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might even bring some respect back to your country and some hope back to your middle class (who are struggling under outdated 'supply-side' economics which essentially transfers the bulk of wealth to the rich in the hopes that it will trickle down).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.