By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead has released a written statement following the widespread publication of racially insensitive racial remarks made by State Representative Joseph Mitchell (D) from Mobile to a citizen who was campaigning for Second Amendment rights. Mitchell wrote in an email exchange:
“Your folk never used all this sh**t to protect my folk from your slave-holding, murdering, adulterous, baby-raping, incestuous, snaggle-toothed, backward-a**ed, inbreed, imported criminal-minded kin folk.” – Rep. Joseph Mitchell (1/27/13 in an email to an Alabama citizen)
ALGOP Chairman Bill Armistead responded, “Rep. Joseph Mitchell of Mobile recently went on a racial rant in an email exchange between himself and an Alabama citizen regarding Second Amendment rights. Since every state legislator was copied on this email exchange it has been widely read and many who have seen Rep. Mitchell’s comments feel that he is an embarrassment to the State of Alabama and the Legislature. While we can’t deny Rep. Mitchell the right to express his opinions, they certainly should be condemned by Alabama Democrat Party Chairman Mark Kennedy.”
Armistead wrote, “The email to Rep. Mitchell and all state legislators simply asked them not to pass any further restrictions on firearms. But, Rep. Mitchell’s response was nothing short of the rant of a seemingly ‘wild man’ and is appalling to come from an elected official from the State of Alabama. There is no place in civil discourse for phrases such as the ones used by Rep. Mitchell.”
Chairman Armistead said, “I call on Judge Kennedy for a swift and public apology for this tirade on the part of one of his Democrat members of the Alabama House of Representatives. Judge Kennedy should immediately rebuke Rep. Mitchell for this malicious email. If Judge Kennedy refuses to address this issue, it will send a message to voters that the Democrat Party here in Alabama is fine with that type of race baiting language.”
Armistead said that this is not the first example of abusive language being used by Rep. Joe Mitchell. According to the ALGOP, in 2008 Mitchell said on the floor of the House, “I have doubts they can write and have a more than a sneaking suspicion that they are, in fact cave people who still carry clubs and haven’t yet discovered the meaning of fire,” when speaking about employees and officials of the Mobile County DHR. Mitchell was elected to House District 103 in 1994.
Chairman Armistead also asked that the Democratic Party apologize about remarks from Rep. Mary Moore (D) of Birmingham who said, “Welcome to the new confederacy where a bunch of white men are now going to take over black schools,” referring to the passage of the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013 by the State Legislature.
