Miss Teen South Carolina, Caitlin Upton (2007)
“We’ve already got a raghead in the White House. We don’t need another raghead in the governor’s mansion.” ~ SC State Senator Jake Knotts
When I saw this Jon Stewart clip, I knew that I had to post it. The Helen Thomas debacle aside, a state senator calling a candidate and the president a raghead? Priceless.
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“From its brilliancy everything is illuminated.” ~ Guru Nanek Dev Ji, Founder of Sikhism
In case you didn’t know it, raghead is a racial slur used in derogation of Muslims, Arabs, Sikhs, and other groups who traditionally wear headdress such as a turban, keffiyeh or headscarf. SC candidate Nikki Haley immigrated to the United States as a child from India. She is a convert to Methodism, from Sikhism. Orthodox Sikh men wear turbans. However, it should be noted that Sikhs are not Muslims, which is what I believe Knotts was trying to imply. In Sikhism everyone has equal rights irrespective of caste, creed, color, race, sex or religion, and one of the major tenets of Sikhism is helping the needy and performing community service.
Once again, ignorance rears its ugly head on the political front.
Knotts, in his apology-but-not-really, had this to say: “Since my intended humorous context was lost in translation, I apologize. I still believe Ms. Haley is pretending to be someone she is not, much as Obama did, but I apologize to both for an unintended slur . . . Bear in mind that this is a freewheeling, anything-goes Internet radio show that is broadcast from a pub. It’s like local political version of Saturday Night Live, which is actually where the joke came from.”
Thanks for clarifying. Now I know that I am supposed to laugh.What a berk.
Beh.
More later. Peace.
Steve Martin and the Muppets performing “Dueling Banjos” from the movie Deliverance (just seemed appropriate somehow . . .)
Lola's Curmudgeonly Musings 