Congressman apologizes for #TrailofTears tweet
(CNN) – A tweet from a Democratic lawmaker likening a basketball loss to the forcible removal of Native Americans in the nineteenth century was quickly deleted Thursday and replaced with an apology.
U. S. Rep. Bruce Braley of Iowa initially wrote, "It's official. Ohio State is the luckiest team in the tournament. #TrailOfTears" following the Buckeyes' narrow win Thursday night that propelled them to the Elite Eight in the NCAA college basketball tournament.
The #TrailofTears hashtag offended some of Braley's followers, who pointed out the actual Trail of Tears left many Native Americans dead from starvation, disease or exposure as they were forced to move from parts of the Southeastern United States in the 1800s.
The original tweet was removed, and Braley wrote in a new message, "The 'tears' I was referring to were the tears of Cyclone fans. I have removed the tweet & apologize to anyone who was offended."
The Iowa State Cyclones lost earlier this week to Ohio State in another close game, dashing Iowa's chances of reaching the Sweet Sixteen.
Don't minimize ethnic cleansing. What an idiot.
Seriously, apologize for this??? Our country has lost its collective mind. The political correctness of the left has destroyed our freedom of speech.
Think, then speak
I will expect to see him resign from office. After all, this is what is demanded of Republicans who make these mistakes by the Democrats and LSM. Let's have the same treatment for this Democrat.
That was just stupid. I suppose Indiana's reps will tweet about the "holocaust" of losing to Syracuse? Does anyone in Congress have a freakin' clue?
Is the stupidity of the Republicans spreading to the Democrats?
back in chains.
Oh brother... I have a substantial amount of Sioux in me and I wasn't offended in the least.
The political correctness in the Good Ole U.S.A. has run completely amok.
OOPS!!! Ignorance of Native American history is no excuse - from either party.
give it a rest ..we are not robots..lighten up...ugh
-anonymous
Seriously, apologize for this??? Our country has lost its collective mind. The political correctness of the left has destroyed our freedom of speech.
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Freedom means nothing without responsibility, and this demonstrates none of that. By the way, do you even know what the Trail of Tears was? The willfull ignorance of the Right has made this country a more dangerous and divided country.
he is obviously a white racist. just look at him. i'd suggest burning him at the stake but i am afraid of insulting the witches and warlocks among us.
This is stupid its not like he was meaning to promote the trail of tears or even say that it should happen again. Using Wetbacks as a slur is obviously bad
Because only politicians say things they don't mean and come out bad.. (sarcasm)
-Fair is Fair
Oh brother... I have a substantial amount of Sioux in me and I wasn't offended in the least.
The political correctness in the Good Ole U.S.A. has run completely amok.
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This, from the person who screamed that Rep. Young needed to resign over calling Mexican wetbacks?? How is PC different in this case, or is it because Young is screwing up the extreme makeover the GOP is putting on for show?
He obviously didn't mean it like that. this is a dumb story. its not like he openly called Mexicans wetbacks
The Republican Party does not claiim exclusive ownership to stupid and racist statements by its members. Add Democrat Rep Braley to the list of politicians with foot in the mouth disease. It must be an occupational hazard suffered by politicians on both sides of the aisle.
this is stupid because he obviously didn't mean to offend people or was even thinking about the trail of tears as in the Indian genocide. Everyone says things that are understood wrongly. He isn't a racist just human and said something that sounded bad when he obviously didn't mean it that way.
My great-grandfather moved to Cleveland, Oklahoma, in1910.. I've always been ashamed of taking the breaking grounds of the takeover of Indian Territorty which the Federal Government almagamated with Oklahoma Territory, which was promised to the indiginous peoples. I am proud of being Oklahoman, and you should be ashamed of yourself..Learn a little history, Learn a little history before making
a fool of yourself. Start with finding about the Tsa La Ge.
White people are generally racist, I have lives in England South Africa Zimbabwe and Texas. They feel they are superior and everyone else is beneath them. Growing up in Africa if a white girl dated a black guy no white guy would ever touch her again. That still happens today not so much though. The only difference between democrats and republicans is that republicans are openly racist where as democrats and more concealed and rely of off minorities misfortune and appease them with public assistance programs which keep them in poverty for generations that's why I can't vote for either one of these con artist parties.
Funny enough I believe in Karma and history repeats itself, I wish I was born in 2060 to see what happens when white people are now the minority after all this in breeding. It would be exciting to watch.
-Fair is Fair
Oh brother... I have a substantial amount of Sioux in me and I wasn't offended in the least.
The political correctness in the Good Ole U.S.A. has run completely amok.
************
If you were Cherokee, you would be offended. Can I make jokes about the Wounded Knee Massacre, since you claim to be impervious to your family's own history?
-much thunder..little rain
give it a rest ..we are not robots..lighten up...ugh
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Can we make fun of veterans, then? You said we need to lighten up, so what are the limits now? Burn a flag, a cross i urine? Your lack of respect is appalling. No wonder this country is down the tubes.
As someone who was called a wetback (which is like the N word to us), it is serious. Had he used the N word, what would the response be? The outcry is over disrespect, plain and simple. We've used the word "political correctness" to the point we can no longer recognize disrespect or the need for respect. We wonder why we're in the same we're in as a country & honestly, we can trace it down to the lack of respect for each other as human beings.
* Not same, I apologize. I meant to say "...we're in the shape we're in as a country..."
I had a professor once compare his toddler's curiosity and expanding exploration of their home to the westward movement. I believe he used this analogy in order to make the subject line less uncomfortable for the Caucasian students. The students appeared to be more uncomfortable as they looked around at each other than they may have been had this professor used a more accurate analogy. We already know the truth, and we expect it to be discussed in a college history course. "The trail of tears" means something profound to some people. The "Westward movement" was not an adorable act of curiosity. Think before you speak, especially if you speak for a living!