Sen. Lankford Issues Apology to Black Constituents for Election Results Skepticism
Category: News & Politics
Via: john-russell • 3 years ago • 167 commentsBy: Brittany Bernstein (MSN)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Senator James Lankford (R., Okla.) apologized to the black residents of Tulsa, Okla. on Thursday for his initial decision to oppose the Electoral College results.
© Toni Sandys/Reuters Senator James Lankford (R., Okla.) questions Chad Wolf, acting Secretary of Homeland Security, who appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in Washington D.C., August 6, 2020.
Community leaders demanded that Lankford resign or be removed from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission after he questioned election results in several key states with large African American populations, according to Tulsa World . This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre, where a white mob killed at least 300 black Tulsa residents.
Lankford wrote a letter addressed to "my friends in North Tulsa," saying that his actions "caused a firestorm of suspicion among many of my friends, particularly in Black communities around the state. I was completely blindsided, but I also found a blind spot."
"What I did not realize was all of the national conversation about states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, was seen as casting doubt on the validity of votes coming out of predominantly Black communities like Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Detroit," he wrote.
Last month Lankford signed onto a letter from Senator Ted Cruz (R., Texas) pledging to vote against the Electoral College results unless a commission was created to conduct a ten-day audit of President Trump's unfounded claims that the election was plagued by widespread voter fraud.
However, Lankford elected not to challenge the results after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol while Congress met to count the votes on January 6.
"After decades of fighting for voting rights, many Black friends in Oklahoma saw this as a direct attack on their right to vote, for their vote to matter, and even a belief that their votes made an election in our country illegitimate," he said. "I can assure you my intent to give a voice to Oklahomans who had questions was never also an intent to diminish the voice of any Black American."
"I should have recognized how what I said and what I did could be interpreted by many of you," he said. "I deeply regret my blindness to that perception, and for that I am sorry."
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He got his ass handed to him. Hopefully he has reached a personal turning point.
............................ bwah ha ha ha ha!
I'm trying to be as nice as possible to these people, if possible. You know, the unity thing.
Then you are a better person than me.
I gave up on that years ago, but especially now. If anyone still lends their support to Trump then there is no common ground to be found. We are polar opposites.
“I’m very sorry that it didn’t work.”
*cough* Bullshit! *cough*
Just sounds like he may be a little worried about his next election.
Yup.
I think he knows he's risked losing the votes of African Americans, and also knows it will be hard to win re-election without them.
Blacks make up 7% of Oklahoma's population. He won every county county in Oklahoma and beat the Democratic candidate by 43% points. I'm pretty sure that's not it.
Well, there you go, destroying the preferred narrative with actual facts instead of wild-ass speculation.
You know, some people vote in support of those they feel have been abused by the system, even when they're not a part of the group they feel has been abused.
IOW, this didn't endear him with most white voters, either.
That's exactly what he is worried about.
You know, some people vote in support of those they feel have been abused by the system
‘Some’ being the operative word. It’s getting easier and easier to tell who the others are.
The other alternative is that he was too stupid to figure out for himself the effect he was having on Black voters, despite the public comments ever since Trump made it clear that he's a sore loser and wanted to throw out votes only in areas that voted blue, which often overlap with areas with large minority populations.
He's either dishonest, or stupid. Which would you rather we deem him?
It seems you have "deemed" the left arrogant, does that mean you have too much time on your hands as well?
You act as if the right isn't judging anyone and everyone, often long before they even have all the facts.
So, I'm not supposed to have an opinion?
Not supposed to state my opinion?
Why not? You seem to have and state your opinion. Is it arrogant when you do it? Or only when somebody with whom you don't agree does it? Is it ok when the right does it? I mean, they deemed Obama to be anti-American, and Sarah Palin to have an IQ above the temperature of ice water.
Your side "deems". My side "deems". Deal with it.
Calling the left 'arrogant' without realizing how hypocritical that statement was is silly.
Why shouldn't we be able to judge politicians by their words and actions? It's really the only way we can speak up and hold them accountable.
Suz, look around. The number of people that are jumping Donald Trump's ship increases daily. Apologies and toe-shuffling are anything but in short supply. It's called damage control.
My thoughts exactly, if they don't hold this 'president' accountable for anything, they are complicit in all he's done. They all have much blood on their hands, tRump and his mob and anyone else who still supports him. Their calls for unity are lip service only.
That was my reaction
Well geez, the whole country knew it but somehow you didn't. LOLOLOL what a load of shit. Plus your knowledge of Oklahoma history seems to have a large blind spot in it, it's called the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riot.
Well I say we take what we can get right now. I am thankful he's making a leap. Does it fall short? Yes, without a doubt.
Maybe he is turning over a new leaf due to the inssurection that shook him to his core to see it with a new perspective-- but the truth is, how can any of them ever be trusted? I always say Repubs hold up a finger to see which way the wind is blowing and rarely stand on principle. To them, it's all calculation. I can only hope we see a change but they also need to give us some time till we see the deeds of their new found convictions come to sensible fruition. Apologizing is a start and I will pay attention now moreso than not. SO far, there's too many not coming to terms with reality on his stage, so it has to remain suspect.
There are many things we learn in this world as we age but we do learn as children (I hope) our word is our honor and we honor our words. It's called integrity and personal responsibility for our actions. We should all live our lives with our intentions of having zero regret over any decision we make throughout or lives. Errors in judgment are one thing and part of our learning curve and rise to maturity but that is NOT the same thing as having your moral compass set so it can never be compromised in the name of frivolous levity. That is the way I feel about racism in this country and those who either turn a bline eye to it, or those who have benignly embraced it by proxy. And now we see where the weaponization of race has led us. We are on the brink of at least civil unrest (I think "civil war" is wishful thinking by violent hatefilled right wing fascists) the chances are there is going to be much violence ahead of us on the coming days to decades in our public square till this group is culled out of our herd. So we brace for that impact.
I have to ask, where was he fighting this from his side of the aisle when this voter election fraud was going on? When the world see the facts but our Senators and Congresspeople don't? It's written on the subway walls, I always say and all you have to do is see it for what it is. This is not a blind spot it's willful ignorance, it's cognitive dissonance and it cannot be tolerated in a healthy democracy, ever. We are the people and we are of many cultures. NO one is above the other, nor should a single person be behind the other. We should want this for everybody. I don't hate white-skinned people, but I sure do hate what too many have been doing and getting away with for far too long or any sign of somehow they are superior and deserve more than any other.
Welp, what is also suspect is TPTB inside the corporate oligarchy has now spoken on the major stage, by pulling their financial support, all the sudden we see concilitory sorrow speech from GOP'rs? There is just no way on this planet that you're not clued in to the facts about the intentional culture war divide that have been steadily rising with the changing dynamics of a progressive modern mixing of cultures of America since civil rights and voting rights were enacted. Please, for our democracy's stake, simply do better Senator Lankford, et al. Especially those in our personally connected worlds.
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said:
"The words of the prophets are
Written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sound of silence."
Great song. The original and the Disturbed remake.
Howdy Kavika! Actually my friend, I'm a big Dion fan (one of the coolest cats ever next to Robbie Robertson in my book) ..and I was drawing from his "Written on a Subway Wall/Little Star". One of my favorite kick ass songs of all time! Great album! (but who doesn't love Sounds of Silence, Paul & Art?!) The meaning from both is all the same.
Here you go!
He's embarrassed, the poor dear....
Bob, I was mesmerized reading your story about your Grandfather. Great diary, sorrowful truths indeed.
I tried to reply on your thread but the system wouldn't let me. Don't know if it's not in your group or what. It let me hit the thumbs up but nothing else. no reply box came up.
Are you sure you want me? I haven't posted anything about my grandfather for a long time. I mentioned my great-grandfather a few days ago...
I must have missed the great in your story. My mind isn't what it used to be right now. (are any of ours?!) Still curious as to why I couldn't reply there...?
I have no idea, and after just a couple days it's hopeless to try to reconstruct an incident.
TiG is the site's troubleshooter. Next time, send him a quick description of what happened.
If an article is locked, the REPLY button will not appear. It is also possible to lock an individual thread and this will remove the REPLY button too.
I never lock seeds (or threads). If there's a serious problem, I delete.
Reading through the responses to this is why politicians don't apologize in 2021..
Apologies for behavior for which there is no excuse ring hollow. Lankford's apology is hollow.
Well I guess what is important is how the people feel that he wrote it to.
Probably. I imagine most of them are intelligent enough to recognize an insincere apology made after a threat to his own physical safety had occurred.
Well that is up to them to decide.
Yeah, if you egg something on for years and then all of a sudden find god so to speak when the results of your bullshit hit close to home, then fuck you. ESPECIALLY when the potential harm of your antics have been pointed out to you over and over the entire time.
I was trying to disenfranchise millions of voters and a large population of Black voters.
I know what I did and I now need you to turn the other cheek and allow me to stay in office.
Bite me.
Oklahomans will have their say at the polls in a couple of years.
He won quite convincingly last election so I doubt if there will be any great backlash--enough to make him lose if he runs again.
Hopefully those on the far left will understand that it is better to get some of what you want than nothing at all, and that big changes don't happen fast in this country by design. But yes, we will have to see.
We will see, the pendulum swings because generations grow old and die and new one's emerge. The AOC's may not be our cup of tea right now but she's representative of her generation and like it or not, they have a say and even more of an upcoming say. It's going to be their world before we know it. They should have a say how they want their world to operate.
Yes and if any of the over 140 Republicans should ever let the term 'cancel culture' pass their lips again they should be punched upside their heads.
They wanted to cancel over 27 MILLION votes.
That's just it. It's not contrition, its fear and paranoia. One doesn't change their moral compass like that without one or the other. It will take some time to see if really is contrition. Is the shame real or not?
Can someone explain to me why there's those here who think only blacks vote for blacks in states that are predominately white? My State is highly causacian yet we vote for POC more often than not. People of Asian, Native Am, South Am., East Indian & Black, we consider it the smorgasboard of life's wonderful choices. I know far more who voted for Obama and Hillary than Trump yet Trump still had a bearing in my State. Which is not surprising. East is Red, West is Blue here. Isn't it just possible in their wee little mental midget minds that most white folk have given up the white superiority card in desire for unity across the board for decades now? Most American's became humane to POC a very long time ago unless they were taught separation of cultures by hate. And I'll never understand that. Cultures are fascinating!
I subscribe to the closed mind closed heart notions.