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Marian Wright Edelman: Still Hungry in America
There comes times in all of our lives when we are wronged. Then we have to decide whether to forgive or not.
Shirley Sherrod had to make that decision recently in the aftermath of being unfairly ousted from her gig at the Agriculture Department in a silly racial flap.
Hat in hand and extending an olive branch, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asked for Sherrod's forgiveness and offered her a new job in his department.
But Sherrod turned him down.
And from this outsider's view, that was a mistake. Yes, Sherrod was victimized by Vilsack's knee-jerk reaction to a video that appeared to show her as a government employee who used race to decide whether she would provide services for a private citizen in need.
But it's not like she was left twisting in the wind for years, months, weeks or even days when Vilsack discovered he had been duped by some dishonest editing of video by right-wing agitator Andrew Breitbart.
One day after the firing, Vilsack was backpedaling as news of the shady video editing job leaked out.
Sherrod is entitled to harboring some bruised feelings, but what else does she expect? She came out the hero in this story, while Breitbart has been unmasked as a dishonest fool. We all know she's no racist. She won.
If she were honest with herself, she would understand why she had to be let go after watching the edited tape.
With the Obama administration's understandable hypersensitivity to all things racial, any official caught on tape talking about how they denied services to a citizen based on race would have to go.
But White House officials corrected the mistake the next day as soon as they found out they were tricked.
Maybe Sherrod, who has not ruled out working with the Agriculture Department on a consulting basis, has visions of lucrative speaking engagements in her head. I wish her luck.
But it seems to me that she could have made a greater impact on the country by taking the agriculture job and using it as her bully pulpit for racial equity.
Comments: (29)
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By: darrell eason on 8/24/2010 2:41PM
Lady is being very foolish, and she may regret it. I agree with the writer, she might be being a little too cute, and they will remember it. I think someone is giving her poor advice, have you noticed on the other blogs, white people are already talking bad about her. The most two faced people on the face of the earth, asked the Indians, first they come in friendship and then talk about you behind your back. In the long run she won't come out ahead.
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By: Alie on 8/24/2010 3:02PM
You know what racist, this lady is a lady and has more class that you whites you know you did wrong, she is no kiss ass for sure you dig!
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By: Jean Burchette on 8/25/2010 8:58PM
Darrell:
Mrs. Sherrod is not being foolish. She has a lot of wisdom not to be set-up if she were to take the job offer. I have lived in America as a Black Female and had a similar incident happen to me where I sued an establishment and won. I did not have to even visit the EEOC Office, because the case was cut and dry and I was asked to return to my job and I refused and moved on to bigger and better things in life. Women are different from men. We excel from dissappointments in life.
A way to go Mrs. Sherrod!!!!!
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By: Jewel on 8/24/2010 10:01PM
How is she being foolish? Her reputation and life was just about in ruins a few weeks ago! Did you not hear that she received death threats over that sliced and diced video which took her words out of context and started the whole mess? She was treated like trash by the USDA, NAACP, Fox News, Roland Martin, and the rat bastard that manipulated video to bring her down. I can only imagine the tremendous stress and confusion she and family had to deal with. Nobody gives a d@mn about what white people, black people or anybody else thinks or feels about Mrs. Sherrod. This happened to HER not YOU or ME.
You can forgive - and move on!
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By: Ggeorgio on 8/25/2010 3:29PM
Darrell, you & Paul Shepard are both completely wrong, the whitehouse did NOT correct their mistake the NEXT DAY!!! In fact Pres. Obama, still has not done the right thing, on behalf of Mrs.Sherod!!!Everyone seems to have forgotten Cheryl Cook, who told Mrs. Sherod that the whitehouse wanted her resignation!!!The WH has not denied this,neither has Ms.Cook. Why has she not been interveiwed, P. Shepard? why don't you do a story on her???/ Americans are not as stupid as some people think we are, we recognize the polictical games that are being played here, and so does Mrs. Sherod.
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By: Justifyed on 8/25/2010 11:32PM
She is not being foolish, she went and accepted his apology, as closure and she walked away.
I would have too... there is NO loyalty there!!
How come a cop can kill someone or beat someone, or a teacher molest someone or hit someone and be on "paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of an investigation" but Sherrod is fired on the spot, no questions asked? And expected to go back after they realized that they screwed up? Please!
I wouldn't go back either! She is on to the next chapter in her life and I wish her the best.
Also to those white ppl who are talking about her....if they are talking about her, behind her back, they are in the best position to kiss her a**
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By: Alie on 8/24/2010 3:12PM
Sorry but the Obama administration and this country has to begin a debate about race, it is polorizing the country and is stopping this country moving forward, it is no longer about having a black president in the whitehouse, it is about respecting black folks and dealing with a issue we would have rather buried this country was built on racism and it needs to be talked about, we can no longer go about the country denying one once a seat at the table that is why i believe God has said American we can no longer say we are a christian nation if we leave out minorities, enough of segrated offices, church's neighbhoods, if Obama doesn't want to talk about it this lady can do more by taking the debate on the road.
Why should she go away and hide in the background, the department is still racist, we also need to stop calling each other the N-word and have some respect for ourselves before the white man gives us respect, but no God has called her to such a time as this to be the mouth peace on talking about racism in america if MLK talked about it she will be the female version.
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By: rasfanta on 8/24/2010 6:13PM
The upsurge in racism is being fueled, orchestrated and encouraged by the chosen ones. There was a period of time, while the country was being plundered, when racism had gone underground. I thought america had gone beyond this. I was wrong. Distraction must be created so americans do not have time to think about the rip off of this country's wealth that took place by the chosen ones over the last 25-30 years. The resurgence of racism in america is no accident. obama is part of the plan. this is why he has carried out the will of the chosen ones and only pretends to do anything for the american people. Look at his health care reform; his financial reform, his shakey race relations, his willingness to throw ms sherrod under the bus. I am very proud of ms sherrod for not falling for the BS. She was treated terribly even while the content her of character was shown to be much better than the character of her white oppressors and the murderers of her father. she is disgusted with america, I can tell. So am I.
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By: Eric on 8/24/2010 6:41PM
Here we go yet again with another loud mouth black woman that just couldn't keep her big mouth shut, and jacked off both her job, and her career! Black women just don't know how to keep thier yaps shut!
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By: fred on 8/25/2010 11:43AM
Your obviously white or married to a foreign, or a white woman, the resentment you have for black women is ridiculous! Go ahead and get some one who will bow down to you but she will never love you the way somebody that tells you the truth will! Shirley didn't blast off and get all "mad black woman" she was explaining how she over came hate did a white man kill your daddy? But a few black women probably clowned your ass growing up and talked about you cause you wasn't hip or cute or something and now you hate them all that might speak up for themselves. You need therapy if your a black man, but if your not I understand why you said that.
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