Illiterate peasant = Mexican

[manifold]

This is from the AP story about Douglas Bruce's comment. Apart from the obvious PC debate about the ever growing list of "offensive" and "insensitive" words, notice the actual title of the story. It says "Mexican Remark" when he never actually referenced Mexican's specifically. I'm not saying that isn't what he meant, because only an idiot would suggest otherwise, but I would still expect a news source like the AP to confine themselves to reporting the facts and not speculate or editorialize. But hey, maybe that's just me.

Colo. lawmaker removed from podium over Mexicans remark

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado legislator known for kicking a photographer was ordered to leave the podium of the state House of Representatives on Monday because he called Mexican workers "illiterate peasants."

State Rep. Douglas Bruce, who has a history of provoking controversy, made the comment during debate on a bill that would allow the state to help immigrant workers get temporary federal visas. The measure is intended to ease a shortage of farm workers in the state.

"I would like to have the opportunity to state at the microphone why I don't think we need 5,000 more illiterate peasants in Colorado," Bruce said.

link

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjejGz2ScBlo-Eccugkvp2u9HLZQD906JKB00

 

[Ravi]

If everyone knew what he meant, how is it editorializing?

And don't you have a superfluous apostrophe?

 

[Shogun]

illegal mexicans ARE illiterate peasants. good grief. Are bloods and crypts NOT thugly hood trash?

 

[Paulie]

illegal mexicans ARE illiterate peasants. good grief. Are bloods and crypts NOT thugly hood trash?

Yo, it's "crips", yo.

 

[Shogun]

shit. it's been a while since I watched boyz in the hood.

 

[manifold]

If everyone knew what he meant, how is it editorializing?

The bill in question is not specific to Mexicans.

As an alegedly unbiased news source, they should have replaced Mexican, with "illiterate peasant" in the title, IMO. And also not misreported the facts in the article itself by saying that he specifically called Mexicans "illiterate peasants." Regardless of what you think of the guy and his comment, this is an obvious bias in the way the AP chose to report the incident.

 

[jillian]

This is from the AP story about Douglas Bruce's comment. Apart from the obvious PC debate about the ever growing list of "offensive" and "insensitive" words, notice the actual title of the story. It says "Mexican Remark" when he never actually referenced Mexican's specifically. I'm not saying that isn't what he meant, because only an idiot would suggest otherwise, but I would still expect a news source like the AP to confine themselves to reporting the facts and not speculate or editorialize. But hey, maybe that's just me.



link

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjejGz2ScBlo-Eccugkvp2u9HLZQD906JKB00

I so can't stand silliness... do you think he meant anything else? People make comments. Other people understand those comments. Do you think the press is supposed to pretend they're morons?

Speaking truth ISN'T editorializing.

 

[manifold]

illegal mexicans ARE illiterate peasants. good grief. Are bloods and crypts NOT thugly hood trash?

You sayin your not down with Snoop Dogg and the LBC?

 

[manifold]

I so can't stand silliness... do you think he meant anything else? People make comments. Other people understand those comments. Do you think the press is supposed to pretend they're morons?

Speaking truth ISN'T editorializing.

I don't want "truth" from the AP. I want "facts." Truth is subjective, facts are not.

Is that so hard to understand?

 

[Paulie]

You sayin your not down with Snoop Dogg and the LBC?

I used to be, back in the day before he turned to spoken word over hip hop instrumentals, with the audacity to still refer to it as rap.

 

[Ravi]

The bill in question is not specific to Mexicans.

As an alegedly unbiased news source, they should have replaced Mexican, with "illiterate peasant" in the title, IMO. And also not misreported the facts in the article itself by saying that he specifically called Mexicans "illiterate peasants." Regardless of what you think of the guy and his comment, this is an obvious bias in the way the AP chose to report the incident.

I guess he could have meant some other latino group, but traditionally farmworkers come from Mexico.

 

[Shogun]

hey, I enjoyed the chronic album just like everyone else back in the early 90s..


but it became the same parody of itself that glam metal became in the 80s. Not to mention, beyond the music, the thugly image doesn't do much for a significant portion of Americans stuck in shitty lifestyles. I mean, when Ice Cube and Ice T become actors in cheesy family movies and cops in dick wolf police dramas... you know?

 

[jillian]

I don't want "truth" from the AP. I want "facts." Truth is subjective, facts are not.

Is that so hard to understand?

Fact... he was referring to Mexicans.

And if you've ever done journalism, the first lesson is write your headline effectively. They did.

What should they have said: Lawmaker makes nasty comment about illiterate peasants?

That's not the story. The story is about the racist allusion to Mexicans as illiterate peasants.

Sorry... I disagree with you totally.

 

[manifold]

I guess he could have meant some other latino group, but traditionally farmworkers come from Mexico.

Have you considered the point that his terminology, while decidedly uncomplimentary, was still accurate and therefore fair comment? It's like you've said in similar discussions, if referring to someone as what they are is offensive, that suggests that they should be ashamed of who they are. Should illiterate peasants be ashamed of themselves in your opinion?

 

[Paulie]

Ice-T is so horrible in L&O. His role is the epitome of the token black. Does he do anything else besides make clever catch phrases?

 

[manifold]

Fact... he was referring to Mexicans.

Your standard for what constitutes a fact is less than factual.

 

[manifold]

The story is about the racist allusion to Mexicans as illiterate peasants.

What is racist about it? Are you suggesting that it is not an accurate assessment of the workers that this bill would address? And like I just asked Ravi, do you think illiterate peasants should feel shame for who they are?

 

[Ravi]

Have you considered the point that his terminology, while decidedly uncomplimentary, was still accurate and therefore fair comment? It's like you've said in similar discussions, if referring to someone as what they are is offensive, that suggests that they should be ashamed of who they are. Should illiterate peasants be ashamed of themselves in your opinion?

Let me look back over the thread and see if I objected to his comment.

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Nope.

I can't speak to how illiterate peasants should feel about themselves. I wouldn't be ashamed to be a peasant but I'd be ashamed to be illiterate.

But we were disagreeing on the AP's use of the word Mexicans, were we not?

 

[manifold]

Ice-T is so horrible in L&O. His role is the epitome of the token black. Does he do anything else besides make clever catch phrases?

They're actually not that clever and he's a terrible, aweful, atrocious actor. Painful to watch at times actually.

 

[manifold]

But we were disagreeing on the AP's use of the word Mexicans, were we not?

Yes, but I wasn't intending to limit the discussion to that aspect of the story. Even if I accept AP's editorializing, I still maintain that albeit abrasive, it's still a fair comment not worthy of censure.