From Jeremy’s Jeremiad:
I’m willing to take Sen. Buttars at his word that his comments yesterday weren’t intended as a racial slur. They sure sounded bad and don’t contribute to helping the image of Utahns as being a tolerant people who can accept others who are different. Even so I think it was a case of someone talking without engaging their brain. I don’t think Sen. Buttars meant his remark as a malicious commentary about skin color.
We have enough examples of our Republican legislature’s racial bigotry and general intolerance of people who are different here, here, and here without having to contrive offense at comments that the speaker claims weren’t meant in the way we’re chosing to frame them.
From Bill Frost for Salt Blog:
Expect more dissection of Buttars’ speech in the next few days. The West Jordan Republican has built his reputation in Utah as the master of sloppy grammar (never met a double negative he didn’t like) and vehemently anti-gay legislation. Some people will simply step back today and shrug their shoulders. “What do you expect,” they will say. “It’s Chris Buttars.”
Well yes. It is Chris Buttars. And that’s why we can take his remarks for what they were: cold and racist. It’s like this: Human beings who fuel themselves on hate and bigotry betray themselves sooner or later by their language. People who respect others and at least try to live in a world of color and diversity simply do not talk the way Chris Buttars did on the Senate floor yesterday. They don’t think of themselves as better than others; their language reflects who they are.
Language is raw. It’s visceral. People who understand that don’t toss it around lightly.
So the critics can wrap up their analysis in pretty paper and ribbon, they can guess Buttars’ motivations and even give him a pass for, as he said it letting his “brain run ahead of his mouth.”
In the end, racist is as racist does. His own language painted his true persona more than any gay activist or Democratic opponent ever could.
I have not come to a conclusion about this. I will say that I can see how it may not have been intended as a racist comment, but interpreted that way. The baby metaphor was introduced earlier by another Senator calling the legislation discussed the “ugly baby bill”. “Black” could refer to the dark nature of the bill, not necessarily creating a racial metaphor. On the other hand, Senator Buttars has a history of bigoted comments and intolerant and backwards legislation. Were it a single comment against an otherwise statesman-esque public career, it would be easy to dismiss.
The jury is still out in my mind.
-Tom
I guess my point is that even if this was a Freudian slip that shows Sen. Buttars true feelings about race, his legislative record (along with that of many of our Republican legislature this session) does a better job indicating his racial insensitivity than this slip up.
I’m willing to forgive the slip of the tongue if it means we can get back to talking about the asinine legislative record Buttars and others in his party are racking up this session.
Punitive attacks on illegal immigrants like the revocation of in-state tuition and driving privilege cards are much better indicators of racial intolerance than a misstatement by a senator who claims he didn’t mean the racial slur.
buttars did make a racist comment. I might have been ok if stopped at this is a black baby, but dark and ugly… that tells the real story! He is done.
Has anyone called Al Sharpton yet? I cant comment until he tells me if it is racist or not.
Stephenson’s comment was offensive to Uglo-Americans.
He said it, it was stupid, he apologized, let’s move on. We don’t need to call Al Sharpton, we don’t need to dissect the audio, we don’t need to talk about this for a week.
Actually, Craig, this is exactly the type of thing that we do need to talk about this week. When someone makes a seemingly racist statement, someone that holds an elected position as a representative of those said people that he is offending, the worst possible thing to do is to chalk it up as stupid and move on. The fact that he has made several biggoted comments in the past proves that the words that slipped of his mouth do represent his true beliefs. It is imperative that voters of Utah know what is at the heart of those they choose to elect.
Dear Editor,
I have taught school for over thirty years in Utah, and I cannot imagine making the hurtful remark that Senator Chris Butters made at the Utah State Legislature. This “ugly black” baby stuff was no slip of the tongue. This was something inside Mr. Butters, who has built his career catering to the most intolerant and hate-filled members of our society.
Other people have noted the look on Mr. Butter’s face when a lesbian woman was testifying, and that they could not imagine such a look on President Hinckley’s face had he been in the same situation. No wonder, Mr. Butter has an agenda from the disgraceful times of my youth when I occasionally heard such talk by teachers in Utah class rooms.
If the Republican Party does not censure and demand Mr. Butters resignation, they are sending a terrible message to the young people of this state. If they do not act swiftly, the high-school students of this state should walk out of their classes in a mass protest.
Roger E. Carrier, teacher at Granger High School (former teacher at West High, both excellent schools with a high minority population).
I have had the priviledge of knowing and working for Chris Buttars. I do believe that he says what is on his mind and I do believe that he can sometimes suprise you with his blunt regard to the human condition. However, to judge him as racist on an issue that is purely about context. generations each have there own fluid language bits. Chris buttars has the right to speak metaphorically and contextually from his experience. I think those that are listening so hard for racist speaches are likely the MOST RACIST among us. Please make some attempt at not being so afraid and stop being so easily offended. At that pouint you racist few will be able to hear what is really being said. Buttars is not racist he will help any one of any race creed and coloe (ugly or not).
Matt, it’s good to know that you have had a good experience with Sen. Buttars, and it’s important not to make him into a one-dimensional monster. However, his record of idiotic statements is very clear, and it’s a little silly of you to label everyone else racist when nearly everyone agrees, based on some of the hateful things he has said and done in the past. The man needs to choose his language better in today’s society if he hopes to avoid trouble, and that’s the bottom line. He is a public relations nightmare, and I am already bracing myself for what he says next.