So Senator George Allen (R-VA) publicly apologized to S.R. Sidarth, the 20-year old Democratic campaign staffer for his recent racial slurs:
"I take full responsibility. I'm not offering any excuses, because I said it and no one else said it. . . It's a mistake. I apologize and from my heart, I'm very, very sorry for it."
Blah, blah, blah. Later that day, Allen’s boy George W. headed a fundraiser for him. White House spokesperson Dana Perino said Bush didn’t hesitate to support Allen because, “Sen. Allen apologized, and I think it’s in everyone’s best interest ... to accept apologies when they’re offered.�
That’s funny, I would think it’s in everyone’s best interest to not have a blatant racist in the U.S. Senate.
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Allen apologizes for racist prickery..
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.feministing.com/cgi-bin/movabletype/mt-tb.fcgi/3856
That's true, but at least he said he was sorry instead of that he was "sorry if anyone was offended."
True, and he wins points for that, but we need to remember that he also issued a proclamation as governor saying that the Confederacy was a "four-year struggle for sovereignty and state's rights," fought against recognition of the MLK Jr. holiday, hung a Confederate flag in his livingroom, and hung A NOOSE ON A SMALL TREE in his law office. This is one of the most blatantly racist politicians I've ever come across. He almost makes Trent Lott look innocent by comparison, and that's pretty hard to do.
Cheers,
TH
Tom wrote:
Um, no, he doesn't win points for apologizing almost two weeks after dehumanizing and insulting a fellow Virginian. Maybe he would have won points if he'd apologized the next day. Instead he dodged, lied, wiggled, offered up "I'm sorry if anyone was offended by what I said" non-apology, and now finally does the right thing. I'm not prepared to let Allen's handling of this transgression be considered as anything less than god-awful and, as you point out, instructive of his actual racist beliefs.
This sort of hate-speech should not be tolerated by elected officials in any circumstance.
I think it's in everyone's best interest to realize that apologies are inherently duplicitous, and that what matters is really changing.
Matt Browner-Hamlin writes:
I'm not prepared to let Allen's handling of this transgression be considered as anything less than god-awful and, as you point out, instructive of his actual racist beliefs.
Nor should you. My point was that "I'm sorry" is a beter apology than "I'm sorry you feel that way," not that Allen should be let off the hook. To be honest, I'm still hung up on the macaque thing--his mother is from Tunisia and he learned French at her knee, so it is virtually impossible that he would use that word and not have at least some hint of what it means. My guess is that he heard his mother saying it when he was growing up, knew that it meant "ape," but didn't realize that it was widely used as a racial slur by people other than his mother.
Cheers,
TH
Just like Tom said, he's definitely not forgiven. Maybe he gets a couple of points for saying he was sorry, but he got about negative fifty billion points for making the comment in the first place.
All he really gets is acknowledgement that he made a real apology. I'm sure he even meant he was sorry - sorry that his campaign took such a hit.
Tom:
I think that's pretty wishful thinking and even if true would belie Allen's incredible lack of respect for Sidarth as a person.
Not trying to pick on your analysis Tom, I just think we need to expect more from people who want to be president. Not that I'd dream of voting for a Republican anyway, but this remark and Allen's response should completely disqualify him for running for president.
I actually think this encapsulates Allen well. Future campaign posters perhaps?
I for one feel placated that Allen will now be more covert in his racism. Apology *sarcastically and unrealistically* accepted!
Now if only Bush would "apologize" for Iraq after admitting it had nothing to do with September 11th and Al-Qaeda...
This guy's hopeless. Before his apology, he winked at a room full of white folks.
"I want to be very careful about the words I use," then winks and smiles at the all white, elderly crowd in Springfield, VA. In response to Allen's wink and smile, the crowd erupted into laughter.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/8/25/135655/157
Matt Browner-Hamlin writes:
I think that's pretty wishful thinking...
I don't. The whole point of the Southern Strategy is that it must involve ambiguous racism--the noose in the law office, for example, that can be plausibly explained away as a "symbol of law and order." The Confederate flag, which can be explained away as "part of a memorabilia collection." The pro-Confederacy statement, which can be explained away as "remembering Virginia's unique heritage." An overt racial slur would be harder to explain away; calling an Indian American "Mr. macaque" and telling him "Welcome to America!" can likewise be explained away, but it's much harder to explain away if macaque is a widely used racial slur. I think Allen thought he was being more subtle than he was.
...and even if true would belie Allen's incredible lack of respect for Sidarth as a person.
Of course it would. You're preaching to the choir, Matt. Hell, I dedicated a person blog entry to this.
Not trying to pick on your analysis Tom, I just think we need to expect more from people who want to be president.
We already do. The problem is that the people Allen means to appeal to--white conservatives and white "moderates"--by and large don't.
Not that I'd dream of voting for a Republican anyway,
I would have voted for Specter if he'd won the nomination in '96, but I'm hard pressed to name another Republican I'd vote for, too.
...but this remark and Allen's response should completely disqualify him for running for president.
What it will do instead is shore up white rural support in the South without costing him enough moderate support to hurt him in the primary. It may come back to bite him in the general election, but I think he's happy to cross that bridge when he comes to it.
George Allen is a serious threat, and we need to prepare for the possibility that he may in fact be the Republican nominee in '08.
Cheers
TH
So bad, it's good:
He was once suspended for painting graffiti on school walls. Classmates and a school administrator told The New Republic magazine that the graffitti was racist and was intended to fuel racial animosity toward a rival school.
Northern liberals have always thought they were smarter and more well intentioned than everyone else. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Almost all of the Lefts social programs have led to greater wage gaps and more poverty for minorities. Where is the real racism? Ask Russel Simmons who he's supporting this election.
What about Bill Cosby?
George Allen was a great Govenor and is a great Senator. The only reason the press and the deranged left has blown this up is because they're afraid he'll continue the great southern moderate tradition of social compromise and econimic growth. And the NorthEast Liberals will be put back where they belong again, back on the campus. Those that can't do, teach.
(and do that poorly, I might add)
You folks are in for a shocker this election. I wonder if there will be post election depression counselors set up for y'all.
Speaking of elections, there is still time to register to vote if you haven't already. It takes a month to receive your card in the mail. If you moved, changed your name or party you need to reregister. Applying for an absentee ballot is a good idea since it leaves a paper trail in the case of a "recount". If you decide to show up at your precinct instead, simply bring your absentee ballot with you. Click on this link and click on through to your state.
http://www.yourvotematters.org/vote/vote_center.cfm?itemid=15678
Northern liberals have always thought they were smarter and more well intentioned than everyone else. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.free online games