Another Republican Racial Slur

The Washington Post ran an article yesterday under the headline “Fla. Lawmaker Faces Racial-Slur Inquiry.”

A cursory glance — revealing that a powerful Republican legislator long rumored to have used the N-word has finally been recorded doing so — would appear to confirm what many readers already know: America is a racist country; Republicans are super-Americans always trumpeting their Americanism and thus are more racist than others; so, what else is new? … no need to keep reading.

Alas, those who do continue reading will see that things aren’t quite so simple. The offending and offensive legislator, state Rep. Rafael Arza from Miami, is Hispanic (almost certainly Cuban-American), whose choice of language, apparently not for the first time, reveals that relations are not so cozy these days inside what Jesse Jackson still sometimes calls “the Rainbow Coalition.”

Nor is it so easy to retreat to the fallback position that, even though all racists may not be white, at least all Republicans are bad, since Rep. Arza was exposed by a fellow Republican and Gov. Bush has not so gently suggested that it’s now time for Rep. Arza to pursue other interests.

The Democrats, of course, are trying to make Rep. Arza’s behavior a partisan issue, but as usual some of their rhetorical artillery threatens to exact severe collateral damage:

“We want Mr. Arza to know that there is no road to redemption that leads through the Florida House,” said Dan Gelber, the designated House Democratic leader. “He can’t simply apologize. Once you tolerate this behavior, you have endorsed it.”

I certainly think it would be appropriate for the Republican majority in the legislature to censure or expel Rep. Arza (assuming the facts reported in the article to be accurate), but the principle that you endorse what you tolerate is simply untenable in a democratic, pluralistic society devoted to free expression and religious liberty.

UPDATE [28 Oct.]

Meanwhile, with regard to toleration being indistinguishable from endorsement, Tom Maguire points out that the Congressional Black Caucus not only defended Rep. William Jefferson’s approach to asset-freezing ($90,000 of an FBI-sourced bribe was found in his freezer) but is demanding that Speaker Pelosi (!) appoint Rep. Alcee Hastings to chair the House Intelligence Committee. Hastings, you will recall, was impeached from his federal judgeship only to be elected to the House as a Democrat.

Say What? (4)

  1. Agog October 28, 2006 at 2:02 pm | | Reply

    The Democrats in Florida say that tolerating behavior equals endorsing it. What a fascinating notion. Let’s explore it.

    Alcee Hastings, a Florida Democrat, is historically significant in that he was found guilty of corruption and perjury and became only the sixth federal judge in the history of the republic to be impeached and removed from office.

    The Democrats demonstrated their disdain for Hasting’s actions by electing him to Congress.

    Seems the Democrats must “endorse” corruption and perjury since they clearly “tolerate” Hastings.

    The Democrats have made former KKK Kleagle Robert Byrd (D-W.Va) a beloved elder statesman within their party. On March 4, 2001, in a televised interview Byrd used the “N” word.

    Seems the Democrats must “endorse” the KKK and use of the “N” word since they clearly “tolerate” Byrd.

    If these hypocritical Democrats could wrap their brains around the concepts of “honest” and “consistent” they would really say that they object to corruption and race bigotry only when committed by Republicans.

  2. Vincent Bemowski October 28, 2006 at 2:49 pm | | Reply

    DEMOCRATS HAVE NO REAL ANSWERS

    Democrats have no real answers to charges of moral corruption within their Party, and within their souls. The difference between the rhetoric of a Democrat and a terrorist is almost non-existent.

    Democrats claim that although they are critical of President Bush, they support our troops in Iraq. But they are liars. Our troops are volunteers who believe in their mission, and have great respect for their Commander-in-chief, whom they overwhelmingly voted for in the last Presidential election. Cowardly Democratic politicians won’t go to Iraq and speak-out against our President because they know they would be booed off our military bases.

    Immoral, hypocritical Democrats also believe people have the “right to kill” millions of unborn human beings through abortions, yet they consider themselves “good” people! I voted for John Kennedy, and would have voted for Bobby Kennedy, but after these great men, a moral sickness corrupted and darkened the soul of the Democratic Party, and that “soul” gets more corrupt and darker with every passing year.

    Vincent Bemowski – Veteran, U.S. Army

    Website: Catholic Messages USA

    http://www.catholicmessagesusa.com/

  3. Will October 28, 2006 at 6:38 pm | | Reply

    What country do you people live in? This is America! Don’t you know that in America, only white people are racist?! Just ask any college professor or anyone in the mainstream media! Therefore, Mr. Arza cannot be a racist.

    Besides, Hispanics are the new fetshized pet “minority goup” of the GOP under El Presidente Jorge Bush. You can’t be a good Republican, according to El Presidente, and criticize a Hispanic person.

  4. Cobra October 28, 2006 at 10:15 pm | | Reply

    Vinnie writes:

    >>>”Democrats have no real answers to charges of moral corruption within their Party, and within their souls. The difference between the rhetoric of a Democrat and a terrorist is almost non-existent.”

    Do you actually want to be taken seriously with that kind of statement?

    –Cobra

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