Deseret News | NAACP calls for resignation

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NAACP calls for resignation

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MANDINKA WARRIOR | 12:00 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

CHRIS BUTTARS/is a white trash he will always be a white trash until the day he dies. They don't call it racism we call it racial preference. His white friends/legislators will always support him no matter what. WELCOME to UTAH the most racist state in the UNITED STATES. I am an AFRICAN and for my Black Brothers and Sisters don't complain just make a CHANGE. This is for white folks:This is the same man that welcomes you/loves you/hates you/this is the same man you get down on your knees and beg for jobs/DO YOU THINK THAT HE WILL EVER RESPECT YOU? African American Brothers and Sisters you need to speak out and run for offices. I am smart and I was born smart. Don't let anyone put a limit on you. You're the only one that can limit yourself. You can be whatever you want to be. Whatever a white man can do you can do/EVEN BETTER. I am proud of being an AFRICAN/BLACK. Black is a classical color/BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL. Education is the only way out. Education is an opportunity. (EDUCATION) that's your weapon/that's the one you going to be carrying with you for the rest of your life.

he can't resign | 12:01 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

he loves the honors of men too much..but racism is alive in the beehive!

Bubba | 12:01 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

I got a "black baby" 1991 Black Honda CRX. Boy can that black baby go! Ugly baby though, went through a hail storm.

Reality is eluding a bunch of impotent posters. If you want to apologize for yourself, go at it. Don't apologize for anyone else, you don't have that right and we didn't give it to you.

Much ado about nothing as the Bard said.

Hey, Slick come on back.

Get another whiping boy, someone who's done something black and ugly. We can suggest two.

Comments continue below

Ron | 12:03 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

NAACP is against Buttars? Why am I not surprised?

Give Buttars a medal for standing up to racists.

BotchedExperiment | 12:09 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Forget the racism and/or political correctness.

Everyone should be worried about this incident.

The point is that if a guy isn't listening to himself think and isn't aware enough that in his position he just can't say certian things, we have to wonder if he has what it takes to be a good state leader.

Personally, I'd say no.

Being aware, considering your words, and giving well reasoned opinions is a minimum requirement, not a bonus.

RSB reply | 12:25 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Homer Plessy was 1/8th Black.

Have you students review Dred Scott, and then discuss Senator Buttars comment.

WHATEVER | 12:20 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

I am so sick of everything being conotated with race. The NAACP needs to disban rather than Buttars resign. Sure I don't agree with all of his decisions but come on, everytime I say black it is not referring to race. If I started a club for the advancement of white people it would be front page news and I would be racist. It should be a two-way street. Next time someone refers to something as white, even if it is a cloud, should they have to apologize because they are racist. Get a clue all of you PC people!

paw | 12:27 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Chris Buttars and his ugly twin, Gayle Ruzicka, are both a disgrace to the human race. He is always sponsoring bills to hurt homosexuals.and his racism and homophobia are well known. If he and Gayle claim to be Christians, they give Christianity a bad name. They are a disgusting pair, but then, most of the Utah legislature aren't much better.

ray | 12:34 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

I first met Chris Buttars in JR High - I do not believe that he has racist feeling about black people in relationship to their skin color, where we grew up there werenï¿½t any.

Many people are changing the words that he used - he said 'this baby is BLACK - not - this is a BLACK baby'. Maybe BLACK is a word that should be removed from the English language and replaced with DARK. Then again there are those who would find offense to DARK. I donï¿½t live in Utah but come there to visit family. If this is all that the NAACP has to do to try and prove their value, hummmmm - there has to be other reasons than what he said said - "This dog just don't hunt ..."

You people in the Utah NAACP need to go to the islands in Caribbean & to the southern USA to see racism .. towards whites. No NAACP speaking up in support of whites - white is a color.

Utahn & Republican | 12:48 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

I doubt that the NAACP has ever considered giving a passing grade to the Senator or even to the Republican agenda in Utah. I also doubt that the comment was racist except in the minds of those who wanted it to be.

Get a life!

The floor debate was depicting the bill as the baby and his remarks referenced that as being dark and ugly - and the bill is a dark and ugly thing if passed.

Buttars is a bigot. | 12:47 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

The fact is, this isn't the first time Buttars has proved himself to be a bigot. He said a couple of years ago how he disapproved of the landmark civil rights case "Brown vs. Board of Education." He also has proved himself to be a homophobe, and has sponsored legislation that would continue to throw Utah back into the 50s. He probably "struggled with his testimony" back in 1978.

CB | 12:57 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Amazing how ready everyone is to jump to judgment without knowing all of the facts. Perhaps we can appreciate that the headline is much more effective without delivering the whole story. Look at the reaction of the ill-informed from the NAACP to those ready to bash the 'white and religious'.
Whoever named this bill the "The Ugly Baby Bill" should be the one apologizing. Black was a term used to describe something ugly long before a certain nationality decided to refer to themselves by that term. I happen to be around when that happened, so Chill Out.

Anon | 12:57 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

you people just need to relax. Look at the context of the comment and you'll understand it was not meant the way everyone is interpreting it. But I guess you'll always find those who will look for any reason to accuse. People are prejudice all over the place,it is not a Utah/Mormon thing.
And talking about offensive...what do you think is more offensive, a man who uses the word "black", or a man who has sexual relations with a girl and then lies about it (Mr. Clinton), or a so-called reverend who has an affair (Mr. Jesse Jackson)? I mean, come on people, I am much more appalled by men who offend and demean their wives, family, and moral character, then I am a man who uses a word that is totally misconstrued. You attackers of the senator, I bet you voted for Slick Willy Clinton, and you probably love the Rev. Jesse. I think they are much more of a disgrace to our country than the senator is to our state!

Re: Funny | 1:06 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

I love it when people like you use their noodles.

Unfortunately, you'd better learn Arabic and memorize the Five Pillars of Islam because Osama-Bama's comin' to town and no one's holdin' him back.

How can the mormons call themselves "politically correct" when their own founder, Joseph Smith, said that blacks were cursed?

RSB | 1:14 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Your right, Homer Plessy was 1/8th black but under louisianna law at the time, any black blood made the person legally entirely black. It also established the segregation is legal principle. By the time Plessy was ruled, Dred Scott had thouroughly been overruled by the civil war ammendments. Then Brown v. Brd overruled Plessy in regards to the segregation of public schools.
I have read Dred Scott, which pretty much ruled people of african decent were not citizens(Done by CJ Taney). I mentioned Plessy because it has more of a direct bearing on Buttar's Brown v. Brd. Comment than Dred Scott, and that there is a whole lot to a case ruling and saying that you disagree with a case ruling does not say that much about the person. I disagree with U.S. v. Reynolds but I don't condone Polygamy. Brown obviously played a monumental part in extending civil rights to african americans.
As to stating that Utahns are racist, some are, some aren't. But to say that people are racist just because they are a mormon is simply not true. The church has done a lot for any preconcieved notions of race that I have held.

Excuses... | 1:15 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Excuses, excuses.....they all are like...well you the rest....

Paperboy | 1:21 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

This is a sad day for Utah and the American people. The Utah Senate has no other choice but to clearly reprimand Buttars for his blatantly racist remarks and distance themselves from him. Finally, Buttars should step down from office immediately. The people of Utah deserve better from their elected representatives. Racism and bigotry have no place in American society today.

Barry | 1:35 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

What a bunch of thin skinned crybabies. Have we heard of any NAACP member crying for the resignation of any Southern Baptist that are encouraging their members to shun mormons?

ZEKE | 1:38 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

This man should be kicked out of office.He`s always trying to pass some foolish law that only makes sense to him. Now this. How could any vote for this idiot.

Political correctness? | 1:45 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

In my day, we had lots of political correctness.

Only we just called it "good manners." We apologized when we needed to, but mostly we tried to avoid offending other people.

Nowadays, people (like on this board) just make excuses as to why it's okay for them to be offensive. You can call evil "good" all the day long, but it don't make it so.

Anonymous | 1:57 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

The good ol' boys club should see the light and boot out one of their wackier-than-usual good ol' boys.
He's making the conservative all look bad.

Shaking my head at Utah | 2:20 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

To: UMW

"You can't hold everyone else to such a high standard..."

No YOU don't have to. So you end up with people like Buttars who year after year embarass the people of Utah and Mormons as a people. I try to vote for someone who I can expect to maintain a higher standard, especially if they know their words are being recorded.

Just so you mormons know, if you want Mitt to have a better shot at winning the presidency (of the nation) you ought to lock people like Buttars up and cover his mouth because this kind of garbage influences what people think of mormons and Utah in general.

After reading this blog, I am shaking my head at the state and at people who obviously have no sense of what racism is because they sure don't recognize it when they hear it.
I do live in Utah.

re:Blake | 2:22 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

You put yourself in other's shoes also. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who recently urged that radio host Don Imus be fired for making a racially insensitive remark, said in a debate that ''those of us who believe in God'' will defeat Republican Mitt Romney for the White House. All Sharpton had to do was have family home evening with a Utah Mormon family and all was forgiven. But what happened to Imus?
He was fired. How come it is that the demand is made to fire Butters and Imus, but Sharpton who demanded Imus be fired just had to sing popcorn popping on the Apricot tree to be forgiven.

PLEEEEEASE! | 2:23 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Can everyone stop being so offended at the drop of a hat!? It really takes away from real racial issues when the racist/bias card is pulled out every day. The PC movement is a great tool to rip a country apart of non-issues.

RE: Blake. Guess what, I have heard statement against me similar to what you described. Sure, they made me angry and I totally disagree. However, I'm not demanding that the person who said it resign, disappear or be hung out to dry. As soon as we have a fear of being "offended" or offending anyone, we'll politely lead this entire country down a very dangerous road. People must be allowed to speak wihtout fear of big brother stepping in. Remeber, diversity isn't just about the minority getting its way, its about each of us getting a voice. Don't let PC destroy this great deomcracy!!

utefan/goutes | 2:27 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Boy, lots of people with too much time on their hands. Boring, huh? Everyone is up in arms about this racist representative. Stop being hypocrites. Everyone is racist. Human nature. Absolutely all people are racist....it's just that some who pretend to live in an unreal and idealistic world are naive.

Stop the racist focus on poor little Buttars and let's let him get back to work on things that are 'really' important....like: Stopping all the 'equal-rights-for-gay-unnatural/unhealthy-partners' movements!! Now, THAT makes sense!

Dale | 2:30 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Are we so sensitive today that any comment even approaching something not acceptable under someone's personal "political correctness" guidlines, brings out the cry, "resign, resign....". Isn't it about time we all just forget it and assign whatever is said to people who are small minded, and move on. Yes, ask for an apology if you want, accept the apology, then focus on the overwhelming issues we face in education, highway construction, help for the homeless, government waste and ineficiency, health care, etc. We have much to do, why waste our precious time worrying about careless statements by insensitive and perhaps bigoted people.

utefan/goutes | 2:47 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

re: mandinka......Wow! way to be a proud black dude. Problem is: You sound much more racist than all others on this site. You say "I'm proud to be African/Black". ??? Were you born in Africa? I'll bet you were born in Ogden.

re:re:Black | 2:59 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

I believe that the treatment ought to be the same. If Imus and Buttars are relieved of their duties, then Sharpton should be also. If Sharpton is allowed to apologize and go on with his life, then Imus and Buttars should be awarded the same. What we saw in this election process is that Mormons were free game. Anyone could say anything negative about them. What would have happend if similar comments were made to Obama about color and Clinton about women?

byron | 2:59 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

The Senators word choice was awful, but lets break this down intellectually. 1) The word "baby" in his sentence is synonymous with the word thing, and in no way refers to an actual baby. 2) the thing in which he is referring to is the "controversial bill dealing with school districts sharing revenues,"3)So lets ask ourselves this question. Is calling a "controversial bill dealing with school districts sharing revenues," "black", a racist comment? Or is he using "black" as a metaphoric devise to mean, unclear, murky, or even evil? The word black is a word with high metaphorical value and many definitions. He very well could be a racist but to judge him based on this comment seems rediculous.

Anonymous | 3:05 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

When people start to meditate on the liberal mantra: "mind thine own business" -
the world will be like heaven on earth.

PLEEEEEEEEEEEASSEEEEEEEEEE | 3:06 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Dude, it is not the drop of a hat.

It is total embarassment by a flaming racist homophobe who the people of Utah have elected.

When the Senate allows him to stay without censure, it reflects on us as a state.

Get off the NAACP, they had their time and place. Utah was originally a Slave State, and until the 14th ammendment negros couldn't be citizens of the United States.

Sure, Africans have BET, but White People have Wayne Brady.

Thanks for all the apologists | 3:07 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

We all know what a Black Ugly Baby means.

Interesting | 3:17 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Sorry folks, I read and reread his statement. I have to say I see nothing racist at all about this comment. In his statement his reference to baby was the proposed bill, the term black in this context was bad or evil. I see this time and time again, the race card, keep playing it; it seems to get you what you want. At what point was Buttars doing any of the following, "distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life." There are very small minded people that see the words, ï¿½babyï¿½ and ï¿½blackï¿½ in the same sentence and run off yelling discrimination at the tops of their lungs. I sure hope we don't have to ban the color black on crayons as it may be confused with racism.
To Blake, I hear, "this baby is a b*tch", all the time, do you condemn equally?

Ok | 3:20 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

You know I don't care much for the NAACP either folks but the fact remains, that he used 'black' and 'baby' in the context of a human being not a color or car. As a registered Republican, and member of the LDS church I am disgusted that this man claims to represent my values. He must go, an apology for a remark of this size and nature only has validity if he has the courage to accept that he disgraced his office as a Representative of his city and steps down.

Are these racist? | 3:29 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Black Friday.
Black Sabbath.
Black September.
In the black.
Blackened.
Blacklisted.
Blackballed
Blackout.
Blackhead.
Blacktie.

To MANDINKA WARRIOR | 3:33 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

So your solution is to fire back with racist comments? I think you have convinced me who is and who is not racist. Letï¿½s hear your apology and see you quit your job.

Re: Are these racist? | 3:47 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Depends on who said them.

Buttars or Sharpton.

Maudeq | 4:01 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

I'm all for the NAACP resigning. About time.

Waaaah! | 4:19 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

To those who claim to be "offended"....give me a break. So he used the words "black" and "baby" in one sentence. Big deal!; he obviously did NOT mean that "Negro infant children are nothing but problems". If you REALLY think that I hope you don't have the ability to have children or vote.

People who get offended over stuff like this are just looking to get their feelings hurt......usually because they lack the ability (or refuse to use their ability) to fix their own problems and weaknesses. And so as a defense mechanism, rather than address their own weaknesses they spend their life looking for ways to catch other people in their "faults".

This is soooo ridiculous because our ENTIRE culture uses slang in just about every conversation.

Grow up!

Jeff | 4:41 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

I do not condone Mr. Buttars remarks and they were totally innappropriate, but why when a white person does this does every minority leader call for heads to roll, but when rappers do the same thing to their own people don't these same people say anything at all? There is just as much harm in the lyrics of rappers that influence their own race in a negative way as there is in Mr. Buttars comments.

Seems to me to be a double standard.

Grow up | 4:46 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Please.....the issue is not that he used the word "black" All you people digging up any kind of reference to justify a stupid racist comment made by the most iggnorant legislator the state has.

This isn't an issue between republicans and democrats or mormons vs non-mormons. This is about an individual that is a biggot - not just because of this latest attempt of sticking his foot in his mouth but over the years he has proved on more than one occasion his real feelings towards people different than him.

He should resign or at the very least he should be censured by the legislature.

Everyone telling me to "get over it," all need to look a little deeper at your own beliefs if you can honestly say that his comments weren't racist.

Buttars is the only one that is "ugly" here and yes his soul his "black."

Anonymous | 7:07 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

This is a language thing not a race thing. He may be a racist( I don't know) but this statement had nothing to do with race if you understand the context and the english language.

total1096 | 7:13 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Much ado about nothing. Those who put this in a racial context are just looking for something to be upset about. Hypersensitive to the max.

BigDaddy | 7:24 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

We should accept his apology, but not the fact that he should keep his job. This is not a religious issue either, it is a failure in his nature that he should work on, but NOT while a political representative of the human race.

John Lambert | 8:39 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

I have decided on further reflection that the comment was clearly racist. It shows a lack of sensitivity for African-Americans and can not be tolerated.
I also am quite disturbed by the hate some people on here show towards the NAACP. I think many people in Utah are in severe need of studying American history and coming to realize what lynching, Jim Crow laws and the rest was all about. I recomemd the book "White Violence and Black Response", however I have to admit I just got so angry at the racist past actions that I had to stop reading it.

Big Al | 11:35 p.m. Feb. 14, 2008

Those of you who are waiting in line to be offended are the ones driving wedges between the races. But if you leaders of the Black community didn't raise such a fuss every time a non-Black person opens his or her mouth, where would your following be? Face it, you keep yourself in a power-position by stirring the racial pot--fomenting discontent and distrust at every opportunity, and framing almost everything in terms of race. This is the way you are pretending to show leadership. There is no room for racial hatred in our community, but there should also be no room for the constant bawling from the NAACP leaders. Do you honestly believe this behavior leads to the "advancement" of "colored people?" I can assure you it does not.

Jerry | 7:45 a.m. Feb. 15, 2008

I live in the South, the only racists down here are black and brown. We ignore them. If they don't know when to shut up we bring in the local bikers and we have a revving party in their honor.

AceOne | 8:07 a.m. Feb. 15, 2008

The only racest people involved in this is the NAACP. This is a group focused on doing things to help only one race exactly like the KKK. Sen. Buttars should stay around as long as the voters keep him there.

This is all so dumb | 8:49 a.m. Feb. 15, 2008

Say "the guy who robbed the bank was bla, bla, bla, oh, what race? black."
and you've got yourself an angry reporter.

Say "Muslims in the Middle East seem to produce a LOT of violence . . ."
and you've got yourself a FURIOUS flaming liberal.

How far ARE the libs going to stretch "PC?"

Will it be an insult to tell someone they're a boy?

Jake | 9:37 a.m. Feb. 15, 2008

Understand the NAACP has an office in SLC. When did you people start supporting racist organizations? Oh, Ralph said to do it?

Close them. You got another Rocky named Ralph.

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