Tuesday, April 21, 2009

All Perfectly Reasonable Statements (in their day).

"A racist is one who despises someone because of his color, and an Alabama segregationist is one who conscientiously believes that it is in the best interest of Negro and white to have a separate education and social order." -George Wallace

“We must limit to a reasonable amount the Jewish influence… Whenever the Jewish percentage of total population becomes too high, a reaction seems to invariably occur. It is too bad because a few Jews of the right type are, I believe, an asset to any country.” -Charles Lindbergh

“Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” -Trial Judge in State of Virginia Vs. Loving

"I think it's great Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody there, but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be, between a man and a woman." - Carrie Prejean, 1st Runner-up in 2009 Miss USA Pageant

You're smart people. Draw your own conclusions.

6 comments:

Random Michelle K said...

I conclude.... twat.

MWT said...

You need one about women and voting. ;)

Jeff Hentosz said...

I love "no offense." That just makes everything okay, doesn't it?

No matter that what you're saying is offensive; it's not your intention to offend.

Like, "Wow, not only do you look like a human Barbie doll, you're just as smart! No offense."

Eric said...

Was there ever a day any of those were reasonable, as opposed to common or not-so-shocking?

My favorite part of the Miss USA quote is her reference to "opposite marriage." I realize what she means, but "opposite marriage" is such a ditzy way to say it and conjures up images of Bizarro and Bizarro Lois Lane telling each other how much they will always hate one another or something. Or divorcing parents telling their young child that mommy and daddy are getting "opposite married" because DADDY STARTED SPENDING TIME WITH THAT WHORE AT THE OFFICE but only because IF MOMMY HAD PAID ATTENTION TO DADDY'S NEEDS MAYBE HE WOULDN'T HAVE STARTED SPENDING TIME WITH CARLY IN ACCOUNTING, DID YOU EVER THINK OF THAT, but they'll always love the kid, even when they're opposite-married and none of this is his fault EVEN IF HE IS THE LITTLE MISTAKE THAT'S THE ONLY REASON MOMMY MARRIED DADDY INSTEAD OF PETE GINSBURG AND DID YOU KNOW HE'S A LAWYER MAKING SIX FIGURES NOW AND NOT STUCK IN SOME DEAD-END JOB SELLING WIDGETS ON THE EAST COAST and DID YOU KNOW MOMMY'S FRIGID?

Nathan said...

"Was there ever a day any of those were reasonable, as opposed to common or not-so-shocking?"What struck me about all of those statements is that each, in their day, could be said for public consumption with no fear that the speaker would be shunned from polite society.

A lot of people are excusing Prejean on the basis of her being "set up" by the question--that's likely--and the fact that it's "only a beauty pageant". Could you honestly imagine her saying any of the first three statements in public in any circumstances or in response to any question?

Carol Elaine said...

I love "no offense." That just makes everything okay, doesn't it? Jeff, it reminds me of Dom Irrera and his "With all due respect" bit.

When I read, "[...]but that's how I was raised[...]," all I can think is, "Ya know, honey, you don't have to be stuck in the way you were raised. You can always evolve."

Then again, she'd probably say that she doesn't believe in evolution because it's not in the Bible and besides, the universe is only 6,000 years old.

She goes to San Diego Christian College - not at all surprising.