Creationist School Board Candidate Apologizes for Controversial Sign

[phands]

Stupid AND bigoted....

A school board candidate has apologized for his bizarre campaign sign after it caused a huge stir online. The strangest thing about it? Promoting Creationism isn’t the controversial part.



A few of my ancestors may have swung by their necks but none swung by their tails…Vote Floyd. Creation Not Evolution.


Jamie Floyd is running for a seat on the Rapides Parish School Board in the central part of Louisiana, and while most of his signs are innocuous, that one also got the green light. The Creation bit is self-explanatory — and ought to be a dealbreaker for the voters — but what’s the first part about? Is it a reference to lynching?


Apparently not. I guess it’s supposed to suggest Floyd has criminals in his past who were hanged, but at least that’s not as bad as thinking they were monkeys. Even though that’s not how evolution works…


He may be ignorant and tone-deaf, but he insists he’s not racist.


When local news station KALB asked him for an interview, he agreed, but then rescinded the offer at the last second. Maybe he realized defending the sign wasn’t in his best interests. He did release a statement, though, apologizing for the confusion and saying he asked his black friends to look at his sign before it went up. (See? Not racist at all.)

I think promoting cretinism in schools IS controversial.

http://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/...-candidate-apologizes-for-controversial-sign/

 

[FwL]

If you refer to hanging, you're racist? Really? How does that work?

 

[Keith&Co.]

If you refer to hanging, you're racist? Really? How does that work?

No, the reference to monkeys. Which is often, but not exclusively, used by racists to refer to black people. I doubt this was intended in a racist manner, though. But, you know, if they worship the Xian God, phands will believe any evil of them.

 

[Harry Bosch]

If you refer to hanging, you're racist? Really? How does that work?

I agree. He was probably just trying to be clever. I wouldn't assume that he's a racist. He's dumber than shit and shouldn't be allowed on the board though!

 

[FwL]

If you refer to hanging, you're racist? Really? How does that work?

No, the reference to monkeys. Which is often, but not exclusively, used by racists to refer to black people. I doubt this was intended in a racist manner, though. But, you know, if they worship the Xian God, phands will believe any evil of them.

That's even more stupid and knee-jerk. It's obvious the sign is referring to the christian view of evolution.

The article specifically equates reference to hanging with the idea of lynching and racism, however.

 

[Lion IRC]

Why should the creationism bit be a dealbreaker for voters?

 

[Harry Bosch]

Why should the creationism bit be a dealbreaker for voters?

Clearly he is running in order to push his religion on children. He has no place in the public arena. If he wants to brainwash children, do it as a youth pastor, not in a public school.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The "hanging by the neck" refers blacks being lynched by white racists. This is Louisiana, the reference would be clear to the locals.

 

[Worldtraveller]

Why should the creationism bit be a dealbreaker for voters?

Because 1) it's demonstrably wrong; 2) like most religious idiots, this one is trying to run for school board to promote their religious views; 3) they think they're above the law and will cost the school district lots of money in the inevitable losing lawsuit.

 

[Keith&Co.]

The "hanging by the neck" refers blacks being lynched by white racists. This is Louisiana, the reference would be clear to the locals.

so, this 'racist' is claiming to other LA racists that he did not evolve, but he has black ancestry? Blacks who may have been lynched by Klansmen? To gain votes?

I think that's extremely unlikely.

More sense, to me, it's an admission that some people on his family tree were hung as horse thieves or cattle rustlers or pirates, some capital offense, following due process, but, hey, nobody's family is perfect.

Oh, and let's waste money putting one religion into our schools, never mind that we'll definitely lose the court case.

 

[fast]

The "hanging by the neck" refers blacks being lynched by white racists. This is Louisiana, the reference would be clear to the locals.

We cannot logically infer what is actually the case from what is merely possibly the case.