Does Stacey Campfield care about black people?

OK, there's been a bit of a hoo-ha about Stacey Campfield, the white Knoxville Republican representative to the TN State Legislature, wanting to join the Black Legislative Caucus. Apparently, he's been refused.

This matter is no longer a little local difficulty, but has made it into the Washington Post. (HT to TN Guerilla Women)

Shame, shame. What does he think he's on about? Why does he want to join the Black Legislative Caucus? I think I probably agree with Rep. Shaw who as reported in the WAPO, said:

Caucus chairman Rep. Johnny Shaw, a Democrat, dismissed Campfield's request and called him a "strange guy" who was simply interested in stirring up trouble.

But I also have some mixed feelings about this whole issue.

Is he racist?

"He is using this as a joke. This is an insult coming from him," said caucus member Rep. Larry Miller, also a Democrat. "Why he chose to focus on the Black Caucus, I have no idea other than he is crazy and a racist." (also from WAPO)

I don't know if he's a racist, but Rep. Campfield has clearly got some kind of weirdo-bee in his bonnet. Surely he can see that this isn't going to get him anywhere with the general population. And if he thinks it's gonna get him somewhere with his political base, then I think he's either way off or I am seriously misunderestimating the intelligence of his base.

His use of a Martin Luther King, Jr speech on his blog I too dream, is in poor taste. And he's been criticised for linking to a blog called Staghounds, that's been called racist for posting this.

Stacey Campfield's latest post Are you a hate site? is a kind of whining nanny-nanny boo boo at all us bloggers who are linked to him directly (now me, too!) or through a couple of degrees of separation e.g. Bill Hobbs to him to Staghounds or to him via the Rocky Top Brigade. Because of our linkages, he's suggesting maybe we all run 'hate sites', too. Seems he thinks the only reason he's being called a racist is because of linking to that site (newsflash for you Stacey, that ain't the only reason - how 'bout the whole stirring up trouble with the Black Legislative Caucus thing?)

Others say, we shouldn't be too hard on the ol' Camper about his blogroll. It's kinda like condemning me because I've read hate speech. Paul Chenoweth has a good post on why we shouldn't be judging others in a kind of guilt by conversation (HT to Bob Krumm who has some interesting points of his own on that plus a post on let's give the guy a hand for blogging at all.)

But the fact is, I do expect my legislators to be a little more sensitive about these kind of things.

The original issue
But with all this, and despite the fact that Rep. Campfield is a bit of a buffoon, he does raise an interesting point. Why do we have Legislative Caucuses that have membership based on race or skin color? Most reasonable people certainly wouldn't approve of a whites only legislative caucus. The whole idea makes me a little uncomfortable.

As an American living in a foreign country, I've been subject to a certain amount of differential treatment based on my ethnicity. It ranged from favorable prejudice (you Americans are more can-do!), to joshing (some good natured, some not), to outright hostility, to what I perceived as discrimination in the job market. The point is, I'm often treated differently, based purely on my accent and my perceived ethnicity.

One of my previous employers sponsored a Black and Ethnic Minority Employee Forum, and one of my colleagues was a member. When I suggested that maybe I should join because I was American, half-jokingly, he reacted negatively. (Let me point out that I am white.) Although he did accept that I am part of an ethnic minority community. (We have more Americans resident in Greater London than y'all do in Maury County, TN)

OK, I get it. I didn't pursue it. I didn't ask to join.

But you know, I might have liked a little support when things turned a little ugly here for Americans during the lead-up to Iraq war. And it's clear I was being excluded from a support and advocacy group based ONLY on my skin color.

So, although I think the Camper is kinda weird (TN Guerilla Women have a great post with links to his weirdness), I don't guess his motives for asking to join the Black Caucus was to promote the liberal values of equal access, and I wouldn't be shocked if someone showed me definitive proof of him being a racist, maybe he has just a teeny bit of a point.