Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day From The Congressman Who Tried To Kill It
Before Congressman Steve Scalise was known as a white power rally attendee, he was a Louisiana State representative, who twice voted against making the Martin Luther King federal holiday a state holiday as well. But that doesn’t stop him from telling us how important it is to have a Martin Luther King Day.[su_center_ad]
…as a state representative, Scalise twice voted against bills that would have established the federal holiday as a state holiday as well, the most recent vote dating to 2004. Scalise also voted against a state resolution apologizing for slavery, and then there was that entire Neo-Nazi flap that may have been nothing, but was still pretty unfortunate.
But views can change, and at least Scalise is trying to amend his ways ten years (and one meteoric political rise) later.[su_csky_ad]
tiredoftea January 19th, 2015 at 5:11 pm
He was not aware that his PR intern issued the press release.
whatthe46 January 19th, 2015 at 5:22 pm
i loathe people like this.
tiredoftea January 19th, 2015 at 5:39 pm
Yes, it was a man just like him who murdered Dr. King.
rg9rts January 20th, 2015 at 1:43 am
We get exactly the type of government we elect
Larry Schmitt January 19th, 2015 at 5:39 pm
How liberal of him to have a Puerto Rican intern in his office.
tiredoftea January 19th, 2015 at 5:39 pm
LOL!
Obewon January 19th, 2015 at 10:26 pm
Scalise’s interview question: ‘When did you a Puerto Rican earn U.S. Citizenship???’ A: Upon birth like all in P.R!
mrsgunka January 19th, 2015 at 6:10 pm
And his apology for his past transgressions will be issued when? Ooops!
tiredoftea January 19th, 2015 at 6:32 pm
It will be pried from his cold, dead throat.
rg9rts January 20th, 2015 at 1:42 am
After praying long and hard over it
labman57 January 19th, 2015 at 6:43 pm
Pay no attention to my white hood and robe behind the curtain …
tracey marie January 19th, 2015 at 7:10 pm
He had his fingers and toes crossed and his white hood on when he had this sent out to the masses
burqa January 20th, 2015 at 2:46 am
An interesting case of human nature on display in the reactions to the statement.
First, the OP prints this very nice statement by Scalise, then points out he twice opposed Martin Luther King Day.
The reaction is predictable – to discount the current position and insist he must still have the opinion he expressed previously.
How does that standard apply to, oh, say, Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.)?
Hmm?
There is a false conceit here and perhaps a lot are too young to remember the civil rights movement. The fact is, over time a lot of people changed their minds. They were big enough to see they were wrong and were persuaded to grow and that change was a major reason the civil rights movement grew until it became more mainstream and more widely accepted.
Vietnam was like that.
So was Women’s Liberation.
What should be our reaction when someone changes and moves in the direction we wish?
Do we treat them the way conservatives treat Robert KKK Byrd?
Does pushing them from what we feel is the “right” position back to what we feel is the “wrong” position constitute the way of progress?
I suggest that is regressive and contrary to the interests of our society and our nation.
GOOD GRIEF! If they are wrong, what do we want them to do, after all?
Remain in the wrong or come over to our side?