Salt Lake City (ABC 4 News) Is Mitt Romney racist? Right now some are asking that question - while others are waiting for an answer. An online video is making the rounds and making claims that the presidential candidate and Mormon is racist.
The video is three and half minutes long and over dramatic music you hear the narrator say things like, "Mitt Romney was part of an official racist organization until he was 31 years old." The organization the video refers to is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The video goes on to point out that "it wasn't until 1978 that the Mormon Church allowed blacks to participate fully." The attack video talks about the LDS faith, but is aimed at Romney. In a clip from an interview a few years ago Romney says, "I'm proud of my faith, and it’s the faith of my fathers." That is followed by the narrator saying, "The faith of his father’s is a racist faith."
Some members of the LDS faith tell ABC 4 News that Romney will have to confront the issue and the LDS Church’s history. John Binns, who is LDS, says, "I think he should be honest. Talk about it and he should hide from it."
However, others, like Don Harwell – an African American Mormon who watched the video says, “This is not a Romney issue.” And he says, "I get a little upset that people want to put it on his head. He has never been a member of the leadership of this church." Harwell is also the president of the Genesis Group – an organization dedicated to helping black LDS Church members. He says he knows what real racism is. Then he cited several personal examples."I couldn't even get on a bus without sitting on a seat that said ‘colors to the rear.’ Did anyone rise up in Louisiana to fight that? No.” And he adds, despite what the video tries to say and what others are saying about Romney – he doesn’t believe the Republican candidate is racist. "People should take Romney for what he is and not tie the Church's baggage on him."
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