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ASSOCIATED PRESS
First lady Michelle Obama welcomed guests and the winners of the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, Nov. 14, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. A West Virginia nonprofit group has fired its director after she wrote a Facebook post referring to first lady Michelle Obama as an “ape in heels.”
CHARLESTON, W.Va. >> A West Virginia nonprofit group has fired its director after she wrote a Facebook post referring to first lady Michelle Obama as an “ape in heels.”
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s office said Tuesday that Pamela Ramsey Taylor, executive director of the Clay County Development Corp., was removed following an agreement with the nonprofit’s board of directors.
Taylor’s racist social media comments were not directly mentioned as the reason. She had been placed initially on a six-week leave that was scheduled to end last Friday.
However, the state requested “specific assurances” the nonprofit is following anti-discrimination policies and has been assured Taylor is gone as director, Tomblin spokeswoman Jessica Tice said.
The Appalachian Area Agency on Aging will manage the nonprofit daily for six months while the Clay County organization makes any changes needed for compliance as a state contractor, Tice said.
The nonprofit provides services to elderly and low-income residents in Clay County.
West Virginia’s Bureau of Senior Services and the Bureau for Medical Services have been reviewing the nonprofit’s state contracts following the furor. The state also asked for guarantees that Taylor had not discriminated against recipients of state services.
Clay Mayor Beverly Whaling was criticized for responding to Taylor’s post: “Just made my day Pam.” Whaling said later that she was referencing the change in the White House and wasn’t racist. She resigned following the backlash.
Shocking to recognize how deeply racist West Virginia and much of the rest of the country still is. Just amazing for the 21st century.
Whoa, one example, possibly two, and you use this to characterize and entire state!
Now that is the textbook definition of a racist comment.
Attacking parochialism isn’t the least bit racist.
You are correct. It’s remarkable how few people who comment here (Trump supporters, of course) don’t know what the word racist means. It’s sad.
No it’s not. You need to learn what the word racist means.
Racists on the mainland, especially the South, are usually better at cloaking their white supremacist attitudes. One face and words in public and another in private. For nearly 150 years and generations since losing the war to perpetuate slavery, many have perfected such double talk, bless their hearts. This had made some of then excellent politicians – good at lying and manipulating, just not so good at effective governance for all the people.
One or two? Think millions hon.
That was such a disgusting comment. This story is valuable for the rest of us because it reveals how deep-seated racism is in our country (and not just West Virginia). And also because of the way it came to public attention — people still don’t realize that something they send in an e-mail — especially an inflammatory remark like this — can come back to haunt them, and in fact ruin their careers.
Stick a q-tip in your ear and don’t take it so personally. We’ve all been called worse on the playing field or at some time and point in our lives. Laugh it off or call em out.
No. There are consequences for words spoken and written. This is not a laughing matter. Not acting only encourages other imbeciles to repeat the same mistakes.
Truth hurts. I thought she looks a lot like “Cornelius” from “Planet of the Apes”. My friends said I was being too harsh on Cornelius.
Racism hurts the perpetrator more than it damages those who are forced to endure it. Cornelius is more intelligent, more human than those who denigrate the DNA of folk like the Obamas.
So true.
It used to be that race-baiters like Taylor could get away with spreading their bile locally and perpetuating it to the next generation. Now they put it on the internet for the world to see — and yes, even in the comments section of my beloved local newspaper.
But now, they suffer the consequences. And rightly so. Buh-bye, Ms. Taylor. Go sit shivering on Breitbart’s doorstep, begging for crumbs. But with any luck, you’ll be too radioactive even for him. I suppose there’s always Stormfront for the likes of you. There’s certainly no place for you in a civilized discourse.
Agreed. The more people who are forced immediately into poverty with their actions, the sooner folks will learn to not touch that hot stove again.
Very accurate description of Mrs BO.
Apparently, Willman is a racist.
Did MO go back to hating America..did she ever stop hating America?
Pop quiz: Who said the following about Barak Hussein Obama? “A few years ago, this guy would have been carrying our bags.” Answer: Bill Clinton.
One more, Who said the following about Barak Hussein Obama? “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.” Answer: Joe Biden.
Last time I checked both of those men were prominent democrats.
“We feel the difference now. See, now, we are feeling what not having hope feels like,” Michelle stated, according to CNN. “Hope is necessary. It’s a necessary concept and Barack didn’t just talk about hope because he thought it was just a nice slogan to get votes.”
MO matching BHO as the worst FLOTUS/POTUS in American history!
Thank G0D we have P.E. Trump & First Lady Melania coming to the rescue!
January 20, 2017 #MAGA
(Translation) Keoni means, “Thank G0D we have P.E. Trump & First Lady Melania coming to the rescue of white supremacists and sexists like me, Thos, Lespark, CEI, sarge and the whole gang! January 20, 2017 #MAGA for bigotry, misogyny and ignorance!”
Sticks and stones. This is one of the reasons Waldo lost the election. Traditional Americans have had enough with progressive stereotyping.
News flash! According to CEI:
Criticizing racist white supremacy = stereotyping traditional Americans
Huh?
Danno: You’re proving my point. In the mind of a typical progressive anyone who supports Trump is automatically labelled a bigot or ignorant or a mysoginist or whatever the insult du jour happens to be. This tactic is designed to stifle free speech but it’s losing some of it’s power because the overwhelming majority of traditional Americans do not have a bigoted or racist bone in their bodies. They finally have had enough and are rightly rejecting the premise of the phony charges. This development is very alarming to the angry left because they can’t defend their positions without shaming the opposition.
there is nothing wrong in calling a person an ape in high heels remember the scopes trial some scientist believe we all came from apes so they look at us as apes in high heels, slippers, shoes or whatever heck they believe we all came from apes every president first lady even the SA staff, the ape scientist believe we all came from apes so calling the first lady an ape in high heels is nothing, the press makes a big deal out of it.
also next time the president motor cade passes by ask them if they want a banana.
64hoo: “…scientist believe we all came from apes so calling the first lady an ape in high heels is nothing…”
This is typical of the mental gymnastics used by racists to deny that they are racists.
Sociopaths use the same twisted logic, “What’s the big deal? I could have easily killed her, but I just raped her and let her live. She should be thanking me.” I’ve repeatedly listened to criminals say such things with a straight face, and they believe it. Sadly, this is also Trump’s might-makes-right morality.
its not racist if you read correctly I said all presidents and first lady’s came from apes that’s what ape scientist believe in so there is nothing racial in my comment. you are racial when you think its racial.
64hoo: “its not racist if you read correctly”
Let’s see. You think it’s not racist if you to call Mrs. Obama “an ape in high heels” and offer her a banana?
Clearly, you are such an ugly racist that you don’t even realize how twisted your mind is. Don’t worry though, CEI thinks you’re just a tradirional American being persecuted by unpatriotic lefties. Isn’t that soothing to know you’re not alone in the Trumpland fantasy bubble?
It’s also clear that neither of you is ready to put your big boy pants on, to step out of your safe zone of denial and to start facing reality.
its not racist, same thing people call trump is a lot worse than what I commented here, look you people lost the election so all you have left is to play the race card even though nothing I said is racist. now I understand why liberalism is a mental disorder.