Herman Cain: Perry insensitive for not removing “Niggerhead” from rock at hunting grounds

And since Gov. Perry has been going there for years to hunt, I think it shows a lack of sensitivity for a long time of not taking that word off of that rock and renaming the place. It’s just basically a case of insensitivity.

I wish Cain had just dismissed this story out-of-hand instead of commenting on it using the word ‘insensitive’. The story in the Washington Post is a big non-story trying to paint racial undertones in Perry’s campaign. But Perry’s family didn’t even paint the offensive word on the rock and according to Perry’s response in the article, his father painted over right after they leased it:

“When my Dad joined the lease in 1983, he took the first opportunity he had to paint over the offensive word on the rock during the 4th of July holiday,” Perry said in his initial response. “It is my understanding that the rock was eventually turned over to further obscure what was originally written on it.”

Perry said that he was not with his father when he painted over the name but that he “agreed with” the decision.

I’m a bit disappointed that Cain would ‘go there’ with this article and not just take Perry’s word in the article. He should be much more careful going forward.

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UPDATE: Perry’s campaign responded to the article (via Hotair):

“A number of claims made in the story are incorrect, inconsistent, and anonymous, including the implication that Rick Perry brought groups to the lease when the word on the rock was still visible. The one consistent fact in the story is that the word on a rock was painted over and obscured many years ago.

“Gov. Perry and his family never owned, controlled or managed the property referenced in the Washington Post story. The 42,000-acre ranch is owned by the Hendricks Home for Children, a West Texas charity. http://www.hendrickhome.com/

“Perry’s father painted over offensive language on a rock soon after leasing the 1,000-acre parcel in the early 1980s. When Gov. Perry was party to the hunting lease from 1997 to 2007, the property was described as northern pasture. He has not been to the property since 2006.

“In 1991, the Texas Legislature passed a bill to rename old, offensive place names.”

Again, I just wish that Cain had given Perry the benefit of the doubt. It saddens me that he didn’t.


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