U.S. Rep. Moore Responds to Racially Insensitive Comments Made by Rep. Duffy
“It’s painfully obvious that Representative Duffy’s concern for life ends as soon as the umbilical cord is cut.”
Today, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) delivered remarks on the House Floor in response to racially insensitive comments made by Congressman Sean Duffy (WI-07). Below are the Congresswoman’s full remarks:
“Over the years, I’ve heard some absurd comments from my Republican colleagues about abortion. Some have compared Planned Parenthood to drug dealers, abortion factories, and the KKK. I’ve heard grown men debate “legitimate rape” on the live television. I’ve even seen a Republican lawmaker put forth the claim that if women are allowed to have abortions, men should be allowed to rape.
“After nearly 30 years in public office, not much surprises me anymore. So you can imagine my lack of astonishment when a conservative member of the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation recently used abortion statistics as a means to lecture Black legislators like myself about defending the welfare of our constituents.
“Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that women are guaranteed the privacy and power to make medical decisions concerning their own bodies, anti-choice legislators like Representative Sean Duffy have been trying to end safe and legal abortion. A tactic that has long been a part of their strategy is using inflammatory racial arguments and deceptive claims to stigmatize abortion in communities of color.
“I don’t expect Representative Duffy to understand why his comments were so offensive, nor do I anticipate him apologizing for them. What he and so many of his Republican colleagues fail to understand is the underlying context behind high abortion rates in African American communities. High rates of abortion are related to poverty and lack of access to prevention services. A number of African American women face multiple barriers to accessing quality, affordable health care, which can lead to higher rates of both unintended pregnancy and abortion.
“Representative Duffy’s hypocrisy on this issue is as predictable as it is offensive. If he truly believes that we all should be fighting for the “hopeless and voiceless” among us, why doesn’t he stand with us as we defend Planned Parenthood, an organization committed to ensuring all communities, and especially those most in need, have access to high-quality care? Where was his support when my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues and I tried to secure greater funding for SNAP, WIC, and Head Start? Where was his advocacy when we needed Republican support to ensure that we have highly trained and qualified school personnel like social workers and counselors for our most vulnerable students?
“It’s painfully obvious that Representative Duffy’s concern for life ends as soon as the umbilical cord is cut. That being said, I don’t believe that his comments were said in malice or meant to inflict harm. Representative Duffy’s rhetoric is indicative of someone who just doesn’t know any better. I suggest that Representative Duffy educate himself on these critical issues.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore
My only comment is thiS: PLEASE PUT THE MAIL BOXES BACK!!I took me over a week to get to a mailbox because o y transportation. I walked many blocks, with businesses in range. No ail boxes. I had to send time sensitive mail out and ma not have got it out in time. Of course, the northside has few mail boxes. Help. I will contact my Alderman Mr. Ashanti Hamilton too
Where are his comments?
On Thursday night, Duffy during a House floor speech cited statistics showing high abortion rates in African-American populations and suggested black lawmakers aren’t doing enough to reduce them.
“I hear a lot in this institution from minority leaders about how their communities are targeted,” Duffy said, offering the Black Lives Matter movement’s efforts to draw attention to police violence against blacks as an example. “But what I don’t hear them talk about is how their communities are targeted in abortion.”
“My liberal friends, Congressional Black Caucus members, talk about fighting for the defenseless, the hopeless, and the downtrodden. There is no one more hopeless and voiceless than an unborn baby, but their silence is deafening. I can’t hear them. Where are they standing up for their communities, advocating and fighting for their right to life?” he said.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/265255-black-democrat-accuses-gop-lawmaker-of-racism
Pretty loose with the definition of racism…
In my opinion, Duffy made some relevant points that too many Democrat Black politicians refuse to address simply because they are not talking points of Americas White people controlled Liberal agenda. Meaning Americas Liberal agenda regarding Black Americans is to exploit the ill social conditions (poverty, crime, and worst lack of knowledge of self and others) of an estimated 10 million Black Americans out of the total estimated population of 42 million.
Also, by exploiting Black Americans I mean they (Liberals) use a “Black Face,” (children, youth, women and a Black male youth / face when crime is the talking points) to warrant Federal and State grant funding for non-profit and government poverty / crime / education programs rather than use a “White Face,” especially in the case of poverty in America.
Whereas, they (Liberals) know damn well White Americans living at or below the poverty line in America (20 million) is estimated at double the Black population.
Finally in regards to the human crime of “Legal Abortions,” or Government-sponsored “Human Embryos Murders,” carried out under Federal funding at a tune of 500 million dollars a year to Plan Parenthood Inc. It is no secret in the Black community by Black people that are consciously aware of who they are and have knowledge of others that PP founder Margret Sanger was avowed White Supremacist believing Black people population should be reduced, and or eliminated from giving birth to what she and other White supremacy describe as – less than human.
Finally, How wickedly-wise to tie women health care issue to the political debate whether to continue funding for a private organization / corporation disguised as a provider of health care with good samaritan public status. America is a Christian Nation (supposedly) but I do believe the scriptures of the Bible would not verify Plan Parenthood activity and mission statement regarding murdering Human Embryos a good samaritan public act.
WCD, is that you?