Pot calls kettle a 'black ... prop'

I confess I pondered whether to write this because the dude apologized. But I’ve chosen to move ahead for two reasons: 1) it might enlighten others and 2) it doesn’t seem he has learned his lesson.

Last week was a major moment in the U.S, as President Donald Trump scored a victory when Congress signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and he signed it. Most importantly, it’s a win for the American people. Already, we see the benefits of the legislation. So far, seven major companies have announced bonuses and pay raises for their employees, and businesses are expanding. This should have made Christmas even merrier for Americans.

It has been a long journey to get to this point. Many heads and hands were part of the process, so the president took time to celebrate and allow those instrumental in it to stand alongside him and say a few words on the South Lawn of the White House last Wednesday.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott was one of those people. He stood next to Trump, clearly visible on camera, which was fitting, considering his hard work on tax reform. The president recognized his dedication, and his colleagues, no doubt, appreciated his efforts. Unfortunately, however, the left does what the left does: wields the race card. Flashing it, of course, is usually a smokescreen for the racism embedded in their DNA.

Andy Ostroy, whose Twitter profile identifies him as a “Huffington Post contributor” in addition to being a “Political/Pop Culture Analyst” and “Blogger,” proved his left-wing bonafides when he went after Scott. Now, take note: it’s a violation of the left’s playbook to tolerate anyone’s saying anything negative about a black person — unless that black person is a conservative. In that case, all bets are off, the wild animals are released from their cages and the Roman carnival becomes all the more entertaining.

Ostroy wears many hats, but obviously, not one hard enough to protect his head from the pounding he must have taken and that has taken a toll on him.

Following Trump’s South Lawn appearance, Ostroy tweeted, “What a shocker. There’s ONE black person there and sure enough they have him standing right next to the mic like a manipulated prop. Way to go @SenatorTimScott. #trump #taxscambill”

Now, I’m not one to believe the people who lie ... I mean, say, “I don’t see color.” I don’t even believe color shouldn’t be seen. God made our color. He made diversity. There’s nothing wrong with noticing it and even celebrating it, and frankly, I’m not interested in a colorblind society. The problem is not a person who notices someone’s race. The problem is when that is ALL a person notices about someone, which is what we see here.

Sen. Scott, an articulate, witty, intelligent man, who also happens to be black, responded on Twitter to Ostroy’s racist tweet by writing, “Probably because I helped write the bill for the past year, have multiple provisions included, got multiple Senators on board over the last week and have worked on tax reform my entire time in Congress.” He then added, “But if you’d rather just see my skin color, pls feel free.”

How pathetic the left-wing analyst, contributor, blogger, blah, blah, blah-er couldn’t see Scott is the articulate, witty, intelligent man I described him to be, as well as being the first black senator in the South since Reconstruction. Fair-minded Americans were seeing all that — the whole package — while Ostroy, whose political compatriots are always quick to hurl accusations of racism, saw a black man ONLY. And because Scott is black, Ostroy deems him an unqualified prop. And because he is a Republican, Ostroy feels free to tweet this — because, well, Scott has the nerve not to be a resident on Ostroy’s plantation. But somehow, those on the right are the ones who are racist. How does that work?

It works because liberals are given a pass. If Sen. Scott were a Democrat, we all know Black Lives Matter, Al Sharpton and the NAACP would still be marching over Ostroy’s words.

Again, I acknowledge after showing HIS own true colors, Ostroy did apologize and delete his tweet, and I hope he has come to the revelation that what came out of his mouth did so only because it was in his heart. It’s like the Bible says, “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks,” or, in this case, “his fingers tweet.” Yet I don’t get the impression he learned his lesson because on Saturday, Ostroy was still playing the race card, tweeting, “Racists just hate being called racists, and when you point out their blatant racism they call you a racist.” Now, if that ain’t the pot calling the kettle ... um, black. Some pots… I mean, racists ... I mean, people, never learn.

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member. Contact her at aross@semissourian.com.