“Bad stench of racism”?
Monday, Apr 11, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
The House passed clarifications to provisions that dealt with electronic monitoring of criminal suspects and other measures within the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (or SAFE-T) Act that was signed by Pritzker last year with the aim of making the criminal justice system more equitable.
Republicans over the last few months have tried to use the justice package, which includes an end to cash bail in 2023 for nonviolent offenses, as a way to paint Democrats as being weak on crime issues going into the election.
“Safety now? We want safety now. This bill doesn’t give us safety now. Vote ‘no,’” state Rep. Patrick Windhorst, a Republican from Metropolis, said, drawing applause from his fellow GOP members.
State Rep. Justin Slaughter, a Chicago Democrat, offered a loud and impassioned rebuttal to the Republicans, saying there is a “bad stench of racism” from the GOP side of the House.
“In the Black community, it’s been a state of emergency for a really long time now,” Slaughter said. “But as long as crime and violence is contained in the hood, it was OK. As long as my folks terrorize other people of color, it was fine. But now, Chiraq is in your communities. And now, it’s a state of emergency.”
Slaughter’s remarks drew an equally angry response from several GOP members.
“That’s wrong! That’s wrong!” said Durkin, the House GOP leader. “You know that’s wrong!”
* From early Saturday morning…
* I told subscribers about some recent Republican State Leadership Committee mailers on behalf of Leader Durkin. Someone’s tweet reminded me of that effort. Here’s one of the mailers…
The RSLC appears to be spending money in order to bust the campaign contribution caps for Durkin. Leader Durkin has no control over the independent expenditure.
- Anyone Remember - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:24 pm:
Sounds like the Irish Dail …
- Me - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:28 pm:
Slaughter should look at the GA votes in the 1990s. It was the democrats who sponsored and voted for stiffer penalties for most of these offenses. The late State Rep. Terry Deering used a quote to the effect–stack them up like cordwood when referring to criminals.
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:30 pm:
==Safety now? We want safety now.==
I know this is a serious topic, but I can’t help imagining this in the voice of Frank Costanza.
Serenity now… insanity later.
- Lake Villa Township - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:31 pm:
Holy guacamole that Durkin literature is bad. Just goes to show why you should campaign in favor of yourself, not against others.
- Phineas Gurley - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:33 pm:
Nice photoshopping to make the hoodied figure extra dark. Might as well be a fundraising letter for Chauvin and the McMichaels.
- charles in charge - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:35 pm:
If the shoe fits . . .
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:37 pm:
Durkin and the state GOP *require* racist thinkers to be part of the bedrock GOP base.
The GOP feeds on the racist thinkers’ fears, they fuel those fears to feed electoral wins.
Before it was quieter, more subtle.
Now it’s emboldened and empowered.
- Norseman - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:40 pm:
Durkin and his party are blowing the dog whistle very loudly. Slaughter’s condemnation is not going to change that or resonate with voters concerned about crime. We need well researched approaches to our crime problems. We’re not going to get that from either party because their more concerned about appearances than effectiveness.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:49 pm:
Slaughter’s speech was intellectually dishonest and will fool no one.
Blaming the Republicans for escalating crime in Cook County and rest Illinois while desperately clinging to racist accusations is beneath the dignity of the House.
Are all the liberals on the Northside lighting up their representatives phones and filling ups their email boxes racists too?
- SWIL_Voter - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:51 pm:
Republicans have used some version of the Willie Horton ad for every election I’ve been alive. It’s just who they are. And not for nothing, voter demographics spell this out pretty clearly. One party has a diverse voter base. Republicans are old and white. If they don’t like it, change behavior. Otherwise quit whining
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 12:56 pm:
===lighting up their representatives phones and filling ups their email boxes racists too?===
So you’re admitting it’s catering to racists, these mailers?
You just want *everyone* to be catering to racist thinkers too?
So, you’re fine with it, you just want it “universal”, if it’s universal?
You are a real piece of work.
- H-W - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:01 pm:
Rep. Slaughter is correct in noting that this is an issue of institutionalized racism. Our system of governance in Illinois began with a deference toward slavery in our own state at its founding (1818), and voted to exclude freed slaves from migrating to Illinois in 1863 as a direct result of the Emancipation Proclamation.
It would be impossible to argue that during the Jim Crow Era (1865-1965), Illinois’ system of governance was not racist. At the local level, where local ordinances forbade African Americans, Latinos and others to participate fully in their communities (indeed, Sunset Towns forbade non-White Anglos from being in some towns after dark), we have a long history of institutionalized racism. At the state level, our government allowed school districts to be redrawn during the 1960-1980 era so as to exclude some students from sharing in the bounties of local communities.
And today, it is impossible to deny that our systemn of governance has not fully integrated all citizens of Illinois into some semblance of equality. Our People of Color systemically receive inferior education. Our People of Color disproportionately reside in economic Brown Zones and communities that are shunned by corporations operating in our state. One only need to understand the history of corporations abandoning jobs where People of Color reside during the 1960-2000 era to understand how our People of Color have been ignored for far too long. All the while, our system of governance has done nothing to systemically rebuild those communities through tax policies and incentive grants targeting economic reinvestment in those communities abandoned in the past several decades.
In the absence of quality education and in the absence of family wage jobs where our People of Color live, it is not surprising to find that our system of justice differentially encounters and differentially punishes People of Color. The SAFE-T Act was in incomplete attempt to reverse the damages we as a state are inflicting upon our Children of Color and their parents. But there are many, many other reforms we need to make if we wish to believe in equality and believe that we are working to create it in Illinois.
Rep. Slaughter is correct in pointing out that the stench of racism remains a signiture of our Illinois History, and is correct in pointing out that systemic, concerted efforts to undue the SAFE-T Act are racism in their intended outcome. One does not have to say “I am a racist” to act in such a way as to cause disparate impact upon People of Color. And politicians do not have to intend to harm citizens of any given category, in order to harm the people of a given category differentially.
Rep. Slaughter is correct.
- Anchors Away - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:04 pm:
Juxtaposing Durkin’s reaction to Slaughter’s comments against that mailer is really telling.
The GOP know exactly what message they are pushing on crime. They just don’t like to be called on it.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:12 pm:
The accusation by Representative Slaughter was that those concerned about crime have stench of racism.
If you were to ask Senator Feigenholtz or Representative Williams, crime is the issue they hear the most about from their constituents who you imply are all “racist thinkers”.
Good luck selling that message.
I did not opine on the mailer at all.
- Louis G Atsaves - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:17 pm:
The only dog whistles being blown around here are coming from Democrats who are constantly smelling some stench or another when they fail to represent those they claim exclusive rights to represent.
When the day comes when I attend a GOP meeting where racism is being raised on these issues, then I’ll change my comments about the dog whistles being over blown falsely by Democrats.
Problem I see is I have been attending GOP meetings, conferences, conventions for nearly 40 years now. Where is the stench coming from Mr. Representative? Not from there.
- Insufferable - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:19 pm:
Slaughter’s comments were way out of line. They were immature and incendiary, and the entire money was a disappointing display of behavior from someone who is better than what he showed in that moment. Justin Slaughter looked as if he had been drinking or under the influence quite frankly. It was unbecoming of him, the chamber, and the State of Illinois. Shame on him for this antics. This wasn’t the only inappropriate display of behavior and lack of decorum from democratic members after midnight either. Rep Tarver’s treatment of Rep Greenwood, and especially of the staffer helping her, was awful. It is wrong for a member to call a staffer out, and it is wrong of a member to demean another member, too. I was very disappointed in the behavior I saw this session. Do better, stop behaving like children.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:19 pm:
=== Problem I see is I have been attending GOP meetings, conferences, conventions for nearly 40 years now. Where is the stench coming from Mr. Representative?===
Nearly every single Trump rally, for openers.
- LakeCo - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:20 pm:
=The only dog whistles being blown around here are coming from Democrats=
Look at Durkin’s campaign mailer. Do you see anything wrong with it?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:21 pm:
===I did not opine on the mailer at all.===
So you don’t condemn it? See racial underpinnings?
Huh.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:25 pm:
===Good luck selling that message.===
Irvin wants GOP voters to vote for him because how he looks, to “own the libs”
It’s a self own for those same Republicans to say they are voting for Irvin because “owning the libs”
The idea of race, crime, and the GOP belief structure… “looks like me, thinks like us”
That doesn’t work unless there’s truth to racist type thinking
- Cheryl44 - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:26 pm:
As a liberal living on the north side, I haven’t called my alderman on the scary black men in your imagination “Lucky.” I prefer to complain about people who park badly, which seems to be a bigger problem in my neighborhood.
- srboisvert - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:34 pm:
The crazy part about that mailer is that a year ago he was an essential worker hero helping people through the pandemic.
- Jocko - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:35 pm:
==Look at Durkin’s campaign mailer.==
…that couldn’t find a single officer of color.
That’s not a dog whistle. It’s an air raid siren.
- filmmaker prof - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:42 pm:
Be careful H-W, you’re going to get arrested for promoting critical race theory.
- H-W - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 1:48 pm:
@Filmmaker. - Then probably would not like what I do in the classroom either.
- Almost the Weekend - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 2:02 pm:
Polling shows Chicago voters number one concern is crime. It’s pretty simple. Talking about the prison industrial complex while Illinois closed Tammes transitioned Kewanee, Slaughter is preaching to his Twitter bubble. And Twitter bubbles don’t live in reality. Just ask the Trump supporters who still think 2020 was stolen.
- Lincoln Lad - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 2:05 pm:
Truth hurts… and Slaughter was not lying. I for one am happy he spoke up.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 2:05 pm:
=== Polling shows Chicago voters number one concern is crime===
Are there GOP candidates for the state House and state Senate running in Chicago?
You think Bailey, Rabine, Schimpf, or Sullivan will be able to get 17-20% … in the city… running statewide on crime?
You wanna make it a political issue with governing or policy as the failure, policy and issue are one thing, a candidate able to sell it is another.
- Amalia - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 2:17 pm:
is there such a thing as the good stench of racism?
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 2:31 pm:
It is possible for a Republican candidate for Governor to get 20% of the vote in Chicago.
Do you think the headwinds for Democrats were worse in 2014?
“Compared to 2010, Pat Quinn got an astonishing 40,000 fewer votes in Chicago—in the city alone—in his 2014 loss, falling from 520,413 to 480,116. With a 170,000 vote margin statewide, that’s a lot. (Based on 99% reporting; a handful of precincts in Chicago are still out.)
Bruce Rauner got good news, if less extreme. He exceeded Bill Brady’s vote total in the city by 9,000. It’s not a shocking number, but it’s the equivalent of a decent-sized downstate county, and either way, it helped Rauner slightly exceed his goal of 20 percent of the vote in the legendary Democratic stronghold.
Yep, Bruce Rauner won the 42nd Ward, which covers Streeterville, River North, the Loop, and parts of the Near West Side. Not by much, but he did it.
And he just barely lost the 43rd Ward (which includes Lincoln Park), by a mere 0.7 percent.
https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/November-2014/Where-Bruce-Rauner-Won-In-Chicago/
- charles in charge - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 2:33 pm:
== is there such a thing as the good stench of racism?==
To the intended targets of this mailer, it smells like roses.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 2:45 pm:
=== Do you think the headwinds for Democrats were worse in 2014?
“Compared to 2010===
In Illinois, being “Pro-Trump” against a billionaire polling above water, the four I listed, you’d vote for Bailey, Rabine, Schimpf, or Sullivan (those were the FOUR I listed, and yet you continue with your bot programming)
The reason Griffin is all-in with Irvin, the other four are toxic to the GOP, the ticket, and most importantly can’t win to aid Ken Griffin.
If all five could beat Pritzker, then there would’ve been no need for Irvin jumping in or Griffin helping.
Now add abortion. You want these national narrative to win in the city, but you ignore abortion with women in the suburbs.
The pre-phony Rauner and pre-Trump GOP doesn’t exist.
Recalibrate.
The GOP now requires overt racist thinkers to be an open base group, and crime plays to that, but if they are also rabid Pro-Trump too?
You’re pro-Trump now, sure, but you and Rauner were afraid of Trump… until, in costume, Rauner went to see Trump, and was ignored.
Irvin has a chance. The other four, in Chicago…
- Big Dipper - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 2:50 pm:
==The accusation by Representative Slaughter was that those concerned about crime have stench of racism.==
No what he actually said was that when it was black on black crime in poor neighborhoods the GOP didn’t care and now that more victims are white they do care. Thinking white victims are more deserving of protection based on their race is racism.
- Arsenal - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 3:15 pm:
==Slaughter should look at the GA votes in the 1990s.==
Actually, he should probably just focus on the here-and-now rather than look up 30-year-old votes for a Gotcha.
==The accusation by Representative Slaughter was that those concerned about crime have stench of racism.==
It wasn’t, and it’s telling that you have to lie to make your point. His accusation was that *Republican* campaigning on crime has the stench of racism. He even points at them in the video linked above.
It’s so funny that you’re so in the tank you can’t even imagine that your lies won’t work on someone.
- Arsenal - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 3:16 pm:
==Do you think the headwinds for Democrats were worse in 2014?==
Absolutely. Pat Quinn was 20 points underwater in 2014 (And still only lost by 4). Pritzker remains well above water in popularity.
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 3:36 pm:
H.W. Well written and well stated. I do not find that CRT I find that history
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 3:38 pm:
So Democrats campaigning on fighting crime is fine but Republicans doing the same has a stench of racism?
Morning Joe disagrees
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/morning-joe-minority-voters-rejecting-elitist-white-woke-democrats/
- Arsenal - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 3:41 pm:
==Problem I see is I have been attending GOP meetings, conferences, conventions for nearly 40 years now.==
So your argument is that since you didn’t personally witness racism, it doesn’t exist?
God, ILGOP needs a better class of hacks.
There’s a bunch of guys out there right now saying that they didn’t personally witness any corruption on the part of Mike Madigan, so I suppose he’s clean, too.
- Thomas Paine - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 3:48 pm:
@Louis Atsaves -
No one is claiming the exclusive right to represent the interests of Black voters. Republicans were invited to represent when it came to cannabis, they chose overwhelmingly not to.
@ Lucky -
See above. Reducing crime by legalizing recreational activities that never should have been illegal in the first place. Feigenholtz and Williams were there, caring about crime, that’s what Slaughter is asking for.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 5:22 pm:
==When the day comes when I attend a GOP meeting where racism is being raised on these issues==
40 years and you still haven’t noticed? Wow. This has been an important part of the GOP playbook since they adopted the “Southern Strategy” in the 1960’s.
If they were truly interested in addressing crime in poor, under-served communities of color, they would be funding K-12 schools (including upgrading buildings, reducing class sizes, and paying teachers more), making higher ed free for the first four years, subsidizing employers who bring jobs to those neighborhoods, etc. Instead, its all about locking folks in jail when they are kids and tossing the key out the window with no thought about addressing root causes, rehabilitating those in prison, and helping them find jobs when they get out.
- Say It Ain't So - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 6:07 pm:
A police officer won the Mayor’s office in New York City, campaigning primarily on crime.
The issue is real. Candidates, particularly Dem candidates, ignore it at their own peril.
- froganon - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 6:49 pm:
–The issue is real. Candidates, particularly Dem candidates, ignore it at their own peril.–
No one denies the issues of crime are real. That is why we need real solutions. Locking up poor and minority folks and keeping them in prison longer isn’t a solution, That’s the whole point - the Dems are looking for and legislating solutions that work. Republicans aren’t.
- Birds on the Bat - Monday, Apr 11, 22 @ 10:16 pm:
No one denies the issues of crime are real
You’d never know based on the action/inaction of the democrat super majority the last three years.
- Louis G Atsaves - Tuesday, Apr 12, 22 @ 1:06 am:
The mealy mouth support of the stench of racism nonsensical rant in the comments section leaves me wondering about the constant attacks of GOP candidates of color by Democrats. Or is that perfume to their senses? Or do they feel they own them and are upset when some stray from the reservation? Unbelievable.
I await an apology from the Representative for his comments about all Republicans and all who sit across the aisle which should have been properly ruled out of order at the time by Hoffman who was presiding at that moment. I won’t hold my breath waiting.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 12, 22 @ 5:50 am:
=== The mealy mouth support of the stench of racism nonsensical rant in the comments section leaves me wondering about the constant attacks of GOP candidates of color by Democrats. Or is that perfume to their senses? Or do they feel they own them and are upset when some stray from the reservation? Unbelievable.===
“Or do they feel they own them and are upset when some stray from the reservation?”
You know that’s a racist thought, correct? “The reservation”?
Are you so oblivious of who *you* are?
===I await an apology from the Representative for his comments about all Republicans===
Says the person using “the reservation” as a winning point?
You need to sit this out. Sincerely.
You voted for Trump, a man who embraced David Duke… as you use “the reservation” to make a point…
Goodness, - Louis G Atsaves -
- 30th ward liberal - Tuesday, Apr 12, 22 @ 9:36 am:
you gotta give it to them for at least using a white person in their mailer as the ‘alleged violent criminal’