I am sitting at my desk right now sick to my stomach and embarrassed for the citizens of Bend. On Friday in the local Republican office, a man working there was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of (Barack) Obama shining Sarah Palin’s shoes.
When I asked about it he and the others in the office were proud, saying, “Isn’t it great” and “Oh, so true.” The meaning behind the shirt is obvious and so inflammatory that I am sure most Republicans would find it hateful. The people working in the office are telling those coming in that, if elected Obama is going to turn our nation Communist and we should all refuse to pay our income taxes in April. The “N” word is thrown around freely.
This is about as mean-spirited and UN AMERICAN as I’ve ever heard and these are some of the tamer things being said. I respect those with opinions different than mine, but I will not tolerate hatred. The people of Bend need to speak up and say “We will not put up with this behavior.”
I hope those running locally on the Republican ticket take a stand on this, it is intolerable.
Laura Hawkins, Bend
Editor’s Note: We spoke to Rich Morehead at the Republican Party offices on Greenwood who confirmed that someone in the office had worn the Obama-Palin shirt. Morehead said he was not in the office at the time, but that the volunteer was told not to return with the shirt on.
However, Morehead denied that anyone has ever used a racial slur against Barack Obama in the office.
This article appears in Oct 23-29, 2008.
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I have lived hear nearly my entire life, and am admittedly from a bit of a redneck family, and so have seen all sorts of un-savory behavior, but this still makes me particularly ill. I hardly know what to say. I am so excited that we could have our THIRD president with brown eyes, ever, our FIRST non-white president. I hope Darwin’s theory prevails and folks like the individual in this GOP (Great Old Party, seriously…) office will soon die off because they can’t make it in the real world.
The one thing I’ve noticed living here (in Bend, in the US) is that people think it’s the greatest country in the world, the greatest town in the nation, mostly because they’ve never gone anywhere else. There is an entire beautiful world out there, with millions of interesting and very different people.
Don’t confuse ignorance with patriotism. Travelling and opening the mind will show you what you didn’t know you didn’t know. Plus it helps you not make a complete ass of yourself. Note to self please.
Thanks, Laura, and thanks to The Source for publishing this. Shame on the Bulletin for not doing the follow-up the Source editor did, and for not publishing it!
Apparently spreading the shoeshining image is a local organized effort. Check out report on KOHD about mailings with the image that went out to Awbrey Butte residents:
http://kohd.com/page/56653
I applaud Laura Hawkins for pointing out the unacceptable behavior and statements made at the Republican headquarters in Bend. Supporting your candidate does give one license to be mean spirited, bigoted, or untruthful all in the name of your party . The people in Bend are better than this . Behavior , such as she witnessed, accomplishes nothing but divisiveness within the Bend community, but hopefully even among the Republican party. Do Mc Cain/Palin support this sort of behavior ? I would imagine it has not helped the Republicans, but has done the exact opposite.
Let’s hope that someday we do have a non-white President. Just not the phony that is running now.
I am not from Bend but I do have family there so I occasionally read the local Bend news. I was particularly struck by this letter, and am shocked that someone in this day and age, especially from a progressive state like Oregon, would stoop to something so low and clearly bigoted. I certainly hope that the Republican Party steps up to the plate and loudly repudiates this T-shirt man, and any one else who would make racist remarks.
Central / Eastern Oregon has historically not been progressive at all except if you compare it to the deep South. I know Oregon has a reputation nationwide of being very “crunchy” but this doesn’t apply to the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
HOWEVER, the number of people in the entire eastern 2/3 of the state is probably about the same population as 1-2 Portland neighborhoods so overall, yes, the state is crunchy if you average it out.
Shame, shame, shame on the GOP for letting such a display of biggotry walk though the door – much less, represent them. This election is bringing about some alarming behavior, serving only to remind us how far we have yet to go with regard to racism in the good ol’ USA. It’s reprehensible. Kudos to Laura for bringing this issue to light.
Correction : My response to Laura’s letter on Oct. 23 indicated mycyber elves were busy, please note should have read : Supporting your candidate does NOT give one license to be mean spirited, bigoted, or untruthful all in the name of your party . ( Yet , apparently some do believe it does!)
“The one thing I’ve noticed living here (in Bend, in the US) is that people think it’s the greatest country in the world, the greatest town in the nation, mostly because they’ve never gone anywhere else. There is an entire beautiful world out there, with millions of interesting and very different people.”
Megadittoes.
I’ve heard it said that if every citizen of the red states could spend two weeks in Europe it would transform the politics of America. I believe it. Bigotry can only flourish in the soil of ignorance.
“Apparently spreading the shoeshining image is a local organized effort. Check out report on KOHD about mailings with the image that went out to Awbrey Butte residents”
Were these sent through the mail or just stuck in the mailboxes? Sounds like it was the latter. It is against federal law to put ANYTHING other than official US mail in a mailbox. I hope they catch whoever did this and throw the book at him/her.
And I am ashamed for Bend. But I must confess I am not altogether surprised.
Thank you to laura for enlightening us all. It’s so unfortunate that we have soo much racism in Bend. I do hope this will make people stop and think. What I’ve always told my children is, “we don’t care about the color of ones skin we care about what’s inside”.
Shame on this guy. Shame on The Republican Party Headquarters for allowing such a shirt to be worn by a supposed supporter of your party. Of course you know he is not from the beautiful state of Oregon but from California. Bay area to be exact. I know him and he is definatly a racist. We don’t need people like this in Bend. Go home!!!
Sorry. The progressive areas are on the other side of the mountain.
Come on people–you all sound like the Claude Raines in Casablanca: ‘You’re shocked-shocked-to find out there is gambling going on!!’ All of us have our prejudices–and some of us base those on race. Encountering people with those views is a daily event–dealing with them unnecessary, unless, of course, you are involved with a person, project, or point of view that runs contrary to theirs. Then racism raises its ugly head and you are forced to recognize and deal with it.
How many of you cross the street or clutch your purse a little tighter when a brown or black youth or man approaches? How many in retail watch the person of color a little closer when they shop than they do when a white person shops? How many white drivers worry about a traffic stop when the police officer approaches?
The East Slope is no different from the West Slope. I don’t expect the ‘progressives’ to believe or accept that any more than I expect them to believe or accept their own prejudices–and they have them, believe me. The issue of race is evolving–and hopefully we are on the cusp of a new paradigm, where someone’s color is less important than someone’s character and capabilities.
But unless you experience racism on a daily basis–or at least acknowledge the benefits and advantages of your own race in an honest way that accepts inaction and acceptance as being part of the problem–how much better can you be than those you are all criticizing?