U.S. Rep. George Santos is getting slammed for evaluating himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
Over the weekend, Santos, R-N.Y., spoke with conservative discuss present host Mike Crispi throughout a podcast episode and in contrast a dialog he had with Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, to the racism that Parks encountered as a Black passenger within the Fifties when she was informed to give up her seat and transfer to the again of the bus.
“Mitt Romney…tells me a Latino homosexual man that I shouldn’t sit within the entrance that I needs to be within the again,” mentioned the congressman.
“Effectively guess what? Rosa Parks didn’t sit within the again and neither am I going to sit down within the again. That’s simply the truth of the way it works. Mitt Romney lives in a special world and he must buckle up as a result of it’s going to be a bumpy trip for him,” he continued.
Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross informed theGrio that Santos’ remarks have been “Insulting, particularly coming off of final week’s ending of affirmative motion…it’s a slap within the face to Black individuals.”
“Rosa Parks was really attacked and by legislation it was justified on the time due to the Jim Crow legal guidelines. Parks’ refusal to sit down behind the bus surged your complete civil rights motion,” she mentioned.
“For Santos to make use of that in such a disrespectful means simply because he doesn’t need to face the music for the crimes he dedicated, I feel it’s grotesque and it additionally goes to point out the place our nation is,” she continued.
The alternate between Romney and Santos befell forward of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union handle in February. As a result of a pending ethics criticism in opposition to Santos, Romney reportedly informed Santos that he wanted to sit down within the again and stay quiet through the president’s speech.
Cross informed theGrio that Santos’ remarks “present how far the Republican Social gathering has prolonged to bastardizing our civil rights leaders.”
She acknowledged that Republicans are likely to typically misquote civil rights leaders such because the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to rewrite historical past.
“There hasn’t been a Republican chief who has not misdirected Martin Luther King’s quote from his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech … not by the colour of your pores and skin, however the content material of your character,” she mentioned.
“They used it within the combat in opposition to affirmative motion. They’ve used it within the combat in opposition to voting rights. They’ve used it within the combat to upend each redress to racial disparities on this nation,” she continued.
In Might, the Division of Justice unsealed a 13-count indictment charging Santos with fraud, cash laundering, theft of public funds and false statements. He faces as much as 20 years behind bars if discovered responsible.
Whereas Democrats have been vocal in urging Santos’ ouster from Congress, many members of the GOP have been sluggish to sentence Santos.
Cross mentioned she doesn’t imagine his newest feedback are “going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s again for Republicans in terms of eradicating him from workplace.”
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