Rep. Westmoreland says he was clueless in making 'uppity' comment about the Obamas

Heretofore little-known Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia was born in 1950 in Atlanta and was raised in one of its surrounding communities.

Which means the Republican grew up at a time when the racial divide in the South was stark, a time when Jim Crow laws helped enforce a segregationist credo that limited opportunities for blacks, a time when -- as an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article puts it today -- "uppity" was "a word applied to African-Americans who tried to rise above servile positions."

But to hear Westmoreland tell it, he had no clue he was using a racially tinged word when, as reported by The Hill newspaper, he said in Washington this week: "Honestly, I've never paid that much attention to Michelle Obama. Just what little I've seen of her and Sen. [Barack] Obama, is that they're a member of an elitist class ... that thinks that they're uppity."

The remark, the Journal-Constitution reports, quickly "zipped around the Internet, causing Westmoreland’s office phones to ring off the hook."

That furor, in turn, prompted the two-term congressman to issue the following statement:

I’ve never heard that term used in a racially derogatory sense. It is important to note that the dictionary definition of ‘uppity’ is ‘affecting an air of inflated self-esteem -- snobbish.’ That’s what we meant by uppity when we used it in the mill village where I grew up.

The Ticket finds it amazing that someone with such a sheltered upbringing could achieve such success in life.

-- Don Frederick

Photo: Associated Press

 

Comments

[Bob]

Ok, to be quite honest, I did not know the racial overtones of the word 'uppity'. I am from Canada though and the distance and the different history of our country (no slaves) may have had some bearing on that.

Once the connection was made for me (by the article) the connotation did sound slighly famiar and I am thinking that its from books or movies (I have read a lot of books about the civil war etc.

So, I guess what I am saying is that it may be possilbe for some people to use the phrase without thinking about it.

Lastly, as an outsider, I cannot understand why this race is even close. Obama is clearly the much better candidate and might even bring some respect back to your country and some hope back to your middle class (who are struggling under outdated 'supply-side' economics which essentially transfers the bulk of wealth to the rich in the hopes that it will trickle down).

[KimIselsboro]

This is the same guy who sponsored a bill requiring that the 10 commandments be posted in public buildings but then could NOT list more than 3 of the 10 commandments when questioned by Stephen Colbert. Being dumber than dirt is not an excuse for using a racial slur like "uppity" -- in fact it usually is a prerequisite for doing it. Here is a link to the Colbert Report interview:
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/47145/detail/

[ToM]

Anyone that has seen Blazing Saddles (and frankly everyone has) knows the word 'uppity'. Come on people, he's not that much older than me he has to know what the term means. And he meant it. Stop pretending, yes yes he's guilty - and I'll bet a few people who go to the polls to vote this election will use the terms 'elitist' and 'uppity' to hide their real meaning for tossing their vote back to the same old Republican house of cards.

[Daniel McVicar]

He should read the American Heritage dictionary:
up·pi·ty (ŭp'ĭ-tē) Pronunciation Key
adj. Informal
Taking liberties or assuming airs beyond one's station; presumptuous: "was getting a little uppity and needed to be slapped down" (New York Times).

This term first appeared in Uncle Remus.

BTW, The congressman is a drill drill guy who seems to be well supported by the oil companies.

Please, let's take this country back.

[Stepper]

This bonehead went to dictionary.com and copied the definition into his defense statement. Apparently his computer doesn't have a scroll down key or he might have read definition #3: "1880, from up; originally used by blacks of other blacks felt to be too self-assertive (first recorded use is in "Uncle Remus")." No one growing up in the South in the 60's didn't know what 'uppity' meant. Republicans have been using code words for months. This talk of Obama not 'sharing our values.' Even Bush got into the act during his 'phone-in' Convention appearance when he referred to the 'angry left.' Where did the word 'angry' come from? That was carefully selected by his speech writer. But 'uppity' isn't code. Next he will be called 'boy.' It's a matter of time before one of them drops the "N" bomb. That's the Republican party, reaching across the divide, putting an arm around minorities (to measure them for a noose).

[noway nohow]

There're lotsa Georgia crackers that needed (still need)the black community to feel better than. When the black man/woman succeeds, the cracker needs perjorative names to try to bring the successful one down to a cracker-manageable size.

Hey, cracker westmoreland. You jealous of Obama's and Michelle's success?

[Sharon G]

Well, well, another Macaw moment by a Republican. To believe he didn't have a clue is in one way possible. Republicans don't have a clue. But on the other hand, being from the deep south I don't buy it. You are lying.

[FLORIDA BABY!]

LIAR! LIAR! LIAR!

[Mary Gray]

I grew up in Georiga during the 1950s and 60s and I can assure you that anyone alive during that times knows what "uppity" means. The representative just slipped and used a very racial term. Now if he were from Maine I could possibly believe his explanation, but not from a Georgia cracker.

[Captin Sarcastic]

A few weeks ago, I was talking with an old friend from down South, who I knew to be politically left of center and VERY unhappy with the Bush administration. Suprisingly, he was leaning towards McCain, so we discussed the candidates. The conversation ended when he said that there was no way he was voting for a n****r.

I had to find some way of dealing with my frustration, so I sat at my laptop and made $100 contribution to the Obama campaign. Since then, every time I hear these type of comments, that's what I do. When Sarahcuda lied repeatedly about herself, McCain, and Obama in front of 40 million people, I sent $100 to Obama. I was pleased to see that my response wasn't isolated, as the campaign announced that over 130,000 other people had the same reaction creating a one day fundrasing record of over $10,000,000.

You cannot change people's minds when they are that far gone, but if every time you encounter one of these people you take some kind of action toward the reachable, you can at least know that you are making a greater effort for positive change than these people are making to maintain the what really is an elitest, racist, plutocratic, status quo.

Oh, and by the way, I actually prefer when these GOPer's forget to use code words like presumptuos and arrogant, it clears the air a bit, wouldn't you say?

[heronimous]

i'm from australia and even i know what uppity refers to in this context.. it's rather hilarious that a baby boomer from the segregated south can beg ignorance of this term.. ah but then american politics are just that.. a neverending source of hilarity for us in the antipodes..

[DoraDale]

GEORGIA. This is the type person who represents us? Make sure everyone you know is registered to vote. We can show him what "uppity" Georgians can do.

[Rob G.]

What's the first rule of holes again?

[Sheila]

I say it's time the people of the State of Georgia eliminate
people like Lynn Westmoreland. People from all states in this great USA should vote out and vote in men and women who represent the majority of good Americans. Westmoreland should not be re-elected and if we continue in our quest to remove the Republican good old boys from the White House along with their counterparts we will send a message that we won't tolerate such ignorance. I move to vote out Westmoreland in the next election. Let him sit at hme and study American history.

[David Bershad]

Every time I have heard the term "uppity" used it has
been a perjorative followed by the "N" word. If Westmoreland was born and raised in the South he would certainly know this. Just for the record I am white and
offended by this cretin from Georgia.

[Dionne]

Why can't a black person, speak well, dress well, and have an air of confidence about them. Not all black people are rappers and sag and speak with street slang. Some black people actually have education, and legal jobs and are up there right along with the upper class white people. Are they not entitle to that?

[Sharon Hussein]

I'm a pink American, born and raised a few states west of Rep. Westmoreland and roughly the same age, and I find his claim of ignorance totally unbelievable.

[fred fep]

What is truly hilarious about you duplicitous Republicans and other assorted slime who pllute the internet with your mindless hatred-inspired nonsense, is how transparent you are.

It is sad the media has such a hard time reporting this, but it is pretty funny. You Republicans were in power for 8 years, and this past week you made beleive you were against everything you have been for for 8 years, and you claim the Democrats should learn from what mistakes? Next time ask for a statewide recount in Florida? Answer bald-faced lies that won credibility on Kerry's military service? Try and figure out a better way in Congress these past two years to pass meaningful and popular legislation with 40 or 41 Republican Senators always voting to filibuster even voting on it (every time with the support of Senator John McCain), every single time. And if it did pass, Bush vetoed it and the Republicans and McCain would vote to sustain that veto.

Wow, what revolutionaries. Is that what the Democrats need to look at before attacking like pit bulls? Or you guys? Look in the mirror, if you understand that it is you that you see, think before you blather.

[Vote Hillary]

Omg are you people serious? Uppity considered a racist word ? Oh please grow up and get over it allready! It;s like someone saying Palin is pretty is that supposed to be sexist? If it is then Biden is a sexist chouvanist pig! Get my drift?......Wake up America vote Mcain-Palin 08!

[Sharon Hussein]

Stepper @4:16pm, The O-man already has been called "boy" at least once in public.

"According to a Lexington Herald-Leader blog item, Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., said Saturday that he had recently participated in a "highly classified, national security simulation" with Obama, and said that exercise showed that Obama can't be trusted to make difficult decisions. "

"I'm going to tell you something: That boy's finger does not need to be on the button," Davis said. "He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/gop-congressman.html

[akaney]

The options, often stated above, are only two: either he's a liar or an idiot. The fact is he's probably both, but he MUST BE one or the other. I'm white from Northern California, born, 1948. My high school had ONE black... my grammar school none.. and I've known what 'cracker' and 'uppity ni**er' mean since I was 10. The republican south is founded and built upon racism... period.

[victor mendez]

Let's not spend the time responding to the likes of this very arrogant and bigoted person. This falls into Bush's trap of the angry left.

The Republicans left the definition of the code words like "they" (who are they), community organizers (gee I thought Reagan and Bush II were all about volunteerism), and now uppity.

If you respond with angry it paints the picture of who they is to the undecided voter.

Follow the lead of Obama and keep cool and on message. Let him worry about this because he is only the one person who can do something about it.

The Repubs are in mitigation mode and not being proactive.

Sarah Palin is a right wing experiment in Affirmative Action gone wrong. She has defamed men and woman everywhere with her down talking of those who want to improve their communities.

Keep the faith. Change is on the way, but it will not be McCain/Palin.

[abluevoice]

For those Republicans who were to stupid to get the code
when the Karl Rove inspired talking point , that Barak and Michelle were "elitist",went out to the media via the Republican propaganda machine, headed by Limbaugh and Hannity and Fox News, Lynn Westmoreland decided or was told ,to take his hood off long enough to spell it out......"we don't want no uppity N word in the White House, keep your women and chidren locked up!

[bini]

Westmoreland is either a liar or ignorant. Both these words need not be looked up in a dictionary.

[sheila]

AND BESIDES, I WANT A SMART PRESIDENT!!!!!

I feel like i'm back in 5th grade and the "smart kids" were outcasts and the fat bullies were running the playground.

he's not dumb - he thinks WE'RE dumb. i, for one, resent it.

[David]

"Bob" from Canada says we never had slavery here. Read a history book, "Bob".

[golachea]

As a 3rd generation Hispanic male I can tell you first hand at the enormous amount of racism I have dealt with in my lifetime. I can just imagine how it must be for anyone a few shades darker than myself. I am from the suburbs of the bay area and I have known that phrase for decades. Coming from an average citizen like myself, its usually an insensitive joke that I would never allow any of my black friends to hear because they would know, just as I know, what it means. For a man in his position to use that, it is clear that he is trying to get the racist hatred that has plagued our country for so long, fresh in peoples minds so that Republicans can stay in office. Just look at the crowd at the RNC and tell me what you see. They are scared! I trust Obama with my future and the future of my children. Racial hatred must be stopped. Wars must be stopped, money before people must be stopped even if the people are not from this country.

[Curtis Balls]

Man was born in 1950 and grew up in the South and claims not to have known that the word "uppity" as applied to Blacks is a racial slur? I grew up in the South. The man is a lying bast**d.

[Fiona]

"What a country this has become. Mention any word and there is a truckload of people ready to take offense to it. I personally did not know that "uppity" meant anything other than being "too big for one's britches", but if that were said, a truck load of weight sensitive people would be offended and demand that there be an investigation of myself. Maybe I could say a person has a "big head", but then I would be accused of being insensitive to those that have been inflicted with an abnormally big heads. Where does it end?
**********************************************************************

SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP. It ends when RACISTS like you stop PRETENDING that you don't know that slavery existed. When RACISTS like you stop using illiteracy as your excuse for being nasty and mean. And why would you want to describe ANYONE, black or BIG headed, in any manner that could be hurtful? - I am sure being called RACIST hurts!

[Fiona]

Talk about "UPPITY"! In a Republic like the USA, the representative has a name straight from ROYALTY

WESTMORELAND as in the DUKE OF WESTMORELAND- member of the royal family.

He got that name and kept it because HE is UPPITY - trying to be ROYALTY!

[Sims]

Westmoreland's Daddy was a racist also-like father like son.

[akaney]

The options, often stated above, are only two: either he's a liar or an idiot. The fact is he's probably both, but he MUST BE one or the other. I'm white from Northern California, born, 1948. My high school had ONE black... my grammar school none.. and I've known what 'cracker' and 'uppity ni**er' mean since I was 10. The republican south is founded and built upon racism... period.

[Lauren]

I think his hair dye has infiltrated his brain. No one north OR south of the Mason_Dixon line would even think of using the term "uppity"--not unless they wore a sheet and carried a torch. Who is he kidding? He intended that meaning. Why don't all these racists who refuse to listen to Obama, or vote for him, because they have never lstened to him, just admit to themselves and the world at large that they will never consider voting for Obama? At the root of racism is fear of losing power and control and to them, Obama epitomizes that fear. It's so sad and pathetic that I am ashamed of caucasians as a race.Just when you think we are advancing as a society, BillyJoeBobs try to hold society hostage to their pathological fears.

[pinkie]

I also grew up in the south during the 1950's and I have never heard this word uppity as a racial slur. I lived on the South side of Atlanta and that is what we always called the folks on the North side. Until the Black folks, or is it afro-american this week, get the big chip off of their shoulders, nothing is ever going to change. I'm sure the Congressman meant nothing racial by saying that Obama is uppity. He is very uppity considering some of the Georgia folks we have around here. What are we suppose to do? Walk on egg shells or hired a black interrupter. Give me a Break!

[Debbie]

How far we have come and how far we still have to go. This ignorant guy actually was voted into office - he represents the Republican party, John McCain and Sarah Palin. It's a scary time - we have got to get Obama elected and move this country forward... YES WE CAN.

[pam]

Are you joking? I'm from Texas and there isn't person over the age of 30 who doesn't explicitly understand that uppity is actually a hyphenated word. We all know what follows that hyphen. Even if the "N" word wasn't used it was meant to be heard. This was deliberate and this guy is a LIAR -- he knew exactly what he was doing.

[Jan in SC]

I am from the same community as Mr. Westmoreland
I knew him when he was a realtor then a builder. There
is no way living in Fayette County Georgia that he did not
understand what that means. There are alot of racist,prejudiced people still living in that community. I know I am from the North.

[Diane]

Vote Hillary:
Before you instruct people to "grow up" and "get over it," take a few spelling and punctuation lessons first. Your post is rife with errors that would make an English teacher cringe. Then again, your McCain/Palin endorsement speaks for itself.

[arthur2008]

Lynn Westmoreland offers us every reason to believe that, however degreed or titled a hillbilly may become, he will necessarily remain a hillbilly. He is reprehensible and decent voters of every ethnicity need to remember his bigotry and ignorance.

[theresa]

This election is about the issues: Are you better off now than you were 8 years ago? Was McCain in Washington 8 years ago? Do you remember the days of $2:00 gas prices? How many of us are afraid of losing their jobs, homes and other issues. Yet we have people who would have us argue about the irrelevant so they can stay in power. If McCain wins...the country deserves what is gets. Just like the country voted for Bush and deserves what is gets... Are you better off now than you were 8 years ago?

[FreeInquiry4ever]

What a shameful comment. He must have gotten the inspiration from Guiliani who was bashing the so-called northeastern elite while living among and being a part of the very same social stratum to which he so proudly belongs when it comes to making millions of dollars.

[Google News Reader]

This guy was on the Colbert Report last year, a real tool. Stephen reran the video tonite, it truly is a classic!
Go to the Colbert Nation to see it. He is not the sharpest tool in the shed, I believe he truly had no idea cause basically he is a tool.

[Joyce]

This guy is a racist and knew exactly what he was saying and what affect it would have. My husband is from Columbus, GA in 1950 and a lot of those type people still exist there. There is no way growing up in GA at that time that he wasn't keenly aware that the word uppity used by a white person to describe a Black person is racially sensitive. BS Rep Westmoreland; simply BS. You should apologize but you probably won't even though it was insensitive at best.

[Audrey704]

I was born in the 60's and not in the south, I didn't know that uppity was specific to african americans going back to the 1880's. So forgive my ignorance, but I think it is interesting that the GOP is labelling the Obama's as elitists or uppity when McCain's wife wears an outfit worth as much as an average house costs during the RNC convention. To me that is not only uppity it is the perfect picture of elitism. Someone from the Rove machine forgot to tell Cindy to dress down for the common folk.

[Tom J]

According to Wikipedia, Lynn Westmoreland grew up in metro Atlanta. Never heard Atlanta called a 'mill village'. (Come to think of it, I've never heard of a 'mill village' at all. Only ''mill town'.) Since he didn't go to college, he didn't pick up his vocabulary on some campus, either. I think he just had a 'macaca moment'.

Wikipedia has all the links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Westmoreland

[Rosie]

Great reactions - I love it all.
The guy is an idiot - I grew up in Europe and even I know what "uppity" insinuates and we don't even use that term. So yes, vote him out of office for being incredibly dumb, he doesn't deserve the pay or the perks. And cut off his lifetime medical care and retirement checks and let him see how that feels. Pay him back for being so damn rude.
These hypocrites make me sick

[Nuala Kavanagh]

Where was he when Judge Thomas(whom I totally disagree with) was being nominated for the Supreme Court and he himself accused those who voted against him of thinking of him as being "uppity". Now, what year was that. I think he was born then. What about the other politician saying at the same time something to the effect that "that boy" (meaning Obama) will have his hand on the button".

Just like Sen. Allen of Virginia, when he used the word
"macaca" and killed his chance of running for President. I wonder if either of these men will suffer any repercussion for their slime ball, bigoted pronunciations.

[wasteland]

By the way you have a girl's name and you are pathetic. I think these Repubs are so backwards they do not understand the power of the information age and the technologies involved. They will even scan what you are thinking. Msg to all the White sheet donning maggots....its a matter of 57 days and you shall wail then. For what we wonder though.

[NoOneYouKnow]

The Repugs are taking off their "big tent" mask. The GOP is racist in thought and action, and now even their words. You'd have to be pretty uneducated anywhere in America not to know what "uppity" really means. Westmoreland is speaking directly to his racist constituents: "Obama's a (n-word); don't vote for him."

[Lou]

All these morons posting comments who say they had no idea the word "uppity" has a racist connotation when used to describe a black person; is just that: a moron. Especially the guy who said he's 70 years old, grew up in the South, and never heard that before. Being that stupid, I"m surprised he even made it to 70. This country desperately needs Barack in the Whitehouse. God help us.