This is really, truly pathetic (CNN):
WASHINGTON (CNN) — A ranking Democrat in the House of Representative is apologizing for saying an African-American Senate candidate “slavishly” supported the Republican Party.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, said he meant no offense when he made the remark about Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, the GOP nominee for the seat being vacated by longtime Democratic Sen. Paul Sarbanes.
“If Mr. Steele did in fact take offense, let me assure him that none was intended,” Hoyer said. “But Mr. Steele continuously tries to divert attention from the fact that he is an unwavering supporter of the Republican agenda and of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.”
[snip]
Hoyer’s office also released a statement from Melvin Forbes, a black businessman who sponsored the campaign event, who said “there was absolutely no offense taken or noticed.”
Heye disagreed, saying there are “a great deal of people upset about it.”
Slavish. Jesum. I had to go look it up, believe it or not:
Main Entry: slav·ish
Pronunciation: 'slA-vish sometimes 'sla-
Function: adjective
1 a : of or characteristic of a slave; especially : basely or abjectly servile b archaic : DESPICABLE, LOW
Lovely, don’t you think?
This is exactly like the gay “outing” campaign, except this version says that if you’re a black person in the Republican Party, you are akin to slaves serving masters.
Just a friendly little reminder for the African-American constituency that only the Democrats represent their issues… just as there’s only one plank that matters for homosexuals.
The Democrats are making me sick with this heavy-handed peer-pressure garbage.
Pathetic? Probably. Surprising? Given the vitriolic outbursts of those such as Harry Belafonte (who have been very liberal with their use of Antebellum references when talking about Condi Rice, Colin Powell, and other high-profile African-Americans in the current administration), not all that much so.
I just put it down to election-year BS (and I ain’t talking Ms. Streisand here) and blow it off.
~EdT.
~EdT.
It’s no less a bullying tactic when carried out by Harry Belafonte; the black community has been doing similar things internally for years, and I abhor that, also.
When it’s done to force political alignment, though, it looks very similar to the attacks on homosexuals. Even if I agreed that such idiocy was only due to election rhetoric (and in large part, it no doubt is), it’s really starting to get under my skin.
Yeah, I could let it get under my skin, too – but to be honest, there isn’t a whole lot I can do to change other people’s behavior, so I have decided to try and expend my energy on things I might be able to affect.
Of course, engaging in a good primal ranting from time to time is wonderfully cathartic, as is going out and blowing orange discs of clay to smithereens.
~EdT.
You had to look up slavish? Doesn’t say much for you, but at least you did that. At any rate, “slavish” is an acceptable word in standard english. Etymologically (there’s another for you to look up), it doesn’t derive from black slavery, so I’m finding it hard to understand the outrage.
What can I say, jpe. You’ve either caught me drooling on my keyboard, or it’s simply a word I don’t use. I’ll have to do some serious navel-gazing to determine which.
Meanwhile, the evolution of slav to slave over a thousand years ago is interesting, but hardly germane.
I’ve got to go with jpe here. Slavishly as a word has several possible meanings including deliberately imitative; lacking originality: a slavish reproduction.
And how many times have Republicans described African Americans as being on the democrat plantation?
Then again we are talking about the Steele campaign. The same campaign that made up the “attacked by flying oreo cookies” story out of thin air. It’s a safe bet they are quite easily offended.