During a discussion about ongoing challenges to the economy Thursday, Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young referred to Hispanic workers as “wetbacks,” an ethnic slur used to describe migrant workers. He has since apologized.
“My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes,” Young told Alaska public radio station KRBD. “It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It’s all done by machine.”
Rep. Don Young of Alaska apologized for using a racist term but not before GOP leaders jumped all over him publically. According to Latinofoxnews.com:
“I apologize for the insensitive term I used during an interview in Ketchikan, Alaska,” Young said. “There was no malice in my heart or intent to offend; it was a poor choice of words. That word, and the negative attitudes that come with it, should be left in the 20th century, and I’m sorry that this has shifted our focus away from comprehensive immigration reform.”
His remark brought a rare rebuke from U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), and other high-ranking party leaders, who called his comment “offensive.”
“Congressman Young’s remarks were offensive and beneath the dignity of the office he holds,” Boehner said. “I don’t care why he said it – there’s no excuse…”
I suppose I find the shock and awe to be somewhat disingenuous after living through the “Illegal Immigration Resolution” that conveniently got renamed the “Rule of Law Resolution” here in Prince William County. Too many people who spoke out during that time conveniently forgot to specify whether they were speaking of criminal illegal immigrants or Latinos in general. All one has to do is look at old blog posts or watch 9500 Liberty to see what I am speaking of if their memory isn’t long. Even a clip from 9500 Liberty shows the disrespectful way people of Latino ethnicity were spoken about. “Wetback” isn’t all that far from calling everyone Latino a Mexican, now is it? “Cockroaches,” “vermin”, “parasites,” and “illegals” were common epithets used here in Prince William County. Let us not forget “dog food.”
I just think everyone needs to get over their mock outrage and just vow to do better. A political consultant for the GOP tried to make things better:
GOP consultant John Weaver said the comment “hurts us,” even though he described Young as “a dinosaur on the bridge of political insanity and irrelevance.”
Stop! Being an ageist is not too much of an improvement. A dinosaur? Rep. Young is 79 years old. There are a lot better ways to describe Young’s gaffe than calling him names. As the baby boomers all become official vintage people, calling them names and poking fun of their age is not politically correct either. I am not too happy trading inappropriate names for Latinos for inappropriate names for seniors!
Except for the straight ignorant rich old armed Christian white male demographic, is there anyone a Republican hasn’t insulted over the past year?
I can’t think of a soul.
@Morris Davis
Give us those war stats over here that you posted on FB, por favor.
I am starting to think this site is funded by the Democratic National Committee. The term ‘dinosaur’ refers not to his age, but rather to the fact that the political era where ethnic slurs are acceptable is ‘extinct’ like the dinosaurs. I can see how the chair of the DNC would choose to interpret Weaver’s statement the way you did ….
Kelly, I hate to break it to you but I existentially know what ‘dinosaur’ means when referring to a person. It simply means OLD and out of date. You wouldn’t call someone thirty a ‘dinosaur.’
I am not a democrat. I just lean that way and will continue to do so as long as the Republican field is filled with radical republicans. Bring back the moderate Republicans and it probably won’t look as blue around here. In my heart I am purple. I just see no purple under that big tent that pnly pays lip service to doing the right things, all awhile talking about legitimate rape, wetbacks, and telling women they can’t buy abortion coverage with their own money.
Actually, I totally understand how people use terms they grew up with that have taken on a bad meaning. I believe we even had a government policy under Eisenhower called Operation Wetback in which Mexican nationals were removed…deported from the United States. There were a lot of terms used in the south that have become unacceptable. a lot of older people have a problem with using them still. I have a friend in Washington State who still says “colored people.” She thinks she is being polite.
Howevaaaaaa…..Republicans just seem to be having a hard time because they are mainly a demographic of older white armed (usually Christian) men. They never thought they had to change and never listened to anyone else long enough to realize the rest of the world did change.
(not everyone but many)
In ten years the GOP is going to have a real mess on its hands with gray Panthers. The new old men are going to be my generation and lots of them. I am not sure sure how the GOP will accommodate the vintage baby boomers. The women will simply not tolerate!
That’s going to be a huge voting block and I suggest not making noises about medicare and social security. Actually my generation is the first to have paid into medicare their entire working career. We are also notorious for making sure we are loud and proud and no one is going to take it away.
Something to think about.
Moon, I don’t think your argument that you can’t call a 30 year old a dinosaur doesn’t hold water. and I agree with Kelly–this is a case of someone’s sense of things is out of touch with today; i.e., a dinosaur. If age is the criteria for being a dinosaur, then I can think of at least two of us at near 80 or older who must be classified as “dinosaurs”. 😉
what a moron!
@Elena
Am not.
Oh stop George 😉 You know I am not talking to you! At least not this time LOLOLOLOL
Once again, a couple GOP members (the other was the RNC official that called gays disgusting or some such term) dare to speak out loud what many of their party members are thinking and saying in private, and some spokespeople for the party are “shocked.” Reminds me of the police captain in Casablanca…
Many, if not most, of the Republicans I know well enough to talk freely around are xenophobic, gay-phobic, anti-environmental regulations and anti-all gun restrictions. The party clearly has no intention of substantively changing any of their stances on the above, and they should just have the guts to own their out of touch hard-line positions.
I say the GOP should run Don Young for president!