Louisiana Has a Problem; Dems Blame the Feds, Part II

Once again, local authorities in Louisiana have made a mess so Democrats blame the federal government for not stepping in. The House Judiciary Committee has decided that they're the right group of people to sort out the Jena mess.

Democratic Rep. Jon Conyers was the ringmaster for this particular circus. And it was a carefully orchestrated circus, with all the hooting and hollering in just the right places.

"Shame on you," Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said to Justice Department officials, directing most of her fury at Donald Washington, the U.S. attorney for Louisiana's western district — and the first black person to hold that position.

"As a parent, I'm on the verge of tears," Jackson Lee said.

"Why didn't you intervene?" she asked repeatedly, raising her voice and jabbing her finger in the air as some in the audience began to applaud.

Committee chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., called for quiet before Washington spoke.

"I was also offended, I too am an African-American," Washington told the panel. "I did intervene, I did engage the district attorney. At the end of the day, there are only certain things that the United States attorney can do."

Following that exchange, Conyers pointed out he had invited the local district attorney, Reed Walters, to testify, but he declined. At that, some in the audience yelled out, "subpoena him!"

Democrats think that every problem is a federal one. Does anyone think that the House Judiciary Committee is going to solve the issue of perceived unfairness in the Jena prosecutions? Of course not. They're going to increase race tensions and make it more likely that whites and blacks in Jena distrust and hate each other.

Jackson Lee's poisonous attack on USA Washington makes the racism problem even worse. Not only is she encouraging the smoldering resentment of Louisiana blacks against Louisiana government, she's also teaching them to hate the federal government. Ms. Jackson Lee's counting on the fact that if she tells black men and women that they are second-class citizens enough times, they'll actually start to believe her.

Of course, race-pushers like Jackson Lee of Texas cannot make a buck on the problems in Louisiana unless it becomes a federal issue. So helpful Democrats like Conyers are only too happy to facilitate a little race hate. Louisiana's race problem is far from ended; Congressional hearings haven't changed that a bit. And that's just what Jackson Lee, tears and all, wants.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 12:20 AM

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