Sunday, June 21, 2015

Walker urges racial unity; here's a first-step

[Updated] After declining to offer an opinion to media about whether the Confederate flag is a racist symbol, Walker regrouped and said there's a need for action on race and unity in America.
Talking to reporters a short time later, Walker said the shootings were an act of "racism" and "pure evil" and "all of us regardless of party or background need to denounce not only the act itself but the beliefs" behind it.  
More broadly, he said, "I think there is a very real concern that needs to be addressed in America about race relations. And I think we need to do more, I think as Americans as a whole, we need to do more to talk about how to unite people in this country."
Fair enough, though I am stealing this line which could be an alternate headline from a commenter on this posting smarter than am I, because Walker really starts out in a deep hole of his own digging when it comes to race and unity: 
"What does Gov. "Divide and Conquer" know about uniting people in this country?"
And while we're waiting for his opinion on the meaning of the Confederate flag (thus on the power of symbols) and looking forward to some unifying follow-through, Walker could take an easy first-step by reversing an action he took shortly after his swearing-in and restoring this symbol of racial unity pictured on a wintry Milwaukee sidewalk to its original place in the Wisconsin Governor's Mansion, as noted here

And then stop his stereotyping dog-whistling pitched to ultra-conservative presidential primary and caucus voters


Alternate headline:
What does Gov. food stamp-drug-tester know about uniting people in this country?
And remember when he said he "gets" the belief that his making it easier for Wisconsin schools to retain Native American logos and nicknames was insensitive, but went ahead and signed a bill to that effect anyway, on erroneous First Amendment grounds?

Alternate headline:
Gov. calls for racial understanding, approves tribal mascots, logos
How about showing he really gets it by undoing that action, or enabling transit for low-income Wisconsinites, or raising the minimum wage for residents and workers who are disproportionally minority?

Alternative headline:
Gov. talks good game on race and unity, does nothing about it
More about Walker's full record, here. Actual headline:
Scott Walker little known facts outside Wisconsin 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think it is possible. Walker needs rehab for his hate, racism and the chip he has on his shoulder. Walker boasts about inflicting divide and conquer tactics on WI as if it were a badge of honor.

Walker is a hollow man with hollow words. Everything he says and does is done to benefit him politically. Walker made racist remarks in his book Unintimidated and if you remember from the email releases he tried to stop, there were so many derogatory and disturbingly racist remarks that go to the heart of his beliefs.

No, Walker doesn't mean these words. He is like the tin man with no heart, the lion with no courage, and the scarecrow with no brain. Beware, the devil always tells you what you want to hear.

jack said...

"unite", my arse. I'll believe that when I see a coexist sticker on his Harley.

Sue said...

Remember he was standing next to Nikki Haley when he noted that Wisconsin didn't want to be 'like Milwaukee'.
Hard to hear the call for racial unity, or unity of any kind, when the dog whistles are so loud.

my5cents said...

He just says it because people expect him to. You cannot believe he really means anything he says except that he will cut taxes for the well off, rich and corporations. He has no clue what to do about race relations in our country much less, as you said, unite people. His mantra is divide and conquer after all. Everything he says is so generic and unbelievable.