During the GOP response to President Joe Biden's Joint Session of Congress speech Wednesday night, Republican Senator Tim Scott said that while he has experienced individual cases of racism, America as a whole is not a racist country. Further, he advocated for redemption, not permanent punishment for the original sin of slavery.
"A hundred years ago, kids in classrooms were taught the color of their skin was their most important characteristic and if they looked a certain way, they were inferior. Today, kids again are being taught that the color of their skin defines them and if they look a certain way, they're an oppressor," Scott said. "From colleges to corporations to our culture, people are making money and gaining power by pretending we haven't made any progress. By doubling down on the divisions we've worked so hard to heal. You know this stuff is wrong. Hear me clearly: America is not a racist country."
"It's backwards to fight discrimination with different discrimination. And it's wrong to try to use our painful past to dishonestly shut down debates in the present," he continued. "Original sin is never the end of the story. Not in our souls, and not for our nation. The real story is always redemption."
But the leftist media immediately pounced on the comments in an attempt to discredit the idea that America is not a racist country. Starting with NBC News:
"I get called Uncle Tom and the N word by progressives...I know firsthand, our healing is not finished," Sen. Tim Scott says in GOP rebuttal of President Biden's address to Congress, adding later, "Hear me clearly: America is not a racist country." pic.twitter.com/EOet8AriSb
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 29, 2021
And moving to ABC:
.@JoyVBehar shares her takeaways from Pres. Biden’s “brilliant” joint address to Congress and what she wanted to hear from Sen. Tim Scott’s GOP rebuttal but didn’t.
— The View (@TheView) April 29, 2021
“A lot of them don’t seem to understand the difference between a racist country and systemic racism.” pic.twitter.com/ZSKY269nO6
We all know why:
This is the part that has some activists upset because they have devoted so much over the last year to falsely painting us as a racist country and trying to shut down any opposing speech. Most Americans know Tim Scott is right. https://t.co/YxVQmvOIK6
— AG (@AGHamilton29) April 29, 2021
The condemnations against Sen. @TimScottSC for his defense of America as a great country with decent, welcoming people demonstrates the indentation left’s dependence on racism. They need to preach the US is a disgusting, racist sh— hole for power, influence & money.
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 29, 2021