State Senator Jack Hatch — the Des Moines Democrat who used the "n" word last week in a converation with a black legislator — went to the King of King's Church in Des Moines last night to meet with state and local leaders of the NAACP as well as the leaders of the Des Moines Black Ministerial Alliance. Representative Ako Abdul-Samad, the black legislator who Hatch used the word in front of last week, and Representative Wayne Ford, the longest-serving black legislator, were there as well.
At 11 o'clock this morning, the group involved in last night's meeting held a news conference to talk about their conversation and what comes next. Abdul-Samad said Hatch had started a "snowball" with his comments. "We must draw a clear line," Abdul-Samad said, adding there was no way anyone should be tolerant of the use of the "n" word — or jokes about blonds or Jews either.
Hatch spoke and said: the "n" word incident had exposed a character flaw in himself. "This is not just something that we can slip under the rug," Hatch said, adding he wants to "keep the dialogue going" about how to best use this incident as a "teaching moment."
The news conference lasted half an hour. I will post the audio as soon as I've written Radio Iowa's noontime stories.
UPDATE: Reverend Keith Ratliff, president of the NAACP's Iowa/Nebraska chapter, opened the news conference with this reference to Hatch's statement yesterday on the senate floor: "For State Senator Jack Hatch or some lawmakers to suggest that because tensions were high that it in some way excuses this type of language and dialogue, the NAACP feels is ridiculous and blatantly wrong," Ratliff said.
Hatch a few moments later admitted the incident exposed a "character flaw" in himself. "This is not just something that we can slip under the rug," Hatch said. "There was a character deficit in me that came out that moment — a moment that I have to share with my family and, well, just about everybody."
UPDATE II: Here is the Radio Iowa story. (A 28-minute-long mp3 of the entire news conference can be found on the bottom of that Radio Iowa page.)
About O.Kay Henderson
Kay is a founding member of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press,” and the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
Give me a break. This “N” word stuff is getting old and worn out
the naacp should address how black people use the “n” word like it means nothing unless someone they dont like or agree with uses it. I say the naacp should look in their own backyard first
Gee they call us racists pigs honkies rednecks and anything else they can think of (when they bother think), but you let a white man utter the word negro and he is blasted to hell and back. I am so tired of people being concerned about being politically correct that I could just throw up. We need to look for what joins us together as Americans not white, black, brown, yellow, green, blue,or any other color, religion or sex. Our enemies want to keep us divided and paying attention to this crap instead of the invading aliens and the muslim extremist that would like to kill us all.
You are right, Becky – how long will “they” beat a dead horse to death!!! “They” ought to look in the mirror!
By the way, where were they all (sharpton, jackson, etc.) last week when the “n’s” were marching in the streets in California praising the “n” that shot and killed 4 white cops?????? Give me a break, you stupid idiots! I am so sick of you!
This is funny! The 1st 2 letters in the box given to verify are “nn”!!!
I get it…If a Caucasian uses the term “black man/woman, then the Caucasian is a racist. But if a Negro uses the term White man/ woman, then they are not?
A group of white ‘s that are proud of their race are deemed rascist, while a black pride group is called ” an action committee”. Interesting. Now why is it that I wonder?
While the treatment of the then Africans was horrible the plights of other ethnic groups are swept under the rug as being insignificant. Remember the Irish? While not slaves, we were still treated as less than human what with the “Irish need not apply, or the Chinese who were brought here to build the railroads in the west, and the intolerable treatments they received. To hear the NAACP tell it, African were the only group to be ill treated, revisionist history at its finest. Do either of the Irish or Chinese continue to decry the harsh treatment that they received well into the 1800’s? No, as today is far more important than ranting and raving about what happened a century ago. The Asians are still treated as less than human in many instances. But yet we still here how awful slavery was, and it was horrible, but people that was OVER 125 years ago! Those who are protesting today that they are “owed” for the wrongs done 125 years ago need to get a grip, and MOVE on!! Other immigrants come to this country, buckle down, do what needs to be done to attain the American dream, while the NAACP and similar groups demonstrate that they ARE “owed” the American dream because of slavery. Really? Why? They have the same opportunities that everybody else. They also have the advantage of speaking the language, which most immigrants don’t. Why doesn’t the NAACP work harder at looking forward, instead of backwards? Nobody, but NOBODY , as a group is owed anything!!
P.S. I sincerely doubt this missive will be printed, as it is anything but Politically correct.
NEK Skeptic