This week's idiots....

[poltr1]

Mississippi senator Trent Lott, who made a remark at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party that has since been interpreted by the media, and many other people, as racist. The quote was something like: "If we would have elected this man in 1948, we wouldn't have been in the mess we're in now." He has since apologized for the remark. I don't think he's done enough. I want more than an apology. I want to hear him own up to his racist shadow, and to perform some form of community service that shows that he is not a racist.

Florida substitute teacher Fabiola Mehu-Pelissier, who told a kindergarten class in Coral Springs that the was no such person as Santa Claus. Some of the parents don't want the substitute teacher to return. School officials are arranging to have someone dressed up as Santa visit the class. (Yeah, they'd probably find out in a few year's time, but in the meantime, why spoil the fantasy? In the meantime, I hope the real Santa delivers her a truckload of coal!)

Comments

Sorry Jim, :(

[dagonell.livejournal.com]

I don't agree with either of your choices this week.

Lott didn't make a racist remark. He made a remark which "has since been interpreted by the media" as racist. He told an very old man at his birthday party that he would have voted for him. The media blew this all out of proportion. Do I think he's racist? Yes. Do I think he should be removed from office? No. His only mistake was forgetting public officials have NO privacy. The media will blow anything they say out of proportion for a 'story'.

The substitute teacher thing strikes me as a mini-recreation of the Scopes trial. "My Ghod! We can't have teachers speaking the truth in a classroom! They have to repeat the official party doctrine!" I'm sorry, but I might have done the same thing. I won't lie to a child. I'd tell him Santa is a representation of the spirit of Christmas, not an actual person. And let's not get into my views of commercialization of the holiday or the paint will blister off the walls!

Re: Sorry Jim, :(

[poltr1]

'Salright. It's okay to disagree with my choices. It gets tiring complaining about the Bengals every week. :)

You are right about Lott's remark. At first glance, I didn't think it was that inflammatory....until I heard a similar remark made by him in 1980. I don't think he should be forced to give up his position either. If we held each of our elected officials to that standard, how many would be tossed out of office?

As for the substitute teacher, I wish I had a link to the story, but I didn't receive one -- just an excerpt, which said it was from the Star Tribune, along with the comment that the mother who said "Christmas is everything to us" had gotten a little too excited. I wouldn't have minded an "I" statement -- e.g. "I don't believe in Santa" -- but a "you" statement like she made was like poking a pin in a balloon.

Ditto your sentiments on the commercialism of the holiday. Watch what happens on the 26th -- it's "Christmas is over, time for business as usual".