Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Turn of Phrase - Newt Says Spanish Is "Ghetto"

"We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English, so people learn the common language of the country, and so they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto."

- Newt Gingrich, in a 2007 speech to the National Federation of Republican Women that was captured on video.

This quote is nearly five years old, but with the Florida primary happening in less than a week and Hispanics making up more than 13% of registered voters and 23% of the total population in the state, Gingrich's words are extremely relevant.

When politicians, or any of the rest of us for that matter, make pronouncements like this, we expose something inherently real about how we see the world. Regardless of intent or motive, words like these reveal our core beliefs. Consequently, an apology for this kind of outright racism can only be seen as a disingenuous and desperate attempt at political recovery.

If you watch the clip, you'll see the original statement, as well as part of Newt's apology to the Hispanic community (in poorly spoken Spanish no less), and you can decide if this is the kind of man who represents the best America has to offer, someone who should be a legit contender for our highest office.

2 comments:

  1. I had this 45 when I was a kid. LOVED IT.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6am8V5KNJ4A

    Not saying this would teach Newt anything, but maybe he should give a listen.

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  2. Jane - Brilliant, as always. Laughed out loud (in the real world). I had to copy and paste the URL because links don't work in the comments section of the blog, but it was worth it. I, too, loved this song as a kid - although, my collection of 45's was more Spinners and Earth, Wind, and Fire.

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