There’s certainly nothing wrong with the Senate considering a measure to formally apologize for the Senate’s role in blocking anti-lynching legislation for decades as African Americans were being murdered across the south. The problem, however, lies in the senator who’s leading the way on this — Virginia’s George Allen (R).
“I have come to believe that as a leader you need to take a stand,” Mr. Allen said in an interview. He and Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana, are co-sponsors of the bill, which they first introduced last fall and are re-introducing during Black History Month.
I like the message, but not the messenger. As David Sirota noted yesterday, Allen’s record on racial issues makes him a poor choice for this effort.
According to the Associated Press in 2000, Allen was discovered to have been displaying a hangman’s noose and the confederate flag in his law office. As governor, Allen “signed a Confederate Heritage Month proclamation without denouncing slavery.” Allen also “opposed a state holiday honoring Martin Luther King” and referred to the NAACP as an “extremist group.”
According to reporters, Allen did not apologize, but instead “defended the flag and noose as mere decorations.” What sensitivity.
If Allen believes African Americans deserve an apology, he’s right. Now if only Allen realized everything he has to apologize for.