Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wore Confederate uniform in 1980 yearbook photo: report
Source: Washington Post
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wore a Confederate uniform in a photo published in his 1980 college yearbook, the Tennessean newspaper reported Thursday, in the latest instance of a state leader coming under scrutiny for past actions that critics have decried as racially insensitive.
Lee (R), who won election in November, confirmed to the newspaper through his office that he wore the uniform at an Old South party as a student at Auburn University in Alabama.
In a statement to The Washington Post, Lee said he regretted wearing the uniform.
Although I have never acted to intentionally hurt anyone, I have the benefit of 40 years of hindsight to see that participating was insensitive and Ive come to regret it, Lee said.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/tennessee-gov-bill-lee-wore-confederate-uniform-in-1980-yearbook-photo-report/2019/02/21/bd9a0b78-361c-11e9-854a-7a14d7fec96a_story.html
Now Republicans calling for the resignation of Virginia Democrats cannot do so without asking for the resignation of this racist Tennessee governor.
bluestarone
(17,067 posts)Being caught!!!!
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)It's a badge of honor among the scum the GOP hangs around. It will probably confirm his bonafides!
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Witness the example of Trump, perhaps the most openly racist GOP President.
no_hypocrisy
(46,234 posts)Oh, wait a minute! He's a REPUBLICAN . . . . . . .
rogue emissary
(3,148 posts)TomSlick
(11,117 posts)at the small Arkansas college I attended back in the 70s, the local KA chapter was clearly and unapologetically a neo-Confederate organization. I found a picture in an old college yearbook with the KA members standing behind the largest Confederate Battle Flag I've ever seen but none in Confederate uniforms. I thought that was just what KA was all about.
I frequently see a car in town with a KA plate on the front. I'm afraid that I come to the same conclusion I do when I see Bubba Joe with a Confederate flag in the back of his pickup truck.
DAMANgoldberg
(1,278 posts)They were always thought of as the "Young Klan" back then and had no beefs about letting people know about it. Also back then, the minority population of rather minuscule, about 3% of the student body. After all, you have 2 HBCUs within 50 miles of Auburn (Tuskegee and Alabama State).
Stallion
(6,476 posts)they probably all wore a Confederate uniforms at least until about the 80s-90s.
groundloop
(11,527 posts)They always thought of themselves as 'southern gentlemen' at my school.
vsrazdem
(2,177 posts)This going back 40 years is just ridiculous, unless it is possible criminal activity I don't give a crap. I am sure a large portion of the population's life views have evolved over a 40 year period.
LisaM
(27,843 posts)I hope that a lot of people are suddenly doing some soul searching over who they were decades ago. Some will become better people for it, some will not, and I think that's what the real issue is now.
oldsoftie
(12,632 posts)This retroactive punishment is getting out of hand.
marble falls
(57,353 posts)CTAtheist
(88 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)They were formed in Lexington, Virginia at what is now Washington and Lee college right after the civil war when Lee was president of the college. Arrogant pricks as I remember them. Loved the whole Old South thing.
They had an old style cannon in their front lawn pointing north. One night one of my fraternity brothers and others got a logging chain and with his Ford F-250 Duelly ripped that fucking cannon out of the ground and drug it down the road a bit! Of course I have no first hand knowledge of this event. Strictly hearsay!
After that they mounted it in a big concrete base!