Sarah Palin's AG Pick Defended KKK Statue, Mocked Offended Student

[TeamJordan23]

Palin's AG Pick Defended KKK Statue, Mocked Offended Student

How about Sarah Palin's choice for attorney general once wrote a column defending the statue of a KKK figure as an expression of free speech and mocked the psychology of a college student who protested the display.

Wayne Anthony Ross has come under intense scrutiny since the Alaska Governor and former vice presidential candidate announced his nomination. His resume includes derogatory remarks about homosexuals, accusations of sexism, and bizarre comments downplaying the fallout of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. But his most controversial incident may have come in December 1991, when he penned an op-ed for the Anchorage Times, obtained by the Huffington Post, entitled "KKK 'art' project gets 'A' for courage."

The crux of the piece is a defense of one particular art student's statue of a KKK figure -- created for a class assignment to "depict a monster" -- that the University of Alaska-Anchorage had put on display. In the process, Ross insisted that he was no racist. "I am a card-carrying member of the Congress of Racial Equality," he wrote. "I have never supported David Duke, and never will."

But the column was filled with racial and political insensitivities that, even in the relatively homogenous Alaska, were bound (perhaps designed) to stir the pot.

Ross repeatedly chided one particular student, Clara Bynum -- who, Ross noted, was a member of the Afro-America Student Association -- for having the gall to protest the statue.

"A 35-year-old psychology student," he writes, "Ms. Bynum was obviously letting her inner hostilities rise to the surface. Perhaps by the time she completes her psychology studies, Ms. Bynum will have the training and desire to control such emotions."

At one point, he accused her of seeking to trample on the art student's right to expression of free speech by threatening to take the statue down -- a legally provocative stance for the leading law-enforcement official of the state.

"In fairness to Ms. Bynum, her threat to tear down the KKK figure... could have been viewed as a symbolic protest against the KKK," Ross wrote. "But to achieve civil rights, we must ensure the civil rights of others. Ms. Bynum's actions would have violated the right of expression granted Mr. Hamilton under our First Amendment. Does she really believe that civil rights for one group can be achieved by trampling on the rights of others?"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/14/wayne-anthony-...

[Dappleganger]

1. I get chills up and down my spine

thinking how close this creature came to being in line for the presidency.

[MessiahRp]

2. This is where a real media would pressure Palin on it...

"Were you aware of his stance on a statue for the KKK?"
"Do you agree with his views?"
"Do you agree with the erecting of such a statue?"
"Will you withdraw Mr. Ross' nomination in light of his positions towards the KKK?"


That's how I would pressure her.

Rp

[Solomon]

9. Oh for God's sake. They already know who she is. That's why

they want her. The survivalist white supremacist that lives in Alaska because that's where they will safely survive the nuclear holocaust and then "re-seed" the planet with pure white folks.

Why on earth would they pressure her about the very thing they want her for?

[MessiahRp]

11. I don't think you're getting the point at all.

The pressure is to force her to withdraw the nomination. Not all Alaskans are White Supremacists and most would be pretty disgusted that the Governor appointed someone apologetic to that cause.

The media should be pressuring her to make a definitive statement of either support or disagreement with this position since she nominated the guy.

Rp

[Blue_In_AK]

14. Thank you, MessiahRp.

You are correct. We aren't all White Supremacists -- in fact, Alaska is quite ethnically diverse and most of us are very tolerant of cultural differences. It's only these rabid few -- Sarah and her ilk -- giving the rest of us a bad name. I for one am really sick of it. I love my state, I love the people who live here. We don't need this kind of divisiveness when we have serious issues that we need to work on together.

[Solomon]

16. Sorry if you presumed from my post that I was saying that all

Alaskans are white supremacists. Did not mean that, maybe I should have written a little clearer. I was talking about Palin and her crew. There's no doubt in my mind that that what she is and what she represents.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. Thanks.

It was just a little bit "broad brush," and I guess I'm kind of sensitive because Sarah has presented us in such a bad light on the national stage. I don't know what happened to her after she got that nomination. Up until then, we hadn't seen the side of her that has been all too apparent since August 29. Everyone I know was shocked at the tone she took at the RNC convention, and from there it was all downhill. I honestly think she's had some sort of mental breakdown.

[Solomon]

19. And it continues. It's getting worse for her.

I was in Denver for the Convention when they announced her as McCain's running mate and I jumped for joy. She so lacked the qualifications for the job. Then the media went full tilt trying to justify it and I was flabbergasted. I couldn't believe how they were building her up. Then when I saw she was from Idaho, how she clung to the wedge issues, no abortion under any circumstances, and the Independent Alaska thing, the moose hunting and all that, it became very clear what she represented and why they wanted her.

Sorry. I really didn't mean to impugn Alaskans. I was talking about the republicans wanting her, not Alaskans.

On the other hand, I can definitely see why you would be sensitive to it. I would be too.

[indepat]

3. The pick seems a prick just as the picker

[smoogatz]

4. The guy's a dick, but he's actually right on this one.

If the assignment was to "depict a monster," then the student who created the sculpture made a pretty interesting comment by depicting a "KKK figure" (a guy in a pointy hood?). Ms. Bynum's knee-jerk response entirely misses the point. That said, Ross is way out of line in going after her personally--typical of wingnuts to beat up on the powerless.

[BreweryYardRat]

25. Yup.

The guy's an asshole, but if we're trying to prove that he's a racist (which he may well be), this incident isn't going to provide that proof.

[ecstatic]

5. Mocking, sarcastic, cruel... It's scary to think that a man

like him will be in charge of anything, much less justice.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. This is in the context of the early 90's academic culture wars

as those of us who were in universities between 1989 and 1995, we know how brutal those discussions were.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. More on Ross from this morning's Anchorage Daily News...

http://www.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/75...

JUNEAU - Members of a Senate committee on Monday repeatedly pressed Wayne Anthony Ross, Gov. Sarah Palin's attorney general appointee, on whether he still believes gays are "degenerates," a term he used 16 years ago in a letter to the state bar association.

But Ross refused to provide a direct answer, saying his personal opinions do not have a place in his role as attorney general.

Members of the state Senate Judiciary Committee also questioned Ross about his criticism of the Legislature's "Troopergate" investigation and his support of a Soldotna man who dumped buckets of cold water on war protesters and produced a video of it set to patriotic music.

The questioning came during the final confirmation hearing for Ross before the Legislature votes on his appointment Thursday.

Two Democratic senators on the committee repeatedly asked Ross if he still believes gays are degenerates.

Ross replied that his job as attorney general is to represent all Alaskans, and "my personal opinions in that regard have no place and I decline to state my opinion."

Sen. Bill Wielechowski pressed for an answer. "Do you still adhere to your statement from years ago where you said they were degenerates and immoral?" he asked. Ross: "I was not attorney general at that time."

Wielechowski asked twice more and did not get a yes or no answer from Ross.

"So you're refusing to answer my question?" said Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat.

Ross replied: "That's correct, yes, senator, you betcha."

<snip>

As a commenter noted, he's even talking like Palin. I'm not a religious person, but I'm praying the legislature finds its spine and does the right thing here. This guy would be a disaster. Note that he sees nothing wrong with the "subpoena ignoring" that went on during the Troopergate fiasco.

[leftynyc]

8. Now that's a perfectly appropriate question

How would he have handled the ignoring of the suppoenas during troppergate?

[Blue_In_AK]

10. I feel very certain that Sarah, in picking WAR for AG,

intends for him to run interference for her with the many, many ethics complaints that are outstanding against her. While it's true that he can't directly represent her against any ethics charge, he does act as sort of the "gatekeeper" in deciding which complaints get passed on to the personnel board.

[acmavm]

12. She's feeling pretty cocky, safe, and secure up there on her

little ice throne, isn't she? How does this play up there? What do the majority of the people think about all this? Is her approval still in the 60s?

[Blue_In_AK]

13. I haven't seen any polling done

since her most recent shenanigans, but from recent news reports, it seems the legislature has finally had about enough of her. Andrew Halcro had a very good post yesterday about that, "The Upper Hand - Who Has It?": http://www.andrewhalcro.com/the_upper_hand_who_has_it Since Andrew is a Republican and hardly a raging liberal, I always like to read his take on the guv.

I think the vast majority of her support is coming from her wingnut followers in the South. It's hard to get a true reading on what's going on with "unscientific" opinion polls, comments at the ADN, etc., because every time there's an article even remotely critical of the governor, Conservatives4Palin, TeamSarah and SarahPAC post about it on their websites and then vote en masse in support of her, flag unflattering comments and so on. They are bullies, just like she is.

Like Andrew, I'm very curious to see how she'll be when she comes back from her trip Outside to speak at the right-to-life function. I'm sure she'll be all pumped up by her adoring fans, and that can't be anything but bad for Alaska.

[vaberella]

15. Hiya BiA...I haven't seen you post in ages.

You always kept us up to date with that clown. I love Andrew Halcro...I got into him when I saw his run for Governor...there was no doubt he was supposed to win because he was a man of substance. Plus he was uber attractive and extremely knowledgeable. In any event, I will read his column...thanks.

[Blue_In_AK]

17. I've been around,

I've just cut back on my Palin posts because so many people were tired of hearing about her. I have posted a lot of stuff in the Alaska forum if you want to catch up.

[vaberella]

20. Oh understood.

I wasn't tired of her..since I know that she's definitely prepping for 2012. Is the Alaska forum the one in your sig? If it is, I'll be reading there.

[Blue_In_AK]

21. No, my sig line is my photo website

which, of course, I'd be thrilled if you visited. I was speaking of the Alaska forum under the State forums here at DU.

[brentspeak]

24. This Ross guy is an arrogant piece of garbage

[TankLV]

22. and somehow some are SURPRISED by this?

I'd say this is to be expected from this INCOMPETANT UNQUALIFIED nut case...

WHAT'S WRONG WITH ALASKA THAT THEY LET THIS BITCH SLIP IN?!!!!

[Blue_In_AK]

23. Wasilla didn't spill the beans on her "tendencies,"

and we were so sick of Frank Murkowski that she looked pretty good to a lot of people. After his corruption, her promise of ethical and open government was something that everyone applauded. Of her opponents for governor, Tony Knowles was a retread and Andrew Halcro, running as an Independent, just couldn't get enough support. And honestly up until she was picked by McCain, she was keeping up a pretty good front. It's pretty well known that prior to last summer, her strongest allies in the legislature were the Democrats, and she had a higher approval rating among Democrats in the state than Republicans. She had been keeping all her uber right-wing crap to herself and was playing nicely with everyone down there in Juneau. There were just starting to be some cracks in her facade with the firing of Walt Monegan, but until McCain, she had said she would be open and transparent, and she probably would have gotten a pass on Troopergate if she had just kept her word.

I'm not sure whether she was ruined by all the national attention during the campaign or if she was just "playing" us before in an effort to boost her popularity for a national run. Whatever it was, the way she is now is definitely not the way she presented herself BM (Before McCain).