Wednesday, April 02, 2008

The Content of His Character

Judge Marvin Arrington insists he's not a racist; despite ordering white lawyers out of his courtroom on Thursday.
No, of course you're not racist, judge. You just believe in "separate but equal," right?

"...I practiced law for 30 years and 75 percent of my partners were white," he explained.

Hey, some of my best friends are...uh...

If I had been in his courtroom, I'd have defied the order. If he'd had me removed or cited for contempt, I'd look forward to a lucrative settlement.

Tell me if a white judge had done this to black attorneys the race hustlers wouldn't be all over this like...uh...white on rice. Tell me the media wouldn't put it front and center, with the intent to sensationalize and use it as a catalyst to prompt nationwide outrage, and maybe even bigger stories. Hell, tell me the "Justice Department" wouldn't have a squad of "civil rights" enforcers on the next plane out.

Just like they would if other fundamental rights were being infringed, right?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

For Sure Reverend Jessie would be all over this demanding the Judge be disbarred. Equal Rights like Hell!!!

Anonymous said...

Black people have been turned away from places many times, especially in the South. Now you know how we felt. Bothers you doesn't it? But it only made us stronger.

David Codrea said...

Hell yes it bothers me. And if you didn't place race above humanity, it would bother you, too.

And forgive me if I don't see a demographic that overwhelmingly embraces political collectivism as "stronger."

Anonymous said...

Sorry you feel like we were the one's who turned you away. This is always an excuse you been throwing at us for decades. Hello, we are people of today, not yesterday. I think you are the predudice one's. No, it doesnt bother me either, so dont get excited.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how sensitive he would be to the feelings of accused rapists, robbers, killers who are white? Would he make blacks leave the courtroom?

Anon 941, that is just a lame ass cover for a lame ass racism. Do you really want to keep playing that stupid game? Do you really think it won't be greeted with like bullshit when the people who care about people, not race, no longer consider voluntary dropouts of the human race for exclusive membership in a subset of race as equals. I never met a Klansman I thought was my equal on any level, the same goes for racists of any color. Do you really want to keep the stupid bullshit going?

Kent McManigal said...

"Racism" is the act of thinking race matters in anything other than a description.
Government depends on keeping racism going. It gives them power and control while dividing their victims. Of course a judge would do things to encourage racist thoughts.

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid I don't see the comparison between this judge and a racist. He asked white folks to leave so he could CHASTISE these guys, so he could ask them what the heck they are doing representing their race so poorly. He didn't hand out cookies.

How is is racist to excuse people people from a rant? A rant they are not having directed at them? And only berating folks of your own ilk?

Can we at least be honest and say there are things you can say in front of your own colored skin people, that you wouldn't say in front of others? And what is wrong with a black man having the decency and courage to tell it like it IS to those who need to hear it? He and Bill Cosby should receive medals for trying to rescue American youth, instead all they get is ignorant yammering.

Sometimes the message cannot be delivered thoroughly unless it's in a proper forum, from a proper speaker. Good lord forbid a black man take enough interest in black youth to speak to them in a manner they just might listen to.

Would it have been appropriate for a white judge to do? No, I think not, the public perception would have been terrible even if the intent was the same, and more importantly, the effects would have non-existent. A white man lecturing black youths? They would block him out in a second, whereas the black judge might have gotten through to them for a second, simply because he's faced the same challenges, and overcome them.

Effective? Probably not. Inappropriate? Perhaps. Racist? Give me a break.

Worthwhile? Absolutely!

David Codrea said...

Anon, you are a fool.

Notice I did not say a black fool. Just a fool will do.

"You been throwing at us"?

Good Lord, if you believe in collective guilt, no wonder you carry such resentment around.

Just to set the record straight, I have never thrown anything at YOU. Until today. And you deserve it.

Anonymous said...

I'm not so sure - I'd like to see some more information before deciding whether it was racism or not. The story seems to say that he simply tossed all the lawyers - and who among us has not had the occasional fantasy about lawyer-tossing? - who were mostly white.

Now if he allowed Attorneys of Color to remain, there would be some serious issues there. For the moment, though, I'd argue (heh) that the jury is still out.

Anonymous said...

Anon, you are a racist. I state it here publicly and I don't know what race you are, nor do you know what race I am. Though you did leave a few clues that you may be black. However that could just be another manifestation of the ignorance necessary to be a racist.

The behavior of these defendants is the issue, not their color. They should be held to account for their behavior. If their behavior brings them public humiliation, so be it. If anyone, you included, believes they should be spared the humiliation their behavior brings because of their color, then that person is a racist.

White skin, red skin, black skin, brown skin, yellow skin are not behaviors. NOne of those defendants were arrested or charged with being black. They were charged with being criminal. I do not give a damn if they are embarrassed to be upbraided in front of others, regardless of their colors.

There was a time in this country when racist whites initiated a lot of wrongs against people of color, and while we still have some of those people around, they have no power to exert against anyone for such a reprehensible view. And a great deal of credit for that is shared by white people who stood beside people of color to change that situation.

Further, they seem to be outmanned in both numbers and virulence by racists of darker skin at this juncture. A racist is about as low as humans can go. And I won't mince words because black racists don't like to hear it. I didn't do it for white racists and I won't do it for their mirror images.

When I hear someone of your ilk say the situation we face with crime and black youth is all because of whitey, what I really hear is that person saying "black people really are inferior, after generations of liberty and opportunity we can do no better than this."

That simply infuriates me.

And I have physically kicked some ass over racial hatred directed at me and mine. But I was smart enough not to paint everyone with the same brush as the idiots. You evidently aren't bright enough to not be a racist.

David Codrea said...

Lawhobbit:

"despite ordering white lawyers out of his courtroom" seems pretty clear. I'm assuming you dove into the story and missed that opener? You're focusing on a statement further in. Go back and read it again in context.

He did not dismiss all the lawyers, but the ones he did dismiss he says were "mostly white." That sounds like CYA equivocation, because guess what the ones he did not dismiss were? He did not allow the white ones to remain.

Plus new reports have him apologizing for it.

Anonymous said...

he denies doing anything racist and promises not to get caught again.

Uh huh UH real stand-up guy.

Anonymous said...

Hi David,

I went through the whole thing a couple times, and I'm not ready to say you're wrong, particularly given this part, "I came out and saw the defendants, about 99.9 percent Afro-Americans, and some point time I excused some of the lawyers, most of them white..." and since the bits in bold were weasely, I did my own weaseling about "wanting to know more."

I have no doubt whatsoever that it's not passing any sort of sniff test real well. :)