On The Racist Idea That Black Leaders Are "Race Hustlers"

Yet another race baiting commentary from Libertarian blogger Willis Hart, this one dealing with the issue of referring to Black leaders are "race hustlers".

Willis Hart: On When White Folks Say Something Racially Insensitive, Apologize for it, and STILL Crawl on Their Hands and Knees to Minstrels Like Sharpton and Jackson for Absolution... I consider this an insult to black people times two; a) you have to hear some jerk-off fool insult you and b) you have to suffer the added indignity of some moronic white person thinking that these two buffoons speak for and represent you. It's disgusting and the fact that these two race hustlers have cashed in one episode after another makes it even harder to stomach. (5/13/2015 AT 7:53pm).

Only idiots like Willis think that anyone agrees that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson speak for and represent ALL African Americans (A 2013 Zogby Analytics poll found that one quarter of African Americans said that Sharpton speaks for them). These two gentlemen are, however, leaders in the African American community and definitely NOT "race hustlers". This is a term invented by racist Conservatives to demean these leaders and the good work they do. I mean, Al Sharpton frequently donates his time when is asked to intervene (proving his motivations aren't 100 profit-based).

Past Black leaders are frequently disrespected, although nobody (or significantly fewer people) would ever refer to Martin Luther King as a "race hustler". But Willis did recently write a commentary that was negative in regards to MLK.

Willis Hart: On Martin Luther King Being "Nonviolent"... I'm going to go with 75% true on this one. Yes, he marched and advocated for his positions in a peaceful manner and for that he should be commended. But it also must be pointed out that King insisted that there be laws, and whenever there are laws their is force, and whenever there is force this is at least the spectre of violence (do as I say or go to jail, etc.). (5/11/2015 AT 4:15pm).

I'm going to go with 100% bullshit on this one. I don't even understand WTF he's talking about. Is he referring to people possibly being arrested for marching and violence done against them (by the police)? Is that what he refers to? So... MLK was responsible for police violence against protestors in marches he lead? Seriously, I don't know what the hell Willis is criticizing MLK for.

That being the case, I must conclude that this is naught but nonsense from the Hartster. Scratch that. It's racist nonsense. Especially given the following comment from Willis in response to his own post.

Willis Hart: I agree with Rand Paul before he flip-flopped... 80% of the Civil Rights Act was appropriate but the part that forced private businesses was not. (5/13/2015 AT 8:29am).

Willis is referring to Randal Paul's response to a question from Rachel Maddow that concerned the portion of the Civil Rights legislation signed by LBJ that dealt with "desegregating lunch counters". Randal indicated that he would have opposed the portion of the Civil Rights legislation that forced private businesses to serve everyone if he had been in Congress at the time.

But Willis is wrong. It is 100 percent appropriate that businesses be forced to not discriminate. That they are "private" is not relative, as these businesses are open to the public and therefore must serve the public. If they refuse the public has the right to rescind their business license. Discrimination is WRONG as it infringes on a person's RIGHT to live their life free from it. But Libertarians like Willis concern themselves more with the "right" of bigots to discriminate. Nice.

Also, I don't know that Randal "flip-flopped". I think he caved to public pressure and said he'd have voted for it. Because this was a hypothetical question anyway and he loses nothing by saying he'd have voted for it. I very seriously doubt he actually changed his mind (so you can rest easy Willis. I'm sure Randal still agrees with your bigoted stance on this issue).

And NO DOUBT there would be businesses that TO THIS DAY would discriminate against African Americans if they could. And Willis thinks this is OK? Obviously he does. He spins it as a matter of principle, in that private businesses should be able to do with their property (and labor) as they wish (the standard Libertarian argument). But I quite frankly DO NOT buy it.

I mean, why is Willis publishing all these race baiting commentaries on his blog? IMO the reason has something to do with Libertarians thinking racism is a good thing if it leads to lower wages for African Americans (or other minorities). Because any excuse a plutocrat can find to pay a lower wage to a worker is a good one.

And Black leaders who are continuing the fight for Civil Rights are to be denigrated. Past leaders like MLK as well, although the racist Willis treads more lightly when criticizing him. Which isn't the case with present leaders like Sharpton and Jackson. Those leaders he goes after full bore, using the disgustingly racist term "race hustler".

(See SWTD #281 for a commentary concerning Willis' attack on Sharpton's MSNBC program Politics Nation using the vile racist pejoritive "Minstrel Show". Yeah, that's right... UNBELIEVABLY he refers to Sharpton using a term that involves White people putting on blackface to ridicule African Americans!)

Image Description: Martin Luther King III and Rev. Al Sharpton talk to reporters outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on 2/27/2013 in Washington, DC. The court heard oral arguments in Shelby County v. Holder, a legal challenge to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

See also: SWTD #281.

OST #44