Accidental Racist, Kansas style:
After country star Brad Paisley kicked off a national conversation about white guys who don't want to be called racist just because they say or wear things with racist connotations, we find a fascinating case study in Salina, Kansas, where a county commissioner suggested last week the county should avoid "n— rigging" repairs to a local building. Yes, as Slate's David Weigel pointed out, Saline County Commissioner Jim Gile (pictured at right) told a meeting of local officials that the county should hire an architect to fix its Road and Bridge Department building instead of "n— rigging it." When asked by an attendee what he said, Gile was exceptionally clear about his meaning: "Afro-Americanized."
Look, the Brad Paisley and LL Cool J song "Accidental Racist" blew up on twitter the last 48 hours, as it should have. Wrong, wrong, wrong. And the legacy of LL Cool J is diminished, along with any hip/hop cred HE ever had. When you rap shit like this:
“If you don’t judge my do-rag/I won’t judge your red flag.”
"If you don't judge my gold chains...I'll forget the iron chains"
"The relationship between the Mason-Dixon needs some fixin'"
Seriously? I am sure the Honorable Tupac and Biggie Smalls are SMFH while rolling over in the grave!!! LL, time to put the mic DOWN, for good. Listen to it all here:
Oh, and for that other accidental racist in Kansas? We know the drill, when he/she gets caught it is always the "I am not a racist" mantra, when in all of your intentions and purposes your ass is a total racist.
Gile is adamant that he's not racist. "I am not a prejudiced person," Gile told the Salina Journal. "I have built Habitat homes for colored people." He said he has a very close friend who is black. He gave the newspaper a long list of charitable groups he's worked for, which is very admirable. He went a bit over the top in his self-defense, saying, "I don't ever do anything bad and don't know how to do anything bad. People know I am not."