giddy, I'm curious what you would think of the following statement: "That wetback sure can swim well." Compliment?
Jesus Christ. The word "wetback" must be the like the bat signal to giddy. "Someone on the internet is being accused of racism because they said wetback. Giddyup to the rescue!" What else can explain the time and effort he has put into this and the Ted Nugent "wetback" thread.
yes, giddy, you do understand that words have an origin but are used to take on a broader meaning, right? Has that occurred to you?
Of course I do. That is why he should have and did apologize... yet you keep lambasting him as if he was mindfully present of the more current meaning when he stumbled upon that word from his childhood. I understand; you don't... because you keep assailing him.
How bout neither? Simple--he misspoke. Why are you such an unforgiving soul? Is it your life's pursuit to hunt and accuse boogeymen?
So he meant to say Latinos and said wetback on accident? More evidence to the hunting and accusation of innocent old white men certainly.
If this was some random YouTube blogger then this admonishment would be overboard. However, this is a man who helps LEGISLATE. People who hold these powers must come under strict scrutiny.
I find it hard to believe that you've never misspoken and used a racial slur when referring to groups of people. You meant to say white folks and accidentally said honkey crackers. Don't lie.
I said that I'm glad he apologized, and I don't know if he was a racist. However, even in his childhood during the 50's it was a racist term. The only difference was that it wasn't so taboo to be racist then. I also said I'm sorry if he didn't realize it was racist back then. But it doesn't change the fact that the term has always been racist. When they thought it up, it wasn't complimentary, and it was only meant for one ethnicity.
I don't know what he meant to say. I listened to the recording and APR opted to air it "as is." You and your friends are the ones making a criminal case out of it...
See, here's the deal. YOu see him as using a racial slur; he sees it as using a term that he grew up with that referred to illegal farm workers.
So calling someone a "typical racist white conservative" is an endearing term to a lot of people here, but using yet another pejorative in "wetback" is completely unacceptable? I happen to be an objective person who believes both are incorrect, and I don't need to take a side on it like the Red team flag wavers or the Blue team flag wavers. If you want to facilitate discussion in a positive manner, I don't think you'd condone either phrase. Then again, I'm a Libertarian, and most people in this thread seem to hate freedom (including the freedom to be a sour, old racist - just don't vote for him anymore, durrrr.), sooooo I appear to be in the minority...
