Another week, another Alan Colmes Versus segment on Foxnews.com. This episode featured Alan sparring with his own sister-in-law, Monica Crowley, about the president's use of the n word and the allegedly divisive issue of gun control.
Round 1: Crowley immediately asserts that the use of the n word, especially by a president, is 'beneath the dignity of the office.' Next she explains there are, of course,
"individual racists in America and around the world, yes... But is there institutionalized racism in the United States? No...When you have instances of racism, Alan, it's not created out of government action or codified law or social acceptance, at all. What the president does is tease it out and make it sound like it's this widespread institutional problem in America and that is fundamentally dishonest.'
Alan incredulously asked,
'you don't think there's institutionalized racism in America?'
Crowley replied emphatically,
'no, there is not.'
Alan reminds Monica that President Nixon certainly used the word, and not at all in a complimentary manner. She then reminds him that LBJ and JFK also used it, but that's because it was in the context of a different time. Colmes inquires if the different era justifies the use of the derogatory term, and Crowley no, but alluded that it was justifiable and understandable due to societal differences between the 20th and 21st Centuries.
Monica then claims that the post-Charleston church massacre brought together a feeling of unity in the community that President Obama, with the use of the N word and his typically divisive comments, simply destroyed. Colmes ends the round with a knockout punch reminding Crowley that the same people freaking out over the use of this word are the same people who probably use it often, but behind close doors of course. The president used the word in the right context, but Crowley disagreed.
Round 2: Colmes addressed the problem of our insane gun culture. Now, Monica comes a bit unhinged, accusing the president of using this tragedy to try to get his agenda through, because there's never an appropriate time to discuss gun control.
Speaking of using the tragedy for political gains, Alan reminds her that Mike Huckabee mentioned the church shooting to further his idea that everyone, even in church, should be armed to the teeth and then not as many people would have died. Monica claims this is exactly the purpose of the 2nd Amendment (which wasn't about personal gun ownership), so Huckabee can totally use the tragedy for his NRA-sponsored agenda, President Obama can not? Crowley believes that Huckabee wanted to use the tragedy to try to save future lives.
Colmes ultimately delivers another left hook, ending the discussion. He points out that isn't it crazy that Huckabee, a presidential candidate, can use the tragedy to further his pro-gun agenda, but President Obama can't use it to save far more lives by making gun proliferation much more difficult? Apparently, the right wing likes their standards double, thank you very much.
Alan ends the interview there, and Monica says she loves both Alan and Jocelyn (her sister), but their politics is crazy. Obviously, the liberal couple, Alan and Jocelyn Crowley-Colmes, are nothing like Carville and Matalin, in case you were wondering.
