the newly released nixon tapes..

one of the things released..this was early 70's when fed won over states on legality of abortions..

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” Nixon told an aide, before adding: “Or a rape.”

floridafun wrote:one of the things released..this was early 70's when fed won over states on legality of abortions..

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” Nixon told an aide, before adding: “Or a rape.”

Interesting, but...
1. Is it possible it was misheard, as in gray areas, not black and white?
2. It was a different time, and that wasn't as shocking a statement in 1973.
3. We don't have 152 hours of recordings to sift through and find dirt on other presidents.

Markwes wrote:

floridafun wrote:one of the things released..this was early 70's when fed won over states on legality of abortions..

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” Nixon told an aide, before adding: “Or a rape.”

Interesting, but...
1. Is it possible it was misheard, as in gray areas, not black and white?
2. It was a different time, and that wasn't as shocking a statement in 1973.
3. We don't have 152 hours of recordings to sift through and find dirt on other presidents.

1. I heard the actual tape on NPR... he said exactly that... followed by some backpeddling, "I mention that matter of factly..."
2. I agree that racism was more accepted back then, but he's kinda saying that a mixed race child is better off dead, which I think is a bit outside the bounds of rational thought, even in 1973
3. Because there has never been a president as paranoid as Nixon.

In all honesty, I find the nixon tapes to be amusing from a historical viewpoint. Their bearing on the current body politic is minimal... it's not as if anyone is out there crowing that they facy themselves a "Nixon Conservative" in the same way that some might fancy themselves a "Reagan Conservative"....

i feel the same way you do pez. and his comment was a dying mainstream thought in those days.

It was a different time and era. I am quite sure some current politicians have had past associations and made past comments with view they supposedly no longer support. Why is this comment more important than those of current politicians with a past?

Historicially the tapes are a glimpse into a presidents thoughts at the time and that is it.

i never attatched the importance or relevance to today which you seem to infer i did. i look at it as a history of where many were at that time.

if they release a previously unknown (by general public) tape or a transcript which contrasts a dramatic curtural change within a relative few short years, and it happens to be jimmy carter speaking, i will post that too.

I heard Thomas Jefferson owned slaves. What a bastard!

dont call his kids that..he will come back and haunt you