'He Just Ruined It for Himself': Blaze Readers React to Cliven Bundy's ‘Negro’ Comments, Wondering Whether Blacks Would Be ‘Better Off as Slaves, Picking Cotton’

Rancher Cliven Bundy pulls in a rope while on horseback at a protest area near Bunkerville, Nev. Wednesday, April 16, 2014. (AP)

TheBlaze posted a story earlier this week about Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy making racially charged remarks and questioning whether black people would be “better off as slaves.”

Here's what some readers of TheBlaze had to say about Bundy’s comments:

JeffersonianLiberal

While perhaps not the best phrasing and certainly missing context in the headline, I understand his underlying premise about undue dependency on the government and the trap so many have fallen into. That said, he’s not helping himself this way. Focus on the real issue you’re involved in, from your perspective. As you can see, the libs and media will easily brand you a racist and, all of a sudden, the government becomes the defacto hero. Sad.

Vision Harry

Maybe if we all got together and cried just a little bit?

The black man was once a slave to the grower.

Now he’s a slave to the gov’t.

Today, it’s a matter of his own choosing.

3-Blue

I agree with everything he says except the “better off as slaves” part. No one is better off as a slave although it might still be technically correct based on the "reality." Just look at Chicago or any city controlled by Democrats where a lot of blacks live — the Democratic party has blacks picking political cotton on their plantation. They are psychological slaves to the liberals and their demoralizing, corrupting handouts.

GeoChk

One could argue that many people — black, white or otherwise — are slaves to the government plantation, but Bundy won’t win much support phrasing things in this way. It forces politicians to distance themselves and doesn’t help his cause. Even so, Paul and Heller will see ads claiming their support for this “racist.” A shiny bow-wrapped gift for the progressives.

DesertRat_182

While his delivery is definitely not optimal�, his meaning behind his statements are: Are minorities better off by being on welfare, food stamps and in government housing, or are they better off learning trades, skills, personal responsibility, self-reliance, and the importance of a family foundation? This question applies to whites, blacks, Hispanics and any other group that has had the government usurp family foundations and morals that have been the bedrock in American society.

Tigress1

What does Bundy’s statement have to do with the government STEALING his property? Are we all supposed to hate Bundy now and defend the government? So if you don’t like the guy, that means what the government is doing is right? Sounds like a Saul Alinsky tactic. Demonize the guy. I still haven’t made up my mind yet about the Bundy case, but when the media does crap like this it makes me want to side with him more. Now the Texas land-grab case is a whole different story. That is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.

CappyPaxtonIt seems to be a rhetorical question … he is not advocating anything. The answer, of course, is it is better to be free. His question was about slavery by law and slavery by circumstance (government controlled).

Like someone else said, the Bundy thing is about government out of control. Dissecting every word he says is like following the missing jet story. Fruitless.

binks007

He just ruined it for himself. Can’t talk about the "negroes" anymore. Who baited him into doing it? Now we are all slaves. No one gets to say what they really think about anything. The popular response is to call him a racist or make some comment about how ignorant or how poorly educated he is to say that. But his ideas didn’t just come out of thin air — they ARE his observations. Whether his observation is meant to apply to ALL blacks is doubtful. But if you keep using group affiliation to get things, don’t be surprised when you continue to be characterized as a group.

calmglass

So here I am, a black conservative. Now, if I were a liberal, I’d be pretty ticked off and label this guy the worst kind of racist… etc. etc. But here’s where I see it:

This guy obviously has little to absolutely NO contact with blacks on a regular basis. As far as he’s concerned, he sees what we all see on the news about black criminals: stealing, mugging, on welfare, single parents, absent fathers, and so on. What’s a redneck living on his 10,000-acre ranch supposed to think? Of course he’s going to think all blacks are like this. He’s so isolated from the rest of the country that he uses the term “the negro” and doesn’t even flinch! And then suggests “the negro” might be better off being a slave? And said it in public to reporters? That’s obviously someone completely detached from the 21st century.

So, what I do is dismiss this as total ignorance. And as old as he is, there’s simply no point trying to “educate” him.

dee1889

It’s interesting that every discussion about blacks and slavery is considered racist. Reading this, I don’t hear Bundy advocating slavery in any way. His remarks are clumsy, but he is discussing the breakdown – since slavery – of black communities, the lack of family structure, lack of jobs and job skills due to government interference through entitlements. There’s a real issue here. Until we are frank about the real issues and quit reacting so emotionally every time the word “slavery” is uttered, we will never move forward with real solutions for all Americans. It’s a matter of “shooting the messenger.” Again, people will be busy hating Bundy for what he said, instead of hating the problem. This does a disservice to real people suffering in poverty due to misguided governmental interference.

ubersickofit

OK, maybe I am crazy, but I interpreted that as a rhetorical question. Fair journalists would ask Bundy to clarify his statement: “Are you saying that blacks should be slaves? What do you mean by that statement?” The answer would probably be that the welfare state is not much better than slavery and that he would probably treat a black man as an equal. Again that statement doesn’t fit the “he is a white guy who wears cowboy hats so he must be a racist!” theme; Bundy is anti-big government and the slave/welfare state issue is part of the anti-big government agenda. Being from Nevada, I doubt he has any connection at all to slavery. I could be wrong. I guess I am tired of journalists shutting up those they disagree with by trapping them into saying something “racist”, “sexist” or “anti-gay." The fact that people are punished by thoughts is dangerous. I’d rather be around a freedom loving person who says stupid racist things from time to time over a brown shirt who tells everyone how to think. The true racists historically were the wealthy who believed in eugenics. They keep blacks poor and push abortion and birth control to control their population. We are getting played and manipulated!

pwatkins

Allen West said about the same thing, just used different words. I don’t really know Bundy and I won’t let a few poorly chosen words out of anger completely be the judge of his character at this point. He has his good and bad points I suppose. I know Glenn is calling for no violence but sadly that is all some on the far left — and maybe even far right — have on their minds, so we can’t do much anymore but follow the path God leads us as individuals. We need to stop bringing to the forefront every angry word spoken as if they came from all of us. If every thought that comes to our minds when angered was never spoken or never brought to others' attention there would be total peace on Earth; but with mankind that will never happen. That is what our founding fathers knew, and that is why we have freedom of speech. They didn’t have the answer to peace on Earth or in America — only laws to help lead to it. Jesus Christ is the only One that has ever guaranteed Peace on Earth and even He said it would be a mighty battle for us as a whole. Find peace in your own hearts and continue to be thankful we as Americans can freely express our opinions whether good or bad. We need to get rid of this hate speech judgment law, because if we don’t, one way or another we will all be found guilty by the media and be unable to speak altogether. I agree hate speech is wrong and it hurts others, but who are we to judge what is really in someone’s heart when they think things through? That is God’s job.

MarkBMorrow

Welfare Rancher Cliven Bundy has a problem with other people receiving government subsidies? Well, that makes sense.

Bundy’s cattle getting a free lunch isn’t a subsidy in his eyes. He had his day in court (several actually) and lost; now he has to obey the law just like everyone else. Just because he thinks the United States Government doesn’t exist doesn’t make it true. He’s a deadbeat not a hero.