“I want to apologize for the comments,” (John K.) Tanner said. “… I understand that my explanation of the data came across in a hurtful way, which I deeply regret.”…
“You’re saying you’re right but your tone was wrong,” said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.). “I don’t know what you’re apologizing for.”
All these shenanigans started a few weeks ago when Tanner, who is the head of the Justice Department’s voting section, said about Voter ID laws and their effect on minorities,
“It’s probably true that among those who don’t [have Photo ID], it’s primarily elderly persons. And that’s a shame. Of course…our society is such that minorities don’t become elderly. The way that white people do. They die first.”
You can see the video of him being dumb here.
After being asked by Representative Ellison what exactly he was apologizing for, Tanner responded like a whipped child; “I hurt people…” Now of course he didn’t say anything wrong or incorrect — his tone was just hurtful. Thats an un-apology apology if I’ve ever heard one.
Mr. Tanner’s belief in the magical world where only white people grew old was shaken to the core when informed that Keith Ellison’s father was getting up there in age, and *shockingly* also black. His weak admission that yes indeed, people with a skin tone darker than unfinished pine age the same way that white people do was met with a collective “Just say you’re an idiot and apologize already!” by all of the people with four or more functioning braincells in the room.
See Rep. Ellison scrap with this guy here.
Keith Ellison’s dad may be getting up there in years, but he is not, and never has been black. Dr. Leonard Ellison is Jewish. Keith’s mother is black.
I seem to remember seeing a photographs of Congressman Ellison with his father and he was black. Just my memory, could be wrong.
Andy -
At the hearing Keith said, “My dad is almost 80. He’s black.” If you don’t believe us, check the Strib’s Big Question.
I would venture to guess (and hope really) that Andy was being funny.
Sean
Whenever I see Ellison question a witness he comes of as a pompous jerk. He asks questions but has not interest in actually hearing the answer. Instead, he plays “Tough Guy” and is high on his on “authority”.
I edited the first word of the story, changing it from ‘crazy’ to ‘mega’ because I didn’t think that the meaning of my sentence was clear. I meant crazy as in “crazy expensive”, but I didn’t think it was clear, so I changed it to mega.
Thanks for reading.
Sean
Yeah Ed, he’s so…so, ‘uppity’.
You’re an idiot.
Andy actually was funny!
Hilarious & ironic in fact!
That Ed guy - maybe he’s from the south or something?
In an earlier time, whites did find minorities “uppity” for speaking out.