Paul Ryan's Black Ex-Girlfriend; GOP Attempt At Appearing 'Racially Sensitive'?
Paul Ryan's Black Ex-Girlfriend has become a trending topic on the Internet. The buzz began circulating when Peter Hamby of CNN tweeted a quote from Ryan in 2005 referring to his Black Ex.
"Paul Ryan to Milwaukee Magazine in 2005: 'I have a sister-in-law who's African American. My college sweetheart was black,'" the tweet read. Although the GOP Vice Presidential candidate has yet to comment further on the tweet by Hamby, people are wondering whether the sudden news on Ryan's past interracial relationship is a way of suggesting he is not a racist and can be fair towards all groups in his policies and politics.
"Here's a well-known phrase that has virtually become a punch line: When someone finds himself on the ropes facing an allegation of racism, the go-to reflex defense is usually something along the lines of 'But some of my best friends are black!'" Keli Goff, a correspondent for "The Root" wrote in her article "Does Paul Ryan's Black Ex-Girlfriend Matter?"
"Translation: 'I can't possibly be racist or racially insensitive because there are black people I like and they like me. So there,'" Goff continued to express.
In another words, Goff is suggesting that relations with different racial groups does not make one racially mindful or eludicated.
In another article by Goff entitled: "What We Know About Paul Ryan and Blacks," she stated that Ryan "loves the fact that we elected an African American man (Barack Obama) as our president" and that he acknowledges Martin Luther King Jr. Day by celebrating community activists.
However, Goff adds that Ryan appears not to be a "doesn't appear to be a fan of the poor" will little effort shown in the civil rights field. She wrote: "Ryan's hatchet-heavy approach to budget cuts, particularly to programs like Head Start, would have devastating effects on black Americans, particularly children, living in poverty."
The subject of race is a very sensitive and often unavoidably tied into the topic of politics. However, many African Americans wonder why Ryan's Black Ex is important to consider anyway.
"That Paul Ryan dated a black girl in college is actually newsworthy is absurd," a Tweeter user posted.
"Paul Ryan's Black Ex-Girlfriend" is a headline. Nice going, America," another user added.
Paul Ryan has been married to his wife, Janna Ryan, for 12 years. They have three children together; Sam,7, Charlie,8, and Liza, 10.
