Black Pastor Defends Gingrich's 'Food Stamp President' Comments
Tea Party Pastor Believes African-Americans Need a 'Plantation Environment'
Conservative black preacher Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson defended his controversial comments about African-Americans being sent back to plantations to develop stronger work ethics, and insists that he did not mean all blacks- "just most."
Peterson, who grew up on a plantation in Alabama, has applauded presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich's recent remarks that poor blacks lack work ethic and his constant reference to Barack Obama as "the best food stamp president in American history."
"Black people need to learn the essence of working, they need to develop that so that they can stop looking for handouts ... and a plantation environment is good for that because it causes you to work hard and work for yourself," Peterson told The Christian Post.
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"I've not heard another white man such as Newt speak the truth about what's wrong with black Americans," he said.
Gingrich, who recently brushed off criticisms that his remarks are racist also said, "more people have been put on food stamps by Barack Obama than any president in American history," according to USA today.
Peterson agreed, and claims that if Obama is reelected it will be "bad for the country."
"For the last 50 years they've been relying on the government to take care of them, reliant on so called black leaders to think and speak for them ... and that's been passed down to generations of black children. ... It's a crisis right now!" Peterson explained.
Gingrich received heavy criticism in December and was accused of suggesting breaches of child labor laws after suggesting that poor children should work as school janitors because they lack work ethic.
Peterson thinks a little hard work could result in less children growing up to be poor.
"It made us strong so when we became adults and left home we did not have to rely on the government or anyone else to think for us or take care of us ... we were able to take care of ourselves," asserted the pastor.
Peterson, who is founder of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, sparked criticism on Tuesday after telling The Huffington Post that blacks need to be sent back to plantations.
The Christian pastor grew up on a plantation in Alabama under the Jim Crow laws, and insists that sending blacks to plantations is not a step backwards for the community.
"Most black people have lost that inner ability to take care of themselves ... [plantations] built character within us," Peterson said.
The 62-year-old also argued that having babies out of wedlock has become glorified, and blames Democrats for what he deems to be excessive handouts.
While critics say that welfare is a non-partisan issue, Peterson, who founded a Tea Party group in Louisiana, insists that stereotypically it is Democratic leaders who practically encourage unmarried blacks to have children by showering them with welfare checks.
"[Blacks] have no shame about having babies out of wedlock, they're proud of it and think 'you can have as many babies as you want because you know that the government is gonna take care of them," Peterson fumed.
Peterson also believes that blacks are less religious than they were 50 years ago.
Some have argued that it would be wiser for Peterson to encourage blacks to pursue education as opposed to his plantation idea, but he insists God should be the real focus.
"Most black Americans are spiritually dead ... [they] don't believe in God and once they return to God ... they well develop that inner character and that inner strength that comes from God," he said.
"You can get an education and still be morally bankrupt. Look at most of the black preachers and so called black leaders … they know about God but they don't know him," he explained.
Peterson believes that Gingrich would make a great president, and encourages him not to be "afraid" to tackle racial issues honestly by "speaking the truth."
He also insisted that it is important to "remove entitlements" from blacks in order to help develop and grow the community.
