Las Vegas, NV – A Nevada rancher who has become a conservative folk hero for resisting the federal government’s attempts to round up his cattle faced sharp criticism Thursday for racist comments published in a New York Times article.
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Politicians from around the country who have rallied to Cliven Bundy’s defense in recent weeks denounced the comments and distanced themselves from the rancher.
Bundy was quoted in a Times story referring to black people as “the Negro” and recalling a time when he drove past a public-housing project in North Las Vegas and saw black people who “didn’t have nothing to do.”
“And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do?” he asked. “They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.”
The Bundy family issued a statement on its Facebook page saying Bundy is a “good man, he loves all people, he is not a racist man.”
“He wants what is best for everyone,” the statement said. “We all know that with the media, words are taken out of context, meanings are twisted, and they can take anything and turn it into what they want it to be.”
The comments came during a long speech at a sparsely attended news conference Saturday that the Times attended. Bundy has been holding news conferences daily even after the Bureau of Land Management and contractors suspended the roundup citing safety concerns in a tense standoff between armed protesters and federal agents.
Politicians who had defended Bundy quickly issued statements condemning the remarks.
“His remarks on race are offensive, and I wholeheartedly disagree with him,” said Sen. Rand Paul, once a vocal supporter of Bundy who is considering a run for president.
Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller, who last week called Bundy defenders “patriots” for their stand against the government, “completely disagrees with Mr. Bundy’s appalling and racist statements, and condemns them in the most strenuous way,” said his spokeswoman, Chandler Smith.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who last week called Bundy supporters “domestic terrorists,” also spoke out against Bundy’s words.
“Today, Bundy revealed himself to be a hateful racist,” Reid said. “But by denigrating people who work hard and play by the rules while he mooches off public land, he also revealed himself to be a hypocrite.”
Bundy says he doesn’t recognize federal authority over lands his cattle have grazed for years around his Virgin River melon farm and ranch, 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
The BLM claims the cattle are trespassing on fragile Gold Butte habitat set aside for the endangered desert tortoise, and that Bundy has racked up some $1.1 million in fees and penalties since 1993.
BLM agents and contractors called off the weeklong roundup, released about 350 animals back to Bundy, and left the area April 12.
Federal officials have said the agency would pursue unspecified administrative and judicial remedies, but BLM officials have not provided details.
How come everyone is afraid to speak the truth ???
Insensitive, but racist?
He didn’t say anything bad about race, he was speaking how the government was doing a disservice by not encouraging minorities to work and keeping them in refugee camps, figuratively speaking.
Unemployment, incarceration, these are issues always discussed when talking about minorities.
People like Bundy and his gun totting supporters, have very little contact with people who live in urban areas. Hence, the negative views which he and undoubtedly his followers have towards Blacks, are probably also held towards Jews. In any event, Uncle Sam has several civil judgments against him, plus liens on his property. When he expires, the government will collect those judgments from either his estate, or from the future sale of his property. I think that Uncle Sam was correct in backing down from a shootout, involving a civil matter. Otherwise, there would have been a bloodbath, as was the case in the past.
He just says it like it bes. What up wit dat?
This racist scofflaw who doesn’t pay his taxes or rightful land use fees is a great flag bearer for the GOP. Another yutz like Joe the Plumber. This guy is tied to fascist militia and white supremacist groups who hate Yidden. Beware, achtung here.
# 1 and # 2 you are illusionary fools. If he would be asked to give an opinion about Jews it would not be much complimentary either. You are ignorant of what happened to us in WWII. Ohlendorf, Mengele, Heydrich and Eichmann are unknown factors to you. Kansas City is not you but someone else. Do you know the word serendipity?
Yikes! This guy smells of his own black liberty!
I doubt this one is even disputable.
Sorry to see this in this day and age. Very astonishing.
With the exception of slavery, I can’t find much wrong with what he said. It’s just that we all conditioned ourselves not to speak like this in public and he doesn’t see any need to adopt himself to the “polite society.”
We Jews don’t realize that if we allow people to talk like this about blacks soon they will talk like this about the jews.
It’s a real shande what he said and we need to feel for other races too, for our own good that is.
LOL you need to read it a few times to get it.
He is saying
“saw black people who “didn’t have nothing to do.”
““And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do?” he asked. “They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.”
While he is deff outlandish, he is basically saying in a very hateful way that government subsidies destroy peoples freedom’s.
I dont know that the man isnt a racist, but his comments dont say that he supportas slavery etc
The guy is mamash an idiot like many of these teabaggers…why give him any more attention. Even Glen Beck and Mark Levin were running away from him today as fast as they can
It is far easier for the woeful offended to pick him apart for one word than to answer him. Thats because THEY DONT HAVE ONE! The democrat party has forced the shucher and other races to remain low, all for the sake of a voting bloc.
This morning, Andrew Cuomo had an interview with Mr. Bundy, on CNN. Unfortunately, Mr. Cuomo is not very fair and balanced. He came down hard on Mr. Bundy, for the use of the word “Negro”. The fact of the matter is that the late Roy Wilkins, who was for many years, the head of the NAACP, stated that “I’ve fought hard my entire life and career to defend the use of that word” (when referring to the word Negro). The word “Black” at one time was itself considered offensive. Unfortunately, Mr. Cuomo only focuses on white racism, but never mentions Black racism. For example, his own Father, Mario Cuomo, while Governor of New York State, in 1991, did nothing to aid the residents of Crown Heights, during a horrible pogrom which took place there. If I had been advising Mr. Bundy, I would have made sure that the latter incident was mentioned. I would have loved to have seen how Andrew Cuomo would have reacted, when those facts were presented to him!
Wow, the ignorance here is just astounding.
While this guy does seem to have some valid points about the govt holding “the negro” down, the manner in which he expressed it is extremely racist.