Alam Adams blasts Skip Stam over noose bill
S685, which increases the penalties for burning crosses, using nooses to intimidate people and otherwise doing things along the lines of ethnic intimidation has passed the House and Senate and is heading to Gov. Mike Easley's desk.
Only one member of the House, Republican leader Skip Stam, voted against the measure. Rep. Alma Adams, a Greensboro Democrat and chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus, took the unusually step of taking her colleague to task in writing today. From a release:
The members of the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus are utterly shocked, saddened and disappointed in Rep. Skip Stam’s lone vote AGAINST increasing the penalties for cross burnings and noose hangings (Senate Bill 685). The bill passed in the House by a vote of (113 to 1).Rep. Stam, the House Minority Leader, has taken a position that flies in the face of the forward progress being made in our communities, our state and nation. Further still, Rep. Stam has offered no explanation or apology for the only vote to keep these gross actions from occurring in the future. The LBC hopes Rep. Stam fully understands the implications of his vote on the millions of African Americans and minorities across this state. Representative Alma Adams, legislative Black Caucus chairwoman comments:
“Numerous noose episodes and other instances of hatred throughout our state and nation have been consistent with a kind of terrorism in America that all people should dispel. This legislation is therefore necessary and appropriate for our state to have passed.”
Comments (4)
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I wonder if she got up over Jessie racial slur? I am utterly amazed and disappionted and sadden that the liberal press ignored this. Heck even Fox News took a dive on this.
Posted on July 17, 2008 7:22 PM
Several key North Carolina Democrats, including the chairman of the state party, have expressed concern, and even outrage, over remarks made by one of two “presidents” of the African-American Caucus of the NC Democratic Party (AAC-NCDP) that come November, blacks should vote for Sen. Barack Obama for president, but boycott white Democratic candidates running, just because of an internal party feud.
“African-Americans are not going to not get out and vote,” an angry Michael Lawson, one of the AAC-NCDP presidents, told The Wilmington Journal and The Carolinian two weeks ago by phone in reaction to differences he and his members are having with NCDP Chairman Jerry Meek. “[Blacks] will get out and vote for Obama. But you know what the main problem here is? White candidates have the problem, because we ain’t going to vote for them, because this is bull!”
Where is Alma's concern about this racist rant coming from her own NC DP caucus? Selective righteous indignation does not forward the debate. Be consistent Alma!
Posted on July 18, 2008 11:34 AM
Alma Adam's cheap politics seem a lot like Jesse Jackson's.
Stam had a rational reason to oppose the measure.
Posted on July 18, 2008 3:58 PM
I agree with Rep Stam. If they had left out the clause regarding an increase in the level of the offense, then no problem supporting this bill at all. It makes the right statement. But increasing the level of the offense is simply wrong, and I also would have voted against it. Our lawmakers are afraid to 'go against the flow', regardless of whether there is good reason to do so. I appluad Rep Stam for his 'Nay' vote. IF his reason was strictly due to the clause regarding the class of the crime.
Posted on July 25, 2008 7:33 AM