As we told you last night, Sen. Ted Cruz (along with Charles C.W. Cooke) took Colin Kaepernick to task for his attempt to use a Frederick Douglass quote to bash the U.S. on the Fourth of July:
“What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? This Fourth of July is yours, not mine…There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour.”
– Frederick Douglass pic.twitter.com/IWLujGCJHn— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) July 4, 2019
Kaepernick either didn’t read the entire Douglass speech or didn’t care to share any other parts, and Cruz took him to school in a thread that started with these three tweets followed by many quotes from the entire speech:
You quote a mighty and historic speech by the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass, but, without context, many modern readers will misunderstand. Two critical points: https://t.co/x4oLfa9DrH
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 5, 2019
(1) This speech was given in 1852, before the Civil War, when the abomination of slavery still existed. Thanks to Douglass and so many other heroes, we ended that grotesque evil and have made enormous strides to protecting the civil rights of everybody.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 5, 2019
(2) Douglass was not anti-American; he was, rightly and passionately, anti-slavery. Indeed, he concluded the speech as follows:
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 5, 2019
New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay didn’t refute anything Cruz said, but rather just told him to shut up:
Frederick Douglass is an American hero, and his name has no business in your mouth. https://t.co/Ghoqb75gJF
— Mara Gay (@MaraGay) July 5, 2019
Cruz had no business putting the speech in its full context?
This is a member of the @nytimes editorial board suggesting that @TedCruz has “no business” talking about famed abolitionist and American patriot Frederick Douglass.
In other words, First Amendment rights for me, but not for thee. This is why the press has little credibility. https://t.co/efq32IfVYK
— Elliott Hamilton (@ElliottRHams) July 5, 2019
Well, like @tedcruz, Douglass was a Republican. So there's that. Plus the fact that he is factually accurate.
— Manfred Arcane (@ManfredArcane) July 5, 2019
So, making certain the words of Douglass are not misunderstood is a cause of outrage.
Got it.
— Kirk (@rougblog) July 5, 2019
Because of lefty “priorities” and all that.
Frederick Douglass was a Republican. https://t.co/LYsjxzKfUD
— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) July 5, 2019
"New York Times editorial board" not biased ?? https://t.co/JWDtU5OPyy
— Shem Horne (@Shem_Infinite) July 5, 2019
Not at all! *Eye roll*
Keep being accurate @tedcruz. The @nytimes will keep being what it is.
— Matt (@Matt13538940) July 5, 2019
He's right and you're an idiot, dear. https://t.co/76VEYHd6Ho
— Rev. Ducati? (@Reverend_Ducati) July 5, 2019
One final question:
But why can’t everybody praise an American hero?
— Gen Z Conservative (@GZConservative8) July 5, 2019
Because all the things must be politicized, especially if it’s something that ruins a favored progressive talking point.
Update:
Here’s Cruz’s response:
Let’s see. You’re on the editorial board of the NYT. You respond to any view you don’t like, not with facts or reason, but w/ ad hominem attack. And you seem dismayed that I linked to Douglass’s entire speech, so readers can judge for themselves. You represent your employer well. https://t.co/c8168yiCgY
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 5, 2019
Bingo.
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