Tea Party Racism

Much has been made of the NAACP resolution passed yesterday that condemns racism among Tea Party members. Actually, I should say much too much has been made of it.

The final resolution has not been released yet, but several sources say that it condemns "explicitly racist behavior" and calls on people to repudiate "racist elements" in the Tea Party. Earth-shattering statements right?

It's unclear why this caused such a stir in talk radio and the conservative blogosphere. I can certainly understand the fear of being painted with a broad brush, but the resolution apparently mentions only that there are elements of racism within Tea Party ranks (see the genius in the picture above), not that the organization itself is racist. If that were the case, their numbers would not be near the extent that they are. What's the Klan's membership numbers these days?

Having said that, it's understandable why the NAACP might feel threatened by a group that is overwhelmingly white and angry, and one that often speaks of "taking the country back" and restoring states' rights. That same rhetoric was commonplace during opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and even more so during the Jim Crow days.

There have also been various high-profile incidents of alleged racism directed at members of Congress. John Lewis (D-GA) says he was called a nigger as he walked across the street to the Capitol to cast his vote for health care reform. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) says he was spat on during that same journey.

Conservative activists were quick to repudiate these claims because apparently, if something isn't captured on video these days, it didn't happen.

The Tea Party leaders could have done themselves a world of good after these alleged incidents. Instead of denying that they occurred, they could have publicly repudiated the actions of those rogue members. By insinuating that Lewis and Cleaver are liars, however--which you are doing if you say the incidents didn't happen--, you are only magnifying the NAACP's feelings regarding the Tea Party and paving the way for the resolution that was passed.