Glenn Beck defends Shirley Sherrod UPDATE: NAACP issues statement –>> UPDATE: FULL VIDEO POSTED <<--

I came to the same conclusion as Beck earlier today – just check out my twitter feed. I saw a video earlier today where Sherrod was telling CNN that the actual incident of racism happened back in the 80’s, and that she was merely telling the story of how she changed. Now, I’m not saying I like where she landed after her revelation, into the old class warfare argument of ‘the haves vs the have nots’, but the story wasn’t what I thought it was. There wasn’t enough context.

Because there was so little context, I assumed that this was current, that she was telling a story of how she withheld money from a farmer since she was appointed to the USDA in the last year and a half. Well, I was wrong for making that assumption. I admit I trusted those who put the video out, but it turns out they didn’t even have all the context. So while she did in the end say it was about black and white, but not…well, I’m not ready to judge her for a crime that happened 24ish years ago.

So where I stand now is pretty much were Beck stands, that she shouldn’t have been fired. I am bothered by the fact that her superiors didn’t even get her side of the story before forcing her to resign; nor did the NAACP care to even speak to her before denouncing her. Now Beck tends to think that this firing hatchet job is symptomatic of the way this administration does business – that it doesn’t care about anything but preserving itself. I don’t necessarily disagree with that, but I can explain it just one word…or rather one number: 2010. It’s election year, and they don’t want any more baggage than they already have that could hurt their agenda. That’s the bottom line.

To the point about how this was really about the NAACP, in my opinion this video doesn’t show the NAACP condoning racism as previously thought.

So, I apologize for jumping to conclusions without full context. Enjoy the video!

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UPDATE: NAACP says Fox News and Andrew Breitbart snookered them:

With regard to the initial media coverage of the resignation of USDA official Shirley Sherrod, we have come to the conclusion we were snookered by Fox News and Tea Party Activist Andrew Breitbart into believing she had harmed white farmers because of racial bias.

Having reviewed the full tape, spoken to Ms. Sherrod, and most importantly heard the testimony of the white farmers mentioned in this story, we now believe the organization that edited the documents did so with the intention of deceiving millions of Americans.

The fact is Ms. Sherrod did help the white farmers mentioned in her speech. They personally credit her with helping to save their family farm.

The truth is that the NAACP rushed to judgment without even talking to Sherrod. There weren’t snookered by anyone except their insincerity to try and stand under the heavy weight of their recent idiotic judgment against the Tea Party. They are still a race baiting organization trying to keep Obama and the democrats in office.

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UPDATE: Full Video Posted. Via Hotair:

skip ahead to 16:30 for the segment about the white farmer and stick with it until at least 24:00 or so. She actually introduces the story by saying how she started working in order to help black people but then, through divine providence, came to realize that she was meant to work for poor people generally. The key moment comes just after the 21:00 mark when she talks about how helping the Spooners “made me see that it’s really about those who have versus those who don’t. You know, and they can be black, they can be white, they can be Hispanic.” And the crowd murmurs its assent.


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