Last week Democratic Representative Corrine Brown of Florida attended a briefing on the situation in Haiti with Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega.
At this meeting were about 30 people, and, right across the table from Noriega, Brown launched into a diatribe about how the Bush administration's policy toward Haiti was racist and she called the President's representatives "a bunch of white men." Noriega shot back that he would pass along her comments to Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, both high-level African-Americans in the Bush administration. Noriega also pointed out a member of the delegation, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, was born in Cuba. Noriega himself is a Mexican-American.
It was then that Corrine Brown said "you all look alike to me."
Imagine if a Republican had said that. A white Republican. A white male Republican. The media would be demanding he be fired. Either way this would surely have been told about by JenningsBrokawRather.
But did anyone hear about this story on any major media outlet? I didn't. I wonder why?
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Clan Mac Cullaich: - Brewed in Scotland - Bottled in Ulster - Uncorked in America
Where'd you hear about it? No, let me guess, it was the "fair and balanced" Fox News Channel, right?
No comment on General Powell, who I do still have some respect for, or Ms. Rice. But I would like to point out that some Hispanics are very Anglo-looking. For example, take one of the local news anchors at the local CBS affiliate here in Chicago, Antonio Mora:
Pretty Caucasian-looking, eh?
This post has been edited by MDF3530 on 01-Mar-2004, 05:46 PM
Attached Image. (Click thumbnail to expand)
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Mike F.
May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
Nope, not Fox News. Check out the Associated Press story at the Miami Herald (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/8040153.htm).
I don't consider Fox News any more balanced than the other networks. But even if I had heard it on Fox, would it have made the story any less interesting? Would the story have been assumed to be untrue on Fox, yet true on CNN?
I am, for the record, neither Conservative nor Liberal. I detest them both equally. I am closest to Libertarian. I simply "calls them as I sees them".
I fully agree that many Hispanics are very Anglo-looking. But my essence of my post is that a public response such as "you all look alike to me", made by a civil servant, would have made the news if, let's say, a white conservative male had said it to a liberal black female. It would have set off a media firestorm, the Rev. Jackson would have been calling for censure, and all three major networks would have headlined it.
There are certainly double standards in America. It is also my contention that such a double standard also exists in the media. I firmly believe that while Fox certainly has a conservative slant, practically all the others (ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, Reuters) have a liberal slant, one that can be verified over time by providing examples for discussion. And when "news" services can be shown to have an idealogical bias, then information from such services becomes suspect.
Shamalama, I agree with your assessment. I believe Rep. Brown made a big fool of herself and represented herself as a bigot. It makes no difference if there are some Latinos that look white (my wife is one of them), there is no excuse for that kind of comment. And it makes no difference as to the skin color of the Latinos in question. There is no room for that kind of bigotry in Congress.
If a white conservative Republican from Michigan made those kinds of comments, he would surely be forced from office.
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Cheers! Todd
Normal is a relative term. For some reason it is not a term my relatives use to describe me.
Shamalama, I agree with your assessment. I believe Rep. Brown made a big fool of herself and represented herself as a bigot. It makes no difference if there are some Latinos that look white (my wife is one of them), there is no excuse for that kind of comment. And it makes no difference as to the skin color of the Latinos in question. There is no room for that kind of bigotry in Congress.
If a white conservative Republican from Michigan made those kinds of comments, he would surely be forced from office.
Yes, if she is going to make racist statements, she MUST become a southern republican!!!
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"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." Carl Sagan
Main Entry: big·ot Pronunciation: 'bi-g&t Function: noun Etymology: Middle French, hypocrite, bigot : a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices Synonyms: bug, fanatic, fiend, freak, maniac, nut, zealot
This has always amazed me. I don't mind anyone having any opinion - that's what makes us so unique. But the intolerance of others is so very strong in so many people. Why? Wars are started this way.
If people worried about themselves as much as they worry about others we'd all be a better people.
Ah, we're engaging in sweeping generalizations. So, by your logic, all southern republicans are bigots. Is that it? Is that why GWB has so many minorities in his cabinet?
Now who is expressing bigotry? Oh, sorry. Sarcasm is supposed to be YOUR purview.
Swanny
Sir Swanny, I will NEVER deny you (or tsargent) the right to sarcasm... There is plenty to go around. I'm just glad you are willing to engage in these discussions.
I was making fun of Southern Republicans. Bush is not a Southern Republican. Bush is a carpetbagger from Connecticuit. He is many things, but a racist is not one of the things I believe of him.
I was making fun of Southern Republicans. Bush is not a Southern Republican. Bush is a carpetbagger from Connecticuit. He is many things, but a racist is not one of the things I believe of him.
I could think of a few other names besides "carpetbagger" to call Bush, but I'd have to use the smiley face for most of them ...
And the Bushes are not from Connecticut. They are from Maine. Get it right !