CNN titled a piece Friday reporting on South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s reaction to being tokenized as “See black senator’s emotional response to senator’s ‘token’ remark.”
The story then featured Scott responding to Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin characterizing Scott’s newly introduced bill on criminal justice reform Wednesday as a “token, half-hearted approach.”
He’s got a name. It’s United States Senator Tim Scott, @CNN.
Use it. https://t.co/qujlMsAV6v
— Ken Farnaso (@KLF) June 19, 2020
“This is a hard thing,” Scott continue before taking another moment to collect himself on the Senate floor following a recount of the events where a gunman stormed the doors of a South Carolina church and killed nine people.
Standing on this floor, remembering the words of one of the victims’ sons, Daniel Simmons Jr. Five years ago, a Wednesday had passeed one week later. I have Daniel Simmons Jr. whose father, Daniel Simmons Sr. has been killed in an attempt to start another race war at the home of the Civil War. I asked, ‘what’s that say to the people who will be watching around the country?’ He said, what I cannot believe, ‘was please remind them of Romans 8:28, that all things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to their purpose.
Scott continued.
“To have the senator from Illinois refer to the process, this bill, this opportunity to restore hope and confidence from the American people, from African Americans, from communities of color, to call this a token process hurts my soul for my country, for our people,” Scott said. “To think that the concept of anti-lynching as a part of this legislation to be considered a token piece of legislation because perhaps I’m African American, the only one on this side of the aisle, I don’t know what he meant, but … those comments again hurts the soul.”
.@SenatorTimScott: "For so many Americans, this is just another Wednesday morning. …Not in South Carolina… This is the 5th anniversary of when a racist walked into Mother Emanuel Church… and killed 9 people. So for me and so many South Carolinians, this a hard day." pic.twitter.com/RiZLX2bKxb
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 17, 2020
CNN later changed the headline to read “See Tim Scott’s emotional response after his bill was called ‘token.'”
Durbin apologized to Scott for his remarks shortly after he made them.
“The minute Sen. Durbin heard that he had offended Sen. Scott, he sought him out on the floor and apologized,” Durbin’s Communications Director Emily Hampsten told Fox News in a statement.
