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Adam Hill apologizes to COLAB

June 22, 2011

Adam Hill

District 3 San luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill  issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon:

“I want to apologize to the COLAB members who took offense to my recent, admittedly strident generalizations about racism.

“I feel strongly about the subject, I denounce it in all cases, and I’m not sorry about calling it out when I see it. However, I don’t believe broad-brush strokes are helpful in making the case. I can and will do better, because it’s an important subject that needs to be talked about openly and honestly.

“Over the past few years, I have received emails that appeal to the basest forms of bigotry and racism in regards to President Obama. I wish these were an aberration, and that the disturbing and demeaning imagery about the President’s race – and the related rhetoric about his origin of birth – were not part of a larger trend. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“To me, criticizing the President and his policies is one thing; but attacking our country’s first President of African heritage by suggesting he is not a native born American, or by resorting to very familiar racist imagery, should not be tolerated by any American. These attempts at humor or forms of political disagreement are dehumanizing, and damaging to our nation.

“It may be of interest to know that two weeks ago, a member of the California Republican Party leadership, Ken Barnes, who is black, wrote a very thoughtful viewpoint published in the Sacramento Bee. In it, Mr. Barnes announced his departure from the GOP because he could no longer tolerate the racial stereotyping of the President that had become all too common.

‘In his viewpoint, Mr. Barnes wrote, “As with any large organization or group, there will always be people at the fringes who hold views that are not representative of the body.”

“I wish I had been so eloquent and tactful in my own comments, both in an email to state Senator Sam Blakeslee and in a follow-up conversation with the press as it related to COLAB.”

 

 


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Adam, Adam, Adam…


Some folks used to raise the cry of ‘fascism’ when faced with a disbelieving public. The new epithet is to throw out the curse of ‘racism’ when confronted with honest disagreement.


This is low, despicable … and in my view cowardly.


So, Colab is racist? Which part of Colab is racist? Is it the evil farmers? is it the evil trade unions? is it ‘evil’ business people? So for those of you who don’t know… here is a diddy from the very sane and normal website:


“San Luis Obispo County, like many counties in California, has a disproportionate lack of representation for the interests of agriculture, business and labor in county government. Populated, urban areas in our county, by shear voting numbers, dominate our local government. These voters often times lack an understanding and appreciation for the relationship between agriculture, business and labor and the overall economic growth of the County.”


Adam Hill represents exactly why COLAB was formed… to provide voters with a position on the issues important to real farmers, real working people in trade unions and business.


However, it seems like after reading this article above that Adam decided to refocus his comments to where he believes ‘racism’ really belongs… the Republican Party. This is a side show. Adam you done wrong … you screwed up … try and man up to it.


Grow some and move on.


Roger Freberg


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Roger, you’re a sucker if you believe all that. All Andy Caldwell cares about is THE MONEY. He wants members of the community to be divided and at each other’s throats. He does NOT want riffs healed. He creates controversy and conflict for this own selfish interests and that amounts mostly to MONEY.


Caldwell uses people like you as free labor.


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We got it! You hate Andy Caldwell. Noted. You can stop replying to every post on a topic about an apology with how much you hate someone else. Sheesh.


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Wrong AGAIN, “rOy”. I don’t “hate” Andy Caldwell. But I’m adamantly opposed to his despicable tactics and his immorality.


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Right on Adam, well said. Though he didn’t say probably some members of COLAB are part of the repo party (I will bet all are repos) members that has indulged in the racist assaults on Barack. I have seen the cheap comments and pictures, typical low class jerks who have a slight grasp on reality. Obama is smarter that most in this county, the right wing white trash can’t stand it.


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White trash, if I’m not mistaken that phrase would fit Supervisor Hill’s definition of racism,


Or would it?


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You might be right, but the moniker is lessened when the comment comes from the same class-though I am not right wing, or low class- I am bone white. And since there is probably no common definition about ‘white trash’ I’ll define it for our dear readers.


White trash:

non (black, brown, yellow, red or other non white color) slime who live their sorry lives in contempt of non ‘white’ people, liberal people, talented people and intelligent people because they missed the boat, the train has left the station without them- and they are frightened to death that anyone else (said people of ‘color’ and/or with a brain) will get ahead of them even though they are so stupid, ignorant and without worth as to be nothing but a drain on society-essentially without any redeeming value. One might recall a famous person said something about the fearful and ignorant turning to religion and guns-ring a bell here?

Works for me!


Of course there are always exceptions, I am sure there are some (sort of) ‘intelligent’ people that fit all the other criteria-they are just plain evil.


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So there are no Repubs that fit in the ‘white trash’ category, they are all pure and good. I get it. Those people at the Tea Bag rallies holding up the witch doctor posters weren’t white trash to Wine. Well I’m with the dog, the people that make those racist jokes, depict his family as apes and hold up those witch doctor signs are white then yes they are white trash. I am white so that is not a racist comment it is simply a fact.


Ditto the dog.


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name calling directed at another user gets the hammer. one ‘corky’ comment deleted.

questions Email please


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Damn there went another one! Osama has been deleted.


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I can understand Hill’s defensiveness regarding the racism, I also received the racist jokes and racist emails and it has made me much more sensitive on the subject.. But I can see why some feel that this isn’t good enough. But it is an apology and if the people don’t think it’s good enough then he’ll be voted out.


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Actually, it is not considered a sincere apology when one uses “I wish to apologize to those that took offense” – there is no apology there, no mea culpa at all. How about this: any sane person without an ax to grind took offense? Does he not apologize to them? So he’s sorry some people took offense, not sorry he was (and continues to be) a complete ass?


Sorry, he’s not getting off that easy. If one is truly sorry, one actually apologizes.


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Adam hill took a page from the state dept style book?

?


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I did not vote for Obama, I voted for Ralph Nader.

Many special interest attack Obama with black enuendos.

Obama is doing the best job he can under what be-fell him.

If he re-runs, I intend to and will vote for him because I now greatly respect him!


As for Hill, it was about black-white scrimmage thing, his anagrams sticks out like a sore thumb!


Everyone else out there is a racist except him. He can accuse or insinuate but anyone (White, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American) of you out there including Blakeslee (because he is white) better not or else you are a racist.


He does not even remotely compares with Obama or Blakeslee, the job and focus he has been doing thus far is un-impressive!


And of course I am racist in his belief for my perception of his actions (But guess what I am or does that really matter because my comments are based on his unwarrranted punny actions?).


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I don’t think that word means what you think it means. but if Obama is an anagrammatist good on him.


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Thank you Zaphod

I make mistakes and have old baggage to clean up, and appreciate corrections/ learning.

Sincerely


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Putz.


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Schmuck.


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You know what Adam, our president brought the whole birth place situation on himself when he could have diffused it in one quick scan and paste procedure. I am sorry but that is just plain stupid and I am afraid that reflects on his intelligence. He has proven to be a complete liar with statements he made to get elected and I have a problem with that. He is not a good leader period!


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Obama brought the whole birther situation on himself how,,,by being born? The birthers are racist idiots and Obama was simply trying to ignore their ignorance as not to let it distract the country from the real issues at hand. In the long run he appeased the racists. Usually the best way to deal with such ignorance is to ignore it but due to the large amount of hatred involved it was just too big to ignore but most thinking people were pretty shocked by the blatant racism and I believe that even Obama was surprised by it. Bush never told us where he was hiding during the Vietnam War, I didn’t see a large out-cry while he was hiding while my brother was fighting, why hasn’t he ‘defused’ that situation and why didn’t you care about that? You guys think it’s okay for the right wingers to lie and cheat (Bush) but you feel that this racism against Obama is his fault and you blame the victim (Obama)? Bush isn’t half the man that Obama is and yet you people find petty stuff to rag on Obama about. You statement really p!ssed me off, it’s akin to the pig that says, ‘that woman deserved to raped because of her clothes’, sheer stupidity.


How has Obama lied?


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U.S. Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 states:


No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.


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So?


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That’s why so many legal scholars say Arizona Senator John McCain, born outside of the U.S., should not be eligible to be President. But in order to cover up t hat, the rightwing extremists madeup this krap about Obama, when t hre is no doubt that McCain was NOT brn in the U.S..


Our world has gone insane.


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The Mass Psychology of Fascism poor Dr Reich after escaping the Nazis twice he ends up dying in federal prison for selling his books irony.

many in the world are worried about us.


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BTW the fellow in the last link had a great deal to do with setting up the organization that is presently bombing Libya.


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whatisup: whatisyourpoint?


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Irrelevant.


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By “natural born citizen,” my understanding of the definition is anyone born to a U.S. citizen (father and/or mother), whether here in the U.S., U.S. held territories or abroad, is still a U.S. citizen.

This way if a woman on vacation or otherwise traveling outside the U.S. should happen to give birth in say, France, that kid would be a U.S. citizen automatically (and maybe French too?).

So too, are any babies born to non-U.S. citizens who are born inside the U.S. (or its territories), you know what some call “anchor babies,” they too are citizens.

People can become naturalized U.S. citizens (like Arnold) if they undertake the process, pass the citizenship test, and take the oath of loyalty.

So unless my definition is wrong in this, it wouldn’t matter whether Obama was actually born in the U.S. So long as his mother was a U.S. citizen, he too is a natural born U.S. citizen and therefore eligible to be president by definition.

The whole birther thing was BS from the start, because it doesn’t matter where in the world he was actually born, his mother was a citizen and so too would he be a natural born citizen.

Anyway, I find it hard to believe that no one did a background check on Obama to make sure he was actually eligible to be president BEFORE he was allowed into all those Democratic primaries. Don’t you think the Dems would have made sure he was eligible before he got their nomination? Or the Repubs would have done the same thing?

Actually, I believe John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone.


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Do you want the list of Obama’s lies alphabetically, numerically, or categorically? Please allow time to comprise it; it’s very lengthy…


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Oh I don’t care danika, which ever is easiest for you,,I’ll be waiting.


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I’d go for categorically but it’s off the point. The issue is Hill vs Colab. Hill is a progressive ELECTED official who wiped out an incumbent (conservative) in his first campaign, colab is a group of secretive land barons and business folks who hate any interference in their affairs. Actually we all hate interference, but some of us see the inherent need for governmental intervention in society to keep the crooks at bay. That is what we elect them for, to keep society running in a decent way.

I don’t know any details about this fracas but I’ll bet colab is just like any other special interest group, and perhaps our representative (Hill) would like to know who he is talking to when they send their rep to the supes. I would too.


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It’s probably as simple as this:


COLAB did not send Adam Hill a check.


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our president brought the whole birth place situation on himself

I suppose he may have underestimated how mean spirited and ignorant his constituencies really are , thank you for proving that point.


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Actually, wasn’t hit Hilary Clinton’s campaign that really pushed this whole birther thing?


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I read that and nowhere does it say that Hilary’s campaign pushed the birther thing. I said something about some Hillary supporters questioning his birth. First, is Palin responsible for everyone that supports her? Secondly, the right wing birthers are the ones that pounded or as you said ‘pushed’ this birth thing day in and day out even though there was a mountain of evidence including a legal cert. of live birth that demonstrated that Obama is qualified to be our Prez.

OT:

While I was on you link though I found this article. It was disgusting. The Tea Bags are indoctrinating their children with mind control. The Baggers are like a cult.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-politics/8582619/Tea-Party-summer-school-the-games.html


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I took a look at your link and found the article kind of funny. There was a comment there by someone who asked where this “camp” was located so the story could be verified. This request was there


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OOPS…mistakenly hit Enter too soon…


The request was there when you provided the link. I guess you weren’t too interested in finding out if the story is true.


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I agree, if there was nothing wrong with his birth cert than why didn’t he show it up front. Instead it takes three years. I could come up with a fake in three years time. He didn’t prove anything!


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OMG we have a birther in the house! Birther=racist


Get over it.


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When will you people stop calling anyone who disagrees with you a racist?! Doing so, like crying wolf, diminishes the repudiation of real racism when it rears its ugly head.


Asking candidates for president to provide evidence that they meet the clearly documented constitutional requirements for that office is not racist as long as that requirement is applied to all candidates.


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“When will you people stop calling anyone who disagrees with you a racist?” How about when you stop asking questions of a black person that have never been asked of a white person? Do you birthers actually believe that Barack Obama was able to fool every single law enforcement agency AND every single intelligence agency in the United States government? Get over it, we have a black man as our legally elected President.


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Actually John McCain was asked to produce a birth certificate when a candidate for Prez since he was born in, I think, Puerto Rico. The opposition will always try ANY position to disqualify or belittle the opponent. Dontcha know………………


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I would be wrong. Make that Panama.


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Here is an MSNBC article about McCains citizenship:


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23415028/ns/nightly_news/t/mccains-citizenship-called-question/


I believe had McCain won his right to be President would have been challenged in court just as President Obama’s was. Since McCain didn’t win the issue was dropped by the left.


For the life of me I don’t understand why the President just didn’t show the actual birth certificate three years ago. After all, he is a Constitutional Lawyer and knows he has to prove his being a natural born citizen.


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Damn those pesky facts! Totally ruining ideological comfort zones the world over. Or at least herein.


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It’s like no apology at all.


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Why can’t political types just apologize and leave it at that. It is way more honorable. All I hear are half-hearted apologies followed by legthy excuses to try an justify behavior.


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So, was this an apology?


Hill didn’t make “strident generalizations about racism” directed at COLAB, he was very specific in his accusations of COLAB hosting an entertainer in black-face and I don’t see that false charge acknowledged anywhere in this.


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