, when it didn‘t have to be.
CARLSON: Well, I—that‘s—that‘s a very brave point of you to make, particularly right now, when almost nobody is saying that out loud.
Back to something you said a second ago, the two ministers you referred to who desperately need forgiveness in their own lives. I assume you‘re talking about the Reverends Sharpton and Jackson.
Why are they—what is their role exactly in this? That has always kind of confused me. I—I like Al Sharpton personally. But where do he and Jesse Jackson come on this? Are they connected to this story, really?
WHITLOCK: They have—yes, they have driven the story.
CARLSON: I know, but...
WHITLOCK: Don Imus tried to apologize. Jesse Jackson, Sharpton got involved. Don Imus went on Sharpton‘s show, which, in retrospect, terrible mistake. He played right into Sharpton‘s wheelhouse.
But these guys have driven the issue. And—and I would say to CBS, don‘t negotiate with terrorists, because that‘s what Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are. They go around the country lighting fires and dividing people, and then start picking everyone‘s pocket.
You never see them go back and apologize for the messes they make. Jesse Jackson today, right now, should be down at Duke, apologizing to those soccer (sic) players, rather than trying to turn these basketball players at Rutgers into the ultimate victims.
He owes the people down at Duke an apology for going and stirring in that mess, and dividing people and dividing this nation. They‘re terrorists. They go around this country starting fires. And they need to be stopped.
CARLSON: Well, why—by the way, Jesse Jackson pledged about a year ago that he was going to pay the college tuition of the accuser...
WHITLOCK: Yes.
CARLSON: ... Crystal Gail Mangum, in that case. I wonder if he still is.
Finally, though, I wonder, if Jackson is so bad, then why does he have so much power? And why do people listen to him? And why do they do his bidding? I‘m not sure I understand that.
WHITLOCK: Now, this one here, I will put on the media.
I believe that most, or a significant segment, of black America is tired of Jesse Jackson. We look at his track record of his accomplishments, and there‘s nothing there. There‘s nothing there. Other than Jesse and Al lining their pockets, they have done nothing.
If you compare Jesse and Al to Martin and Malcolm, and what those guys accomplished, it‘s an embarrassment. I don‘t understand how these black leader, how our black leaders, get these lifetime appointments, like they‘re Supreme Court justices.
We need to vote them out and bring in new leadership. It‘s not 1965. The problems aren‘t the same as they were in 1965. It‘s 2007. Black people have a new set of problems. And we need some new leadership and people with new solutions. These guys are trying to drag us back into the 1940s and ‘50s.
CARLSON: Well, I nominate you, Jason Whitlock, actually.
(LAUGHTER)
CARLSON: And I appreciate your coming on. Thank you very much.
