Ranch Undressing
There’s nothing wrong with naming your family vacation spots. Our beach cottage in Delaware has been named and renamed several times over the years. “The Little Cottage on Robin’s Lane.” “The Kennedy Compound.” “Niggerhead.”
WHAT THE BLEEP RICK PERRY?
The Washington Post reported over the weekend that the Perry family’s West Texas hunting camp was once known as “Niggerhead,” well into his political career where he hosted lawmakers, friends, supporters, fundraisers and the occasional Grand Wizard. The name was painted in block letters on a large rock at the gated entrance. In the 1980′s, Perry and his father began hunting on the property, which was already referred to as “Niggerhead.” To his credit, Perry responded by saying that the word is an “offensive name that has no place in the modern world.” I kid. He gets zero credit for that lame rebuttal.
Perry says that after leasing the ranch in 1983, his father painted over the offensive word (although apparently you can still see the faded word even today) after Perry told him about it. I’ve got an idea. Why not get rid of the entire rock? Unfortunately for Perry, his recollection is different from other people’s, who say that the name was clearly visible in the 1990′s, with one person saying he saw it as recently as a few years ago. Oops! Looks like something needs a fresh coat of paint!
Not that everyone is offended. “It’s just a name,” said Haskell County Judge David Davis, sitting in his courtroom and looking at a window. “Like those are vertical blinds. It’s just what it was called. There was no significance other than as a hunting deal.” Yes. It’s just like vertical blinds.
I honestly don’t think Perry’s a racist. I just think he’s not the brightest bulb out there. I should disclose that I’ve spray-painted offensive words on a rock before. The administration at McLean High School decided to place a huge boulder in front of the school in the hopes that students would paint the rock as opposed to writing graffiti all over the walls. I remember going at night with a group of friends and painting “Varsity Cheerleaders Rule!” because we were cool like that. However I have returned to the school many times over the years to try and paint over it.
October 3rd, 2011 at 11:59 am
In all fairness to the Perry family, the original sign was “Niggerheadland”.
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:01 pm
Its only offensive to 4% of Haskell County. They should have hidden the name by using a foreign language. Hey, it worked for Grand Tetons.
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Perry responded by saying that the word is an “offensive name that has no place in the modern world.”
As Perry refuses to acknowledge the modern world, the sign still has a place in his world. QED.
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:22 pm
It would have been more accurate if the sign said “Doodoohead”.
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:43 pm
See what happens when someone actually does opposition research? Did Carole blah,blah,blah,blah,blah Strayhorn and Bill White not even try?
October 3rd, 2011 at 2:26 pm
The next time someone asks me what it’s like to live in Texas I’m going to point them to this comment on burkablog’s post about this story:
“If you are offended that someone hunts on land called by this name, then you are a crybaby, most probably a liberal crybaby. So what’s he supposed to do – not hunt on the place? This is a free country and he or anyone else can hunt anywhere they want to, too bad liberals. And if you don’t like the name Niggerhead, then don’t go there. But don’t look down on people that do. And the word nigger doesn’t always mean about race, it could also just mean being lazy.”
Glad we cleared that up.
eileen Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 2:53 pm
I can’t believe you still read that blog.
Dr J Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:50 pm
I don’t usually read the articles–I just go there for the centerfolds.
eileen Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:53 pm
You’re a sick man.
treehugger Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 5:45 pm
I always answer the online TM.com poll. When asked How to improve the website, I answer, rehire Eileen. Of course, if that happened it might mess up your vacation schedule.
chris Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Dr J: What makes you think that “crybaby liberal” would be the ones offended and not conservatives? Republicans? Independents?
chris Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Dr J: My apologies please. I reread your post and see that you are referring to what someone else posted.
West Texas Hillbilly Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:38 pm
I’m changing my name to West Texas Crybabyhead.
Dr J Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Perry actually changed the name of the ranch to LiberalCrybabyHead.
Credentials Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 4:16 pm
WOW. Just … wow.
texxasredd Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 7:32 pm
O.M.F.G!
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:33 pm
AP Press – October 15, 2013
After a long week of strategy meetings, President Perry has decided to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, 50,000 to Iraq, and another 125,000 to Iran. Needing time to reflect, the President announced that he’ll be taking Marine 1 to his hunting retreat, NiggerHead, in Texas. The President announced that he’ll also be using the time to prepare for the upcoming Israeli–Palestinian peace talks that will be held there in 2 weeks.
West Texas Hillbilly Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:37 pm
You missed the part about another 100,000 troops to Mexico.
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:56 pm
You’re all invited over to Teapartiersblow ranch this weekend.
October 3rd, 2011 at 4:59 pm
President Obama also has a “camp”….His is called CAMP DAVID….I hear Perry is going to give that same name to his camp because he has realized that is as close as he is ever going to get to it.
October 3rd, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Niggerhead? I hardly knew her.
October 3rd, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Jeremiah Wright hunts at Honkyhead.
October 3rd, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Hardly any description of the rock was given. What kind of rock was it? What color? Most importantly, did the Perry family whitewash the offensive name?
October 3rd, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Damn, it only took him some 20 or so years to figure out the N word is offensive. Guess he learned something at A & M after all….
If Perry only LEASES N-word head, who the heck OWNS it and how much does his campaign pay for it?
October 3rd, 2011 at 10:16 pm
I made a bet with my wife that you could go a week without mentioning Cheer-leading. Now that I have lost the bet I’ll be filling many empty wine glasses with some high priced wine, rather than 2 buck chuck and Trader Joe’s pick of the week.
WUSRPH Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 10:44 pm
When its it absolute high point in your existence you tend to spend a lot of time talking about it.
eileen Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Why would you ever take that bet?
Jimbo Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 11:37 am
You have a Trader Joes? Bastard!
October 4th, 2011 at 8:42 am
Ghost of Colonel Perriniculus Cornwall Perry (Perry’s great, great grandfather): “Do you mean to tell me, James Richard Perry, that Niggerhead, that land doesn’t mean anything to you? Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin’ for, worth fightin’ for, worth dyin’ for, because it’s the only thing that lasts.”
Rick Perry: “As God is my witness, they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.”