Hey, remember when those evil Dutch overlords refused to free all their slaves in Brooklyn? No? Because Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY) sure does.
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) appeared to botch American and Brooklyn political history during an appearance on “The Colbert Report” that aired Tuesday night, saying that slavery in the United States persisted under the Dutch as late as 1898.
Colbert was quizzing Clarke on the history of her borough.
“Some have called Brooklyn’s decision to become part of New York City ‘The Great Mistake of 1898,’ ” Colbert said. “If you could get in a time machine and go back to 1898, what would you say to those Brooklynites?”
”I would say to them, ‘Set me free,’ ” Clarke said.
Pressed by Colbert what she would be free from, the black congresswoman responded, “Slavery.”
“Slavery. Really? I didn’t realize there was slavery in Brooklyn in 1898,” Colbert responded, seemingly looking to give the lawmaker a chance to catch her error.
“I’m pretty sure there was,” Clarke responded.
“It sounds like a horrible part of the United States that kept slavery going until 1898,” the late-night comedian then quipped.
Colbert pressed on, asking, “Who would be enslaving you in 1898 in New York?”
At that point, Clarke responded, “The Dutch.”
Yes, that was surely a dark period of American history. Fortunately, a contingent of troops who had been training in Central Park under Joe Pepitone finally managed to free the poor, oppressed Brooklynites from the clutches of the Dutch, who were rounded up and sent back to their home country of Dutchland on a series of trans-Atlantic flights, all piloted by Howard Hughes.
I demand Tulip reparations from the perfidious Dutch for all the descendants of slaves held by them in chains in Brooklyn in 1898! No doubt they were ultimately freed by Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders after Roosevelt was elected governor of New York in the fall of that year! Hit the Dutch again Teddy!
If Brooklyn was conquered by Boss Tweed it could have become the 58th state.
Don,
When my poor history major son are debating and he makes some unfortunate historical stumble, I launch into something like, “Yep, that’s right, just like when Washington crossed the Rubicon and defeated Hannibal at Gettysburg.”
The more outrageous, the more we laugh. Can’t wait till next time when TR Indian-wrestles Peg-leg Pete Stuyvesant!
“When my poor history major son are debating and he makes some unfortunate historical stumble, I launch into something like, “Yep, that’s right, just like when Washington crossed the Rubicon and defeated Hannibal at Gettysburg.””
“Send in the clowns” is an appropriate theme song for the dem convention.
Sondheim wrote the lyrics, “Send in the clowns” because “Send in the fools” didn’t have a ring to it.
After the fact-checkers report, what headlines and talking head sneering outrage there would be if Yvette Clarke were R-NY.
Tulip plantations notwithstanding.
Relativism rules.
The only even close to rational explanation I can think of for this statement is that perhaps Clarke mis-heard Colbert’s question and thought he said 1698. Or that he MEANT “1698.” It can happen because sometimes your brain “hears” what it wants to hear. But then, Colbert gave her at least three chances to back off from her mistake and she didn’t take them.