That’s just too precious! Are people in Tennessee really that air-headed? Do you have to submit to some form of calibrated oxygen deprivation therapy if you want to live there? Sheesh.

> Tinker has appealed directly to the African American community
> to support her candidacy.
>
> Nothing wrong with that.

Oh, really? How about if Lacy Clay had an opponent who made an explicit appeal to the white community? It would be national news, and the Post would be running headlines about the racist campaign. So why is it ok when a black candidate does it?

Looks like Ms Tinker could use a lesson in nuance from the Obama campaign. They should have called Cohen “skinny” instead.

BTW, this story is at least four months old.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/Apr/05/editorials-a-rude-start-to-fords-campaign/

“Oh, really? How about if Lacy Clay had an opponent who made an explicit appeal to the white community? It would be national news, and the Post would be running headlines about the racist campaign. So why is it ok when a black candidate does it?”

Because David Duke, the whites are not a minority.

Minorities can be just as racist as anyone else. Racism is simply “discrimination or prejudice based on race.” No one is immune to it.

Source:

“racism.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 07 Aug. 2008. .

“Because David Duke, the whites are not a minority.”

Obama-Rama,

Actually the white population in Memphis IS a minority. Just take a look at the cities demographics.

I’m with Obama, but will take it even further in stating that it is outright anti-Semitism, ungodly and untrue. I am in total disbelief that such a flyer could be distributed by one who calls himself a Christian minister. I am even more shocked that this female politician did not take a strong stand against such an awfully bigoted flyer.

By the way for the unknowing minister and others, there are Jews who have accepted Christ as the Messiah and their Lord.

This country want change in a new direction concerning bigotry and racism, we do not want to see the days of David Duke, Pat Buchanan, or any people of any color including African Americans today in office who hold this type of hatred in their hearts against any person or religious group. We must all come to a point of respecting one another even when our beliefs differ. One does not have to compromise their beliefs in order to be respectful to another who has done you no intentional evil or harm, other than expose the evil committed.

The perfect examples are in “Old Testament” scripture such as the many times that Jews have had to live in foreign lands even Egypt during the famine and before their enslavement by the Egyptians many decades later. It is possible to live in peace among those who do not hold your same beliefs and the way it is accomplished is for everyone to accept one another as valuable human beings first and truly believe this.

Those who claim to be Christians, you must see all human beings as possible vehicles of God with not a one of them suffering mistreatment or any unjust treatment due to your hands, ideas, thoughts or actions.

“I am in total disbelief that such a flyer could be distributed by one who calls himself a Christian minister.”
What planet have you been living on your entire life? Don’t you know that virtually all Southern Christians, including ministers, supported slavery? For goodness sake, Wake Up!

We should expect nothing less from democrats.

“We must all come to a point of respecting one another even when our beliefs differ. One does not have to compromise their beliefs in order to be respectful to another who has done you no intentional evil or harm, other than expose the evil committed.”

How do you write this stuff with such hypocrisy? You, D-, routinely demean those who do not share your beliefs by calling almost everyone you disagree with “evil” (funny, you didnt use the term in this instance when democrats are involved). You should practice what you preach and be a little more respectful of others.

It would seem Ms Tinker’s campaign has borrowed heavily from some older campaigns in the South. Too bad for her that she does not realize most of those were conducted by the KKK and the White Citizens Councils.

Pierre JC,

You are correct, but I was speaking of this day and age, but then again you are still correct. I don’t understand why I am always shocked by such behavior, I should know better.

Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum,

You do not get it, nor does it appear that you evr will, but I do hope that one day you will because you are far from having a clean heart. You remind me of those when Jesus was on the earth during His ministry, those who considered Him a wicked demon possessed hypocrite wacko.

I hope that in the year 3000 human beings will cease to choose leadership based on a candidates devotion to a particular set of fictional characters. Stop hedging your bets against a fear of going to hell people.

Amen, Nick Kasoff! The true shame of America’s “race” problem is the blatantly racist double standard that blacks adhere to….and whites let slide with tacit approval.

The flier is this article is EXACTLY WHY STATE CAN NOT SUPPORT RELIGION.

You dammed extremist christian are no better than a Islamic Jihadist.

If that flyer from Nikki Tinker and Reverend George Brooks is real ( and heaven knows, I hope it isn’t) , then Brooks and his group are the worst bunch of racists and haters I have encountered since I went to a GOP convention by mistake. This sort of hatred and prejudice has no place in America! I expect this sort of rabble rousing hate speech from Republicans, but not black Americans. Does Tinker have any idea how many Jews supported the Civil Rights Movement and how many harbored slaves during the days of the Underground Railroad? This just confirms that bigots and racists come in all colors.

Wow. She deserves to lose, and if (for some crazy reason) she wins the primary, someone ought to challenge her as an independent.

Gosh, people like this enrage me.

EVERYWHERE we go we run into IDIOTS, like this live one from Tennessee!

*SIGH*

John,

I am certain that extreme Christians and extreme Muslims are inappropriate terms for Islamic Jihadist or any religious sect that follow evil ways.

An extreme Christian would one to be extremely Christ like, all good.

An extreme Muslim most certainly would be extremely just in their behaviors and responses to most things. Even in terms of an eye for an eye.

Maybe you should learn what being a Christian and Muslim are according to their books.

This is a prime example or organized religion poisoning society. A person’s belief in whatever fairy-tale should never even brought up since 1) no one can prove the superiority of one imaginary friend over another and 2) none of this crap even mentions issues that matter on any level. If any religion were really almighty, then we wouldn’t need government in the first place.

Please smart people, start running for local offices.

You would think that this is a stupid strategy. Read the following:

“…black politicians …had known for a very long time…that race-baiting could make up for a host of limitations…a steady attack on the white race, the constant recitation of black peoples brutal experience in this country….” (Dreams from My Father-By Barack H. Obama).

Now it seems to be working locally and nationally. Right?

r,

Please explain to us how what you have stated below makes any sense:

“If any religion were really almighty, then we wouldn’t need government in the first place.”

Wouldn’t it take people making the choice to follow the precepts of one’s religion, it takes action on behalf of the person. Religion, nor God forces anyone to follow in the right ways as set out in scripture in the Christian religion.

If you choose to not believe, thats your choice, I respect it. Its your God given right of choice. We all should respect the choices people make for themselves, its their Godly right.

You think we who believe in God are stupid, and we, I know at least for myself, I’m thankful to God each and evryday for choosing me and I was able to see He was real.

So where does that leave us? Well my hope is because I know that God is real that He you will give Him the opportunity to show to you that He is real because it takes a willing heart.

I’ve lived in Memphis and can say for a fact that almost all Memphis politics is somehow along racial lines. Whites are demonized and the blacks are fooled by their black leadership. Under black leadership, the schools have not improved, corruption is still present, the slums people live in continue to grow, and white flight is stronger than ever. Memphis is a city of two communities - one black and one white. That won’t ever change. Townships like Lakeland, Collierville and Germantown grow because people are fed up with Memphis government. Don’t be the least bit surprised by the Cohen/Tinker race. That is business as usual in Memphis. I’m so happy to live in some where else now.

So Tinker considers herself a Christian and yet openly criticizes a Jew daring to enter “our” churches. Since Jesus was a Jew, would Tinker be okay with HIM being in her church?

Hello St Louis, I just wanted to let you all know, especially pokute, that Tennesseans are neither air-headed, nor is the rest of the state like Memphis. Memphis has it’s own challenges and really does have a divided population as observed by another commentor. It’s tragic, but doesn’t make any particular group there evil. Just confused and ignorant.

I would also point out to Nick K that this *has* made national news and is being universally condemned. I haven’t read where this is considered OK by anyone.

And to Go_fish: since the election was this past week I’m not sure of your point.

Anyhow, the voters of Memphis have made their opinions known - 80% voted for Mr. Cohen.

So, let’s confine our opinions on this matter to the reprehensible behavior of Nikki Tinker and try to avoid smearing the good folks of Tennessee. Memphis voters have, after all, already handled this situation most appropriately.

This issue *does* point at problems we have yet to deal with in this country -

1. Racism as an institution. Racism is deplorable from *any* person, but especially public servants. It’s time to quit turning a blind-eye to racism, even from groups that are/were considered oppressed. Overcoming oppression or being in a minority should not be justification for racism. Racism and intolerance are destructive and proof of ignorance, no matter what your race or belief system.

2. We have moved even further away from separation of church and state. Why do politicians’ religious beliefs have any bearing on their ability to govern on our behalf? Does someone *have* to be a christian (or muslim, jew, hindu, republican, democrat, whatever you personally espouse) to be moral, upright and to want to work for the public good? If you really believe that, I’d suggest you need to read your holy book a little closer. Anyone who truly believes in a just god must believe that their god created everyone, not just their own little group. But this outlook is not realistic in today’s world, making separation of church and state all the more important. Our founding fathers believed in it, as well.

Reading through some of the reactionist comments to this story (all over the web - not just this site), I realize how appropriate the old “glass houses” cliche still is today. I’ll be watching my own reactions a little closer, too.