Longtime friend Don Harris came by my office. He's the new head of local NAACP. I expect a great relationship. pic.twitter.com/7Wc0zOhz8F
— Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) January 24, 2015
We need to start this story with a caveat: It is perfectly acceptable that a white person head an NAACP chapter. It is also perfectly acceptable that an NAACP leader develop cordial relationships with local leaders, even if those local leaders have a reputation for racial insensitivity, to put it mildly.
Don Harris has done the unacceptable. From the suddenly hip New York Daily News:
The leader of the NAACP in Phoenix hopes his community takes a stand against racism, but is now under fire himself after he had no problem making a sexist comment about a reporter.
Don Harris, president of the civil rights organization’s Maricopa County chapter, was speaking about reaction to six girls spelling the N-word on their shirts at a local high school when he said “nice t--s” to a female reporter.
Audio of the remark, about 12 News’s Monique Griego, was caught on tape by the Phoenix New Times outside a meeting about the damage done by offensive words such as racial slurs.
Monique Griego, of 12 News, was reporting on six high schoolers spelling out a racial slur with their T-shirts when the civil rights leader made the remark.
Harris’s outburst was followed by a bizarre mea culpa from the former lawyer, who told the Times, “I apologize if anyone was offended. I could have said nothing . . . I'm really f---ing sorry.”
“I'm going to slash my wrists," the 77-year-old, who is white and in his second year as NAACP leader, said in response to a question about fighting sexism.
"Better yet, I'm going to throw myself out of a f---ing window, except I'm on the first floor . . . I'm one of the best goddamned people in the state.”
Harris, who is described as “a character”...
Oh, he's a character alright! He's that relative you put in a barcalounger to watch the "lovely ladies" on Fox News, while complaining that political correctness is ruining this country. "I mean, "nice tits" is a compliment, am I right?" And you never let him near your friends, polite society, or for godssakes a voting booth.
Expecting the NAACP of Maricopa County will have to encourage their "leader" to retire before the end of the week.
