Conservatives Call George Takei Worse Than The KKK For His Criticism Of Clarence Thomas

Here’s something I’ve noticed a lot of here lately: When those on the right say something outrageous and progressives call them on it, conservatives complain that the left is engaging in “political correctness” and trying to limit free speech. They start squawking about the First Amendment and attempt to wrap it around them like a warm blanket.

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Image Via Gage Skidmore for Flickr

But when a progressive engages in “free speech,” and takes a verbal jab at one of the right’s sacred cows, suddenly the First Amendment is forgotten by conservatives and they are offended.

And we have a perfect example right here: Former Star Trek star George Takei, in light of Clarence Thomas’ strange dissent in the same-sex marriage ruling criticized Justice Thomas. In that dissent, Thomas used an analogy between same-sex couples and slavery. Takei remarked:

?I feel Justice Thomas has abdicated and abandoned his African American heritage by claiming slavery did not strip dignity from human beings. He made a similar remark about the Japanese American internment, of which I am a survivor. A sitting Justice of the Supreme Court ought to know better.”?

But what really enraged those on the far right was the next thing Mr. Takei said:

?He is a clown in blackface sitting on the Supreme Court. He gets me that angry. He doesn’t belong there. And for him to say, slaves have dignity. I mean, doesn’t he know that slaves were in chains? That they were whipped on the back. If he saw the movie 12 Years a Slave, you know, they were raped. And he says they had dignity as slaves.”

Yes, that’s a harsh criticism, but it’s also a very apt one in light of what Thomas wrote about slaves not losing their dignity when they were owned as property by white people. Thomas, who was born in Georgia, should know better, but he has repeatedly proved that he is out of touch on most subjects relevant to his service on the high court.

But oh my gosh, you would have thought Takei had used the N-word! The website RedState posted this pile of manure:

?What is the difference between George Takei and Ku Klux Klan member? The Klan member can pretend to not be a racist while on television. George Takei is a racist. There is no other way to put it. He might as well have his valet send his white robe to the cleaners to have it pressed and starched while his gardener makes a nice, flammable cross.”

Really, you want to go there? George Takei and his family served time in a Japanese internment camp during World War II and he’s just like the KKK?

Here’s a few of the other posts that appeared on social media:

“Photoshop George Takei in KKK uniform… STAT!!”

?What a puke. George Takei has shown the world that he’s one big giant jackhole with his racist rant against Clarence Thomas.”

“Who in their right mind, while claiming to totally not be a dirty racist, says things like, ?[That black man] abdicated and abandoned his African American heritage?? Seriously, who does that?”

Yeah, and who in the GOP or on the right would ever dare say that the people who come to America from Mexico are all drug dealers and rapists? I mean, honestly, who would do such a thing?

Looks like conservatives need to shovel up the elephant dung they’re standing in before they start tossing accusations at others.