Dig Deeper Texas

Dallas Morning News | Chisum contrite over memo

AUSTIN – House Appropriations Chairman Warren Chisum said Wednesday that he’s “willing to apologize” for giving colleagues a document that contains what the Anti-Defamation League called “outrageous anti-Semitic material.”

“The stuff that causes conflicts between religious beliefs, you know, I’d never be a party to that,” Mr. Chisum said. “I’m willing to apologize if I’ve offended anyone.”

Mr. Chisum’s comments came after he learned that the Anti-Defamation League, which works against anti-Semitism and other forms of hate, was demanding “a repudiation and apology” in a letter to his office. He said he hadn’t seen the letter late Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Pampa Republican distributed a memo written by Georgia GOP Rep. Ben Bridges to Texas House members’ mailboxes. The memo advocated that schools stop teaching evolution and contained links to a Web site that warns of international Jewish conspiracies. It also directed readers to the group that created the Web site – the Atlanta-area Fair Education Foundation.

Mr. Chisum said he hadn’t looked at the Web site and didn’t realize that he was distributing that type of material. He expressed chagrin that he didn’t vet the material more carefully.

He said he believes creation and evolution should both be taught in schools, and he separated himself from what he called “goofy stuff” on the Web site.

“I did not go to the Web site, which I understood maybe I should’ve done,” he said.

League officials said they also sent a letter to Mr. Bridges’ office and are investigating whether the document has been distributed in any other statehouses across the country.

I appreciate that Warren Chisum is willing to apologize. Funny, he didn’t say he was sorry really, only that he is willing to apologize. Pay very close attention to his words. “Maybe” he should’ve looked at it first, he has nothing to do with that “goofy site”. At the end of the piece he goes on the offensive and calls distributing the memo a “Good Samaritan” act and says “If that’s a sin, well, shoot me.” This just doesn’t sound like someone who is taking even a tiny bit of responsibilty for his own actions to me.
The funny thing is, I believe he probably hadn’t checked out the website and didn’t know it was offensive but that makes little difference. He didn’t hand it around the lunchroom, he sent it to every legislator in the state of Texas and should have known what he was sending around.

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