This past weekend, a board member for a Tea Party group in the Ozarks made a racist joke at a rally that drew plenty of laughs from those in attendance. Now, Tea Party leaders in Arkansas are going on the defensive because of the joke. Inge Marler made the racist joke at an annual rally of the Ozark Tea Party. The comments made by Marler implied that African Americans are on welfare and were condemned by Tea Party leaders from the state.
Before she gave her speech, Marler used the following joke as an ice-breaker:
“A black kid asks his mom, ‘Mama, what’s a democracy?’
“‘Well, son, that be when white folks work every day so us po’ folks can get all our benefits.’
“‘But mama, don’t the white folk get mad about that?’
“‘They sho do, son. They sho do. And that’s called racism.’”
Marler claims that she will no longer use the joke to begin her speeches. The joke comes at the most inopportune time for the Tea Party, which has been denying that their followers are racist.
“I have heard our side of the aisle called racist and xenophobic, I am tired of it,” Missouri Rep. Wanda Brown (R-Lincoln) said. “There is nothing wrong with asking the president of the United States for his birth certificate. I am tired of being called racist.”