Republican lawmaker: Time to 'empty the clip' on illegal immigration

Republican lawmaker: Time to 'empty the clip' on illegal immigration

www.rawstory.com

A state senator in Alabama said Monday his call for Republicans to "empty the clip" on the issue of illegal immigration was taken out of context.

At a Republican breakfast in Cullman County, Alabama, last weekend, State Sen. Scott Beason reportedly urged his fellow Republicans to "empty the clip and do what has to be done" to enact stricter immigration laws, the Cullman Times reported.
...
"No way was I urging anyone to do harm to Hispanics or illegal immigrants," Beason told the Birmigham News. "I would never do that."

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It's never a great time to have had this kind of slip of the tongue, but particularly not know, not even a month after the huge national dialog on this type of rhetoric.

Alabama Republican Party Chairman Mike Hubbard said extemporaneous speakers sometimes can “phrase things better,” but he was sure Beason “meant no harm with his comment.”

“Given what happened recently in Arizona, the media is especially sensitive to how political speech is phrased,” Hubbard said. “But they must not become so sensitive that they stifle legitimate political debate.” [From The Gadsden Times Link]

It's probably going to take a while for people in the habit of making statements like this to check themselves.

The people sure did let him know, though.

According to Beason, what he said "makes perfect sense" if it's "all taken in context." He reportedly added, "Anyone sitting in the meeting completely understood it and I'm a little bit surprised that it left it hanging out there." [From HuffPost Link]

His comment was "taken out of context" and "makes perfect sense?" He was telling a joke about the same, and that then just slipped out? I don't think so. I think he probably meant exactly what he said.

What do you think?

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Personally, I think statements like this are incredibly irresponsible and totally unacceptable. Politicans, supposedly, are bright people, or at least they should be- it's not hard to think about what you say, before you say it, and to adjust your language according to the situation, so it's not too much to ask that these kind of statements don't surface.

To be honest, I can't believe this kind of language/rhetoric was ever acceptable for someone in a position of such power. I'm not going to claim that this will now cause individuals to go out and shoot immigrants, but those at the top should lead by example, and aggression such as this really is not necessary in a "civilised" society.

Originally posted by ~Lucidity


It's never a great time to have had this kind of slip of the tongue, but particularly not know, not even a month after the huge national dialog on this type of rhetoric.

It's probably going to take a while for people in the habit of making statements like this to check themselves.

The people sure did let him know, though.

His comment was "taken out of context?" Telling a joke, and that just slipped out? I don't think so. I think he probably meant exactly what he said.

What do you think?

www.rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Really? I think he made a comment which the average person would understand and not believe it to be a call for violence. On the other hand, a few narrow minded politically correct wacko's spend their time on earth looking for something that might appear offensive, racist, or threatening. What he was talking about is illegal immigration. If we weren't so afraid of offending someone or spending too much time worrying about a word misspoken, a lot of our problems might actually be addressed and solutions found.

Cut the head off the beast and move forward. Oh, I'm sorry. Was that offensive or politically incorrect?

Just look at the state he's from

Nuff said

reply to post by ScepticalBeliever

I do believe that people in leadership positions have a greater responsibility. Unfortunate for him, but there probably won't be severe consequences at the state level.

reply to post by retiredTxn

This probably has more to do with being responsible in a leadership position than being politically correct. There's really no way to "misinterpret" those words.

I think Mr. Lawmaker from Alabama could have chosen something else rather than what he said. There are a million more phrases he could have used instead of this. He know upon saying what he said that it was going to backlash on him. I think he just wanted publicity.

Mission accomplished.

I would like to ask a question. Is there any way at all , that people who make these comments actualy might not have thought particularly hard about what it is they are actualy saying? I mean I wouldnt know about that sort of thing. When Im a rude , objectionable, rabble rousing dirtbag, its deliberate.
I mean what kind of moron attains the power this gent has, and then goes crapping from his mouth that way? I tell you this, if the people in his state dont vote him down next time around, they all need slapping with a 2x4 for gross levels of stupid. It would be exactly as dumb as the British voting the conservatives in for another term next election.... watch this space

reply to post by TrueBrit


So promoting violence is one sided.................slapping someone with a x4 doesnt sound non violent to me? It was just a common phrase, pople need to get over it...............just more political correctness.

It's a local caloquialism way of saying something.
It wasn't directing hate or violence at a person.
It was directing legal action towards an illegal activity.

Who is violent, the left or the right?
Another day, another round of anti-conservative threats
The Progressive Climate of Hate - an Illustrated Primer 2000-2010

BTW ... it's not a 'republican thing' ... the left has it's own fair share of folks who use language far worse than using the local caloquialism 'empty the clip' in reference to legal actions. Take a look at the above links.

reply to post by adifferentbreed


If it was common, on any continent, I would have heard of it before. I havent, and it isnt.
Good try.

Originally posted by TrueBrit
If it was common, on any continent, I would have heard of it before. I havent, and it isnt.
Good try.

Local caloquialism . Every country has them. Every US state has them. Heck, every city has them.
You are wrong. Good try.

"empty the clip"...

Meaning keep firing until you're out of ammunition, i.e. shoot till it's dead and keep shooting just in case.


It's not a call for violence, people in power don't need to call for violence, it's the people who aren't in power who need to call for violence. So it's obvious he was using the phrase figuratively. The only reason anyone even cares is because of the recent political push to end rhetoric (quelling of speech agenda btw). He could have said "Go all in", "Lay all our cards on the table" or any other number of phrases that all mean the same thing.

Because this phrase has violent imagery it becomes offensive, I usually find that the poorer speakers rely on such to stir passion, rather than be better speakers(which is what should really offend everyone); it's the mental climate fostered by the people that caused the rise in rhetoric and now everybody wants to stem the symptom rather than the cause.

It's just a phrase, some people might be dumb enough to think it's time to get violent, but that's why we put warning labels on dangerous things. We can't be held responsible for someone unintelligent/crazy/impulsive from not understanding language.



I find it both funny and telling that nobody is ever driven to violence over words like these, but still, people are scared somebody will be.

this is more of an unknown regional turn of phrase, than a slip of the toungue.

anybody from a gun state, or who watches action movies knows what it means.

only the poeple unfamiliar with guns seem to be misunderstanding what he said.

its a way of saying to give it everything youve got.

garunteed everybody @ that breakfast in alabama knew what he meant.

reply to post by muse7


since there are a "million more phrases" he could have used,
could you in your exaggerated and magnified version of reality please list about half of them for me?

reply to post by TrueBrit


then its a good thing he wasnt talking to you.

reply to post by TrueBrit


I have heard of it.. What does that mean? You haven't heard of it... Does that mean something? Who cares really? Is this what this big mess of a planet has turned into? Pathetic...

P.S. Just because YOU haven't heard of something doesn't mean that people aren't saying it.

P.S.S You need to get over yourself.

I hate when people misuse the word clip. ITS MAGAZINE NOT CLIP.

But I must admit that I agree with this lawmaker to an extent. I think if Mexico had a chance I think 80% of their population would come to America in a heartbeat. Is it a good or bad thing? Well there are too many factors involved..

A senator from Alabama making a statement that implies violence towards a minority...I'm not shocked or surprised at all.

What I am surprised about are the people in this thread trying to defend it as an innocent local saying...like that makes it ok. I hear down south they have another "local saying"...it's a word that starts with "N" and they call black people it. But I guess it's OK because it is just a "local saying"????


Come on people...just because it is a "local saying" doesn't make it right. I am puzzled why some people feel the need that they have to come on here and defend what someone says when it is clearly a bad choice of words to use together.

Just for future reference...here are some other examples of bad choice of words to use together:

Lets go string up the Blacks
Lets go crucify the Christians
Lets go gas out the Jews

Oh yeah...those aren't bad...as long as they are "local sayings"