The audio
Published by Mike Stark August 26th, 2006 in UncategorizedIt’s better than I thought.
I asked him if he ever used the word. He said no. I repeated the quesion, “Never in your entire life?” He repeated his answer - No.
I have trouble believing that.
Somebody in the comment section of the last post asked if I’ve ever used the word…
The answer is, yes I have. I’ve used the word in some pretty ugly ways. I’ve told racist jokes, I’ve been angry at a black person and used the word in that context and I’ve used the word in more innocuous or exploratory contexts such as when I used it as part of yesterday’s question.
I’ve also used other variations that carry the same basic meaning.
I’ve also stood by without saying anything as racists people have expressed their sentiments.
Yeah, I’ve been pretty fucking ignorant at certain times in my life. I really regret those times and wish I could have them back to do over again. The times I speak of, the times that I am sorry for, pretty much took place in my teen to mid-twenties. I wish I could change the way I was then, which I never thought was racist, btw, but, well, I can’t go back.
All I can do is apologize and say that I am truly sorry I was so fucking ignorant. I shouldn’t have behaved that way - and after learning more about race and the issues involved, I strive to not act in that way today. If, going forward, I learn more - and I very well might - I will continue to adjust my attitude and behavior as circumstances prescribe.
So I hope I answered the question. I wish Senator Allen could have been as forthcoming, but I fear he has reason to be defensive.
So, without further ado, here’s the audio…
36 Responses to “The audio”
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Mike, I just read about this on the News Leader website..it was linked from HuffPo. And then what do you know, here’s Mike, still fighting the repukes. Great job .. keep it coming, but only when you have the time. I’ll be like your mother now, don’t skip classes!!!
Very cool! I’m glad to see you’re still stirring things up, Mike!
Allen probably wishes he could use the noose on you, Mike.
I knew you could not stay silent for long.
Mike,
What you did is AWESOME, but…
I’m just starting my second year of law school. Some people mentioned this over at dkos, but I thought it bears repeating. Skipping class is a bad idea. Believe me, you really can’t get away with it very much, unless you have someone taping lectures for you. It really isn’t like undergrad.
And you really can’t count on progressive orgs to give you a shot even with your activism in addition to your grades. The good ones have LOTS of people going to them begging for jobs. And the bad ones, well, let’s just say you can’t pay off your loans if you don;t make at least some money.
Anywho, don’t get too worried, after your first year, you should have an easier time crafting your schedule to fit around some activism. I took a full class load this summer, and managed to have no class on friday, and only 1 class late afternoon tues and thurs.
Best of luck, and if you want more unsolicited advice, send me an email at dansomone at yahoo dot com
Cheers
and the hoods come off , great work !
seriously mike… you’ve got balls… even bigger than colbert!
I want to make a t-shirt that says “mike stark is my hero” or somethin’ …
Nice dude! Maybe you can gather a group of folks to attend a Allen rally and yell “WHITE POWER!” every time he’s looking for an applause.
Dear Mike,
We were pleased to hear that you asked Mr. Allen about the noose and confederate flag in his office. It is important to confront him about his race/racism issues. Sorry we missed talking with you on Beverley Street.
Hope we’ll get to monkey around with you again soon!
Mac the Monkey (yes, that is short for Macaca)
and
Anna Banana
way to go man. Welcome to VA!
mike,
i am so glad you are keeping up the good fight. i threw some bucks your way and when you said you were going to go to school i figured you wouldn’t have the time to do such great work.
so glad you are still in these reactionaries faces. i forget which supreme court justice said that sunlight is such a great disinfectant. keep rocking.
i never post, but please folks, that $20 is a lot on a student budget. cough it up.
(ps, never used the n word… lots of us haven’t … )
Looks like our student made the news! Too bad they didn’t quote your question in it’s entirety, Mike. Maybe you should clarify it for them.
http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060825/NEWS01/60825001
also… I submitted the times dispatch story to digg.com and in the comments linked back to here
http://digg.com/politics/VA_Sen_Has_George_Allen_R_ever_used_the_N_word
also also here’s a link to google news search for “george allen staunton”
http://tinyurl.com/s5tev
Great work, Mike ! We do not need another lawyer - we neeed you busting these wingnuts ! LOVE it ! I wish Webb had a better chance to take out this racist redneck !
i can definately see you as a lawyer and asking questions like this in a trial. very direct, intimadating. if he answers yes he looks like a racist. if he answers no he looks like he’s lying.
Love it. Best was his servan… er, aide’s “this is for professional reporters only.”
Yeah well, they never ask any real questions anyway. Have any of them asked why a confederate flag and noose were displayed in his office?
Cripes, “professional reporters”… They’re the last people who’ll do any real reporting. No wonder Allen’s boys sought to limit the event to them…
I know for a fact, the bigger the question, the more guts you need. Nice work, you are making a difference.
http://911billofrights.blogspot.com
You weren’t forceful, you were calm and polite. I think it’s unfair to call it forceful, as you were simply being direct.
Good job. Keep ‘em running.
Yes, it’s better than *I* thought, too. He would soon forget “Are you a racist”, but he’s never going to forget, Ever use the word nigger? And we’ll never forget he’s a liar.
You’ll make a good lawyer. Now go watch every single episode of the 70’s TV show, The Paper Chase, and put yourself in Hart’s shoes.
I think that your own answer to your question is closer to the truth than Allen’s, but- I don’t think the question was so… lawyerly as some have implied. You have done nothing for yourself other than prove that the reactionary attitudes of some college age voters has remained unchanged since the 60’s. Now what I want to see is some brash attention seeker ask Webb if he has ever used the “N-word.” Or said that something is “Gay.” Or called someone a spic, whop, Jew, etc. Allen’s emphatic denial is about as deplorable as your and others blind side assaults on people running for office. Isn’t that one of the things that the hated right-wingers always pulled on Clinton- and their opponents acted as if they would never stoop to that level?
i’ve also used that word. when i sing “woman is the nigger of the world” and “rock and roll nigger.” and i’m using it right now. i use it often in discussions about racism, racial speech, and racist humor. i refuse to say “the n word” as if people don’t know what it means and don’t hear it nearly every day. i encourage everybody to look up, of all people and places, dave chapelle’s interview in high times for some very insightful views on the word.
Yeah, Tom, I see a total equivalence between the actions of a blogger not running for office and the actions done and lies told by an incumbant Senator. Totally the same, especially when the blogger tells the truth about his actions, asks for the same from the politician, and the pol lies.
Yep, I can see how you think it’s exactly the same.
You schmuck.
And, I must add, there is a whole world of difference from a white-bread punk like Mike and me (both of us admittedly have used the word and been ignorant fucks at different points) and someone who IDOLIZES the Confederacy and plays with racial stereotypes for votes (”Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia.”)
What does Allen say, just before the “professional reporters only” interruption? Does he say “someone gave it to me by mistake?” Can anyone tell if that is indeed what is said, and by Allen?
The answer is, yes I have. I’ve used the word in some pretty ugly ways.
Yeah, I’ve been pretty fucking ignorant at certain times in my life. I really regret those times and wish I could have them back to do over again.
Ok, now:
Go run for some office, ANY office, and say the above in a press conference.
“Yeah, I’ve used the word nigger before. I regret it, though.”
See how far you get.
Your hypocrisy is still evident Stark. The pot calling the kettle black and no pun intended. I am serious about this.
As I heard about Allen’s use of the word “nigger” I quickly turned to my cynical but pragmatic perspective. There are many Americans who openly used that word some time ago. You could call out so many people on that issue. There are many who used the word in their “teens and mid-twenties” and so the pain felt in portions of the black community is that they no longer care about this.
The pain felt by this becomes numb as you grow older. The cynics in parts of the black community even go as far as to believe every white man of a certain age group has used the word disparagingly. And that is not far from truth.
Offering conviniently timed apologies so that you can criticize another man on the same issue only looks disingenuous Stark. I personally do not need or want any apology from you or Allen. Additionally I find your argument against Allen on this issue profoundly weak considering where you’re coming from.
George Allen is one issue and racial intolerance is another. I recommend you approach both on their own terms. If you want to apologize to anyone on the matter, take the unnecessary spectre of politics out of it and try again.
If you believe that every white man who has used the term is untrustworthy then that might only add more reason for me to take your apology for a grain of salt.
The circumstance of Allen’s racist remarks and yours makes me uncomfortable with the entire situation. This is when it becomes difficult for a person of color to discern who they can trust.
Mike,
You’re wrong! This is not the way politics happens in 3rd world countries. In a 3rd world country you would not have been lucky enough to be put in a headlock. You would have had your head sliced off on the downtown mall (Tienneman Square) with all the liberal elitists of Charlotesville viewing.
You’re lucky to be a resident of such a tolerant country that allows you to provoke an invited guest on private property.
Good luck to you and Kerry at energizing the Republican base and bringing out the vote next week.
They should of kicked your ass. You are nothing but a punk.
Mike Corley
Mike,
It is going to make a few people uncomfortable to actually mention the large number of 800lb gorillas in the semantic playing field these days. Polite is not going to cut it if we are going to have anything like the federated republic the founding fathers thought they were setting up. To succeed in getting the truth out of the pols, these days, it appears that the brutally honest, painfully direct, childlike questioning is our only hope. I just want to say thanks. So, thanks.
You are goona be a great lawyer. You don’t bother to beat people up with your vocabulary.
Keep sentences short so the witnesses cannot use weasel tactics to answer half the question.
Use easy words, so there can be no sensible denial based upon misunderstandings.
And especially, you do not lose your head when challenged.
Stay in the question,
-Wolf