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The Locke Foundation debacle

Post on March 22, 2012 by 9 Comments »

The mainstream news media and blogs runneth over this morning with stories about the amazingly stupid, offensive and racist post that appeared on the John Locke Foundation’s Charlotte blog for a while this week. Frankly, aside from noting that the “Meck Deck” has included previous instances of hateful speech that unfortunately didn’t arouse much atttention, there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot more to say.

Let’s hope these people have learned an important lesson and that maybe, just maybe, a few people on the far right won’t be so perplexed the next time they advance a policy proposal (like, say mandatory photo ID for voting) that disproportionately impacts people of color and then get questioned about their motives.

 

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Comments (Closed):9

  1. HunterC
    March 22, 2012 at 10:39 am

    On the policy matter of the amendment itself, has the John Locke Foundation actually said anything about it (is it good policy or bad policy)?

    All I recall is JLF doing nothing while letting Civitas push the amendment.

    Let me know of stories/links if I’m wrong.

  2. Jack
    March 22, 2012 at 10:41 am

    John Hood – “… also said he would find out how the photo got posted in the first place, and would take “appropriate action.”

    Doesn’t the foundation have protocol as to what and when items are posted on its website? Most businesses and organizations do.

    For the foundation to not immediately apologize for the bigoted cartoon reveals the level of discourse the Right-Wing has created among its membership. But knowing the Right’s true world view is better than not knowing.

    The sad thing is that there are people who do not have a problem with such expressions of bigotry and hate toward other they deem worth-less than themselves. Which, when you think about it, must be a low standard indeed from which to judge others?

  3. Disinterested observer
    March 22, 2012 at 10:52 am

    All honest observers of North Carolina politics know that John Hood and the John Locke Foundations are paragons of honesty and civility. This post is absolutely not representative of their work or their attitudes. Mr. Hood dealt with this as soon as it came to his attention by removing the picture, giving a sincere and heartfelt apology, and ensuring that this blogger never has the opportunity to use JLF’s good name to spread this kind of filth again.

  4. Jack
    March 22, 2012 at 11:46 am

    I didn’t read anywhere in the article that Mr. Hood apologized for the action of the foundation’s webmaster or the person who created the bigoted and hate filled cartoon.

    The person who created the bigoted and hate filled cartoon understands well the imagery in the drawing. The drawing reveals a premeditate, well thought out personal attack on the President of the United States not because he is the President but because he is an African American.

    The drawing is personal not political in nature.

  5. david esmay
    March 22, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    John Hood and the locke foundation are paragons of yellow dog journalism, fear, and bigotry, they are neither civil, nor honest.

  6. Joe
    March 22, 2012 at 12:44 pm

    @David Esmay: Careful you don’t fall into the same trap many conservatives do. I don’t know Hood well, but knew him in school and follow read his editorials occasionally. While I deeply, passionately and profoundly disagree with Hood’s politics, and believe the Foundation as a whole has been a bit disingenuous at times, I don’t believe Hood would intentionally allow this garbage.As asinine and juvenile as it is, this is just the result of a troll and poor web mastering.

  7. jlp75
    March 22, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    This is not some troll and poor web mastering. Tara Servatius was an employee of the John Locke Charlotte operation. While I do not pretend to know if John Hood personally was aware of this, do not act as though this was just some random poster on a message board. This was a John Locke foundation employee. According to WRAL she has since resigned so I believe she got the message loud and clear that this is unacceptable behavior. Kudos for John Hood if he in fact sought her resignation, however I do question the assertion that the John Locke Foundation is a paragon of honesty.

  8. Jack
    March 22, 2012 at 2:24 pm

    Unless the John Locke Foundation’s website was attacked by a marauding band of hackers bent on sullying the JLF I find it difficult to believe that a foundation employee or contributor and webmaster would exhibit such a level of outright bigotry and think that the foundation would support such bigotry.

    Is the cartoon an insight into the foundation’s culture?

    I would think that Mr. Hood would want to make a statement that the drawing does not reflect the culture of the JLF. Right now his statement is appropriate if the assumption is that he doesn’t know the details of how the drawing got posted. But I think that there should be a statement to assure the public that such nonprofessional behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated by the JLF.

  9. Jack
    March 23, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    Ms. Servatius said “I didn’t think about the racial implications of the picture when I posted it. I simply don’t think in those terms.” She then finishes the “apology” with “Unfortunately some people do.”

    She isn’t taking responsibility for her actions. She is saying that readers are the offenders because of their racial mindset.

    Ms. Servatius is not the wide eyed innocent she would have the public believe she is. Her media background reveals the truth of who she is and to what lengths she is willing to go be make her point.

    The JLF must have known this about her and yet they allowed her to go unchecked. This issue calls into question the culture within the foundation and why it would allow Ms. Servatius to be a key player.