iReporters Jason Asselin, left, and Omekongo Dibinga sound off on the NAACP's recent resolution regarding Tea Partiers.
CNN.com readers and iReporters have had a passionate response to the NAACP’s resolution condemning Tea Partiers for having “racist elements.”
“We take issue with the Tea Party’s continued tolerance for bigotry and bigoted statements. The time has come for them to accept the responsibility that comes with influence and make clear there is no space for racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in their movement,” NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous said.
iReporter Omekongo Dibinga posted a video, telling CNN, “If the Tea Party wants to become a credible organization, it has to show leadership when racist acts are committed by its members."
Watch: NAACP, Tea Party at war?
He went on to mention things he believes the Tea Party could do to combat racism: “The Tea Party can also partake in events that promote respect for other groups in a non-reactionary capacity, such as MLK Day events. The Party can also call out individuals by name who commit racist acts.”
Jason Asselin, who has attended some Tea Party events, disagreed, saying in his own iReport video that the resolution was not fair.
“All organizations have people among them that are there for the wrong reasons, even the Tea Party has these type of people. If people were to pay attention, they might see these people being asked to leave,” he said. “Everyone has a right to free speech but even that should have its limits.”
Commenter “SJS52987” wrote, “If the Tea Party isn't racist, how is that every time I ask one of them a legitimate policy question, they can't answer it without mentioning President Obama's race?”
“Bigolug” wrote, “I'm sure there are a few racists involved with the Tea Party, just like there are racists involved with the NAACP. To label the whole Tea Party movement as racist is just a stretch and most likely politically motivated.”
If you would like to join the conversation, share your comments below or post an iReport on video.
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I have no doubt there are plenty of dyed in the wool racists in the party, which is a sad statement, however, I challenge anyone to prove the "Tea Party" is racist as an organization. Bring facts and evidence, not innuendo. It is a forum for those who are expressing intense displeasure with the entrenched DC establishment that no longer represents all our citizenry black and white, left, middle or center. The real story here is that our government is no longer representing the tax paying public... HENCE TEA PARTY. Read your history before you bash the organization. Its a grassroots, populist organization. Americans need to get more involved in taking an active party in the political process as Washington has run amok. Pick your organization, just stay away from the liberal Dems and GOP.
To TJRedneck – Thanks! Coming from an inarticulate, uneducated and most likely inbred redneck like you, I take that as a compliment.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...
We all want America to move forward. It can't if we persist in thinking of terms of race.
This might be educational for some of you and a new experience from Fox's take. Please check it out.
All of the people that I know that claim to support the Tea Party are all racists.Come to Newark, Ohio. I have never heard so much hate. Go on line and look at message boards on the Newark Advocate. See for yourself.
The Newark Advocate is in no way representative of The Tea Party. It's common for those trying to portray The Tea Party as racists to comment on their open commenting system, but only one who does not understand how the comments work would be inclined to believe anything they read posted that way.
Congrats Laurien, you just may be the most ignorant person posting here.
"Aaron
Congrats Laurien, you just may be the most ignorant person posting here."
Then you obviously don't read your own posts.....
of course they're racists... why else all the bs against obama and all this birther crap? what a pack of morons.
For some reason CNN blocked my former comments.
Too bad they were in depth. The tea party is a racist group of neo-cons parading around in silly costumes
At any rate, shouldn't ALL organizations denounce racists within their ranks? Even if the NAACP are hypocrates (not my view, but I'll consider it a valid alternative viewpoint for the moment), does that excuse the Tea Party leadership for failing to make such denouncements? Not at all, and in fact their dismissal of this issue and failure to call out the racists on their fringes shows they do not consider such racists to be troublesome in any way.
Enough already. Focus on the issues. The current administration is running this country into the ground. Obama played the race card all through the campaign, accusing Hilary of using racism, saying the opposit party was afraid he wouldn't look like the rest of the presidents on our currency, blah, blah, blah. The is no more racist organization than the NAACP, right up there with the KKK. Black Panthers come in a close second. I don't care if Obama, who is half white, hi mom, was purple, he is way out of his league. For all you people that wanted a black man in the White House you got the wrong guy. So many well qualified African-Americans, both male and female could have done a better job. And for all you Bush haters, didn't hear you complain the first 6 years when the country was growing, stock market up, 3 million new jobs, etc. I seem to recall the country started to go to hell when the democrats took over control of Congress for Bush's last two years in office!! Blame the housing crises where it belongs, Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. It was their bill forcing the banks to grant home loans to people that had no chance in hell of ever paying them back. There is enough blame for the country's woes to go around, but racism is not one of them. The race card is what the democrats play during EVERY election, and they are at it again because they know their asses will be handed to them in November. Think about it, for the past 50 years the democratic social hand outs have kept the Africam-Americans in modern day slavery just to secure their votes. How disgusting, and yet there they go again, everyone is a rascist that goes against the president's policy whether it's good for the country or not. By the things i've been reading above you bought it hook line and sinker. SAD.
People that do not like the "other side" always comes up with ways to destroy the credibility of the "other side". So, with that being said, Democrats are spewing hatred against the TEA Partiers just because they do not like them. Most of those spewing hatred are black.......does that make all blacks racists? I don't think so.
Tea partiers are extreme conservatives who arose now because a democrat is in office – not a black guy. Are there tea partiers who are racist? of course, but you can't judge the whole group based on a few rednecks. Oh, the Hitler-Obama-Stalin comparisons really do need to stop though. It makes you look like an idiot to anyone who has studied history for more than 5 minutes. It undermines your position.
One fringe group attacking another fringe group. Who cares? Neither represents the majority or Americans. It's the pot calling the kettle black.
Aren't these Teabaggers the same folks who hated Clinton and ran around with Bumper Stickers saying Charlton Heston is my President? Sure they are and the fact that President Obama is black is another fly in their soup! These folks have one answer for everything, NO Tax. They have no clue about the ramifications of what would happen if we did notihing. They are driven by a hatred of anyone or any idea that has a Liberal name on it. Yet they cannot name a law which the right wing passed that helps the average American. They use hatred of socialism yet they want all of us to bail out the banks whenever they go under. This is a danger to America and until they get their house in order, they will continue to support nothing that can help America.
This is appauling and only serves to worsen race relations. The tea party rallys around anti-big government, thats the binding tie. They have never organized around a racist message. It is the far left that is using the racism charge against them because tea party voters are a treat to the progressive's big gov ideology. Tea parties are not uniform but many local tea parties have minority leaders & speakers. The few bad apples in no way represent a whole party, just like the few racist people in the NAACP shouldn't be reflective on the whole group, though they are more uniform and represent the betterment of 1 race in respect to others. The NAACP creates racial backlash by comments & resolutions like this. Look inward to minority communities to really help them. Discipline, role models, work ethic, non-materialism, respect, honor etc. Those are time tested qualities of sucessful people.