http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100721/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_ballot_expletive MADISON, Wis. – A legislative candidate from Wisconsin can't use a profane, racially charged phrase to describe herself on the ballot, an election oversight board decided Wednesday. Ieshuh Griffin, an independent running for a downtown Milwaukee seat in the state Assembly, wants to use the phrase, "NOT the 'whiteman's b----.'" But the state's Government Accountability Board voted to bar that wording, agreeing with a staff recommendation that it is pejorative and therefore not allowed. State law allows independent candidates to have five words describing themselves placed after their names on the ballot as long as it's not pejorative, profane, discriminatory or includes an obscene word or phrase. Griffin, who is black, argued her case to the five white, retired judges on the board that regulates elections. She said the phrase was protected free speech. "It's a freedom of expression," she said. "It's not racial. It's not a slur." She convinced three of the judges that the wording should be allowed, but two said it should not. One judge was absent, and Griffin needed four votes to succeed. Griffin said she intends to seek an injunction in federal court. Board member Thomas Cane, a retired state appeals court judge, said he didn't find the wording to be "particularly offensive." Fellow board member Thomas Barland, who spent 33 years as a circuit court judge in Eau Claire, agreed. "She says a lot in five words," he said. "It wasn't pornographic, it wasn't obscene and I didn't interpret it as racial." Judge Gordon Myse, the board chairman, cast the third vote in favor of Griffin. "Isn't she saying, 'I'm not under the white man's direction? I'm independent of that.' Isn't that what she's saying?" Myse said. Roxanne Dunlap, a white woman from Sussex, felt compelled to speak up in the middle of the meeting, saying she was offended by the statement. She said if a white candidate wanted to have the statement "not the black man's b----" put on the ballot, it would be soundly rejected. Griffin said her statement wasn't directed at any one individual but the government as a whole. The b-word was referring to a female dog that rolls over, she said. "I'm not making a derogatory statement to a group of people or an ethnic group," she told the board. "I'm saying what I am not. Everyone I spoke with, elderly and young, understand my point of view." The phrase was included on nomination papers Griffin circulated to get the 200 signatures needed to be on the Nov. 2 ballot. Griffin, who described herself as a "30ish" community activist, will still appear as an independent candidate. The Assembly district she hopes to represent covers the east side of Milwaukee and parts of Glendale. It's currently represented by Democrat Annette Polly Williams, who is retiring. Three Democrats and Griffin are seeking to replace her Do you think this is a racist comment? Would it be racist if she was a white woman? Would it have been given more attention if she had choosen another color like orange? Would it be sexist had she just said man?
Is "Not the White Man's Bitch" a racial comment??? Uhhhhh yeah. This woman is a fucking idiot and I cant believe some people are actually debating if its "racial" or not.:smt083 Hmmm it clearly states "white man" in her little slogan so uh yeah its clearly racial and clearly uncalled for.
Her argument(although I am not buying it) is that bitch refers to a female dog and that she will not roll over like a female dog.
A female dog?? Dear lord, this lady is even more retarded than I thought lol The last thing this country needs is another race baiting lunatic that is looking to divide this country even more. Lets keep race out of political campaigns.
Fine, I can see the allegorical nature of that part of the statement, however white men aren't the only people who own bitches. As stated in the article if anyone had used that same phrase but substituted 'black' for 'white', there'd be hell to pay. I say just hold everyone to the same set of rules.
That would be nice wouldnt it - seems so stupid simple but in reality it just never seems that it is.
You know she would have gotten more points if she had said not the incumbent man's bitch. We are anti incumbent this year.
Black folks always want to scream racism on every little thing...but will turn around and do shit like this. 1.) She ain't foolin nobody 2.) Have some, class, manners and dignity. You don't need to use that type of language in public, especially as a so called lady. It's just not polite. And why do you need to run on such a bogus platform, your voice, ideas and issues can't stand on their on merit(s)? 3.) Reverse racism--is not cute. She thinks just because she's black and racism affected her ancestors in a huge way, and still plagues us today, that justifies you to act a fool. Why would you stoop to the same level? 4.) I could go on...but...
This is the kind of pretzel logic white folks use to justify their racism and we blacks shouldn't be allowed to get away with it either.
