Has the Macaca Scandal Nailed a Democrat?

Rumors are circulating that a Democratic Delegate may have made an offensive joke to a group of Muslim voters recently.  I'm working on confirming this story- but audio is rumored to be available.

If the quote I have heard is correct, I am outraged.  I was serious when I said that Macaca was a racial slur- and I'm shocked that this scandal may claim another victim...

Developing....

Update #1- I'm back from Martinsville.  It appears this Delegate said to a group of Muslim voters at the Adams Center "We are all macacas here" or something similar.  I'm working on getting the tape.  I have been told by one person there sympathetic to David Poisson that it was a joke, but other attendees have told me if it was a joke, no one laughed.

I don't care if it was a joke or not.  I've been arguing for two weeks on here that Macaca is a racial slur- and the Washington Post has agreed 42 times in the past two weeks according to this search.  Racial slurs are not funny things to joke about.

David Poisson should apologize.

Comments

[bob]

can you give us more details?
does the rumor say it was against muslims? or was it some anti-semetic thing?

[Insider]

Democrat delegate? That sure narrows it down.

It was at Lake Fairfax yesterday and yes, it did happen. I'm glad NLS has picked up on this story and can't wait to see how others spin it.

[charles]

How serious can you be if you keep saying the word again and again?

Do you think you'd last 5 seconds if you headlined a post with the taitle "has (n-word) gained another victim"?

Of course not -- but you have no problem typing the so-called "m-word", because in fact you don't believe for a second that it offends your african-american readers to read the word, to hear you say it, to see it repeated again and again.

You were correct that Allen did a bad thing making up a name for a Webb staffer instead of actually finding out what the guy's first name is. (BTW, anybody know what his first name is, everybody keeps saying his name is "S.R. Sidarth", but what does the "S" stand for?)

But now it's just stupid. Even people who came out saying Allen was wrong are now doing radio shows about "M*gate, Day 14" and making fun of how the Washington Post can't get enough of saying this so-called "offensive racial slur".

Oh, and lest I forget for the millionth time: Actually, the word "Macaca" is the scientific name for a genus of monkey, and is NOT a racial slur, or a foreign word.

There IS a racial slur that is derived from that word, but it is pronounced differently and has only TWO syllables and is NOT what Allen said. But since the anti-Allen people keep insisting that the "m-word" is the 3-syllable word, it is fair to point out that they don't actually believe that. (except for possibly James Martin who isn't actually spelling out the word).

Charles,

I think it illustrative to look at what the word interchanges with in online thesarus.

Macaca
Used for:
Barbary ape
Used for:
black ape
Used for:
bonnet monkey
Used for:
Celebes ape
Used for:
macaque
Used for:
Philippine macaque
Used for:
stump tail macaque

"You were correct that Allen did a bad thing making up a name for a Webb staffer instead of actually finding out what the guy's first name is. (BTW, anybody know what his first name is, everybody keeps saying his name is "S.R. Sidarth", but what does the "S" stand for?)"

Charles apparently Allen did figure out his name before the taping. S.R. isn't the hardest thing to remember or pronounce either.

As far as this latest scandal is concerned, if someone else made an insensitive joke they should resign and the Democratic Party should denounce them right away. Should they choose to stick around, make BS excuses for what they said, and have psychotic wing nuts post ridiculous defenses for them on the internet then the voters of that respective district should kick that delegate out.

[UVA08]

^ that was me

I agree with Charles to a point. I don't know what Allen knew or didn't know and certainly cannot condone what he said. However, those who say the word he used was the equivalent of the n-word are hypocritical by continuing to use and print the word repeatedly. Last week, it was reported that someone is making up m-word themed merchandise and donating a portion of the proceeds to the Webb campaign (http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-04298sy0aug19,1,1703547.story). If the word is actually as defamatory and offensive as people say, shouldn't the Webb campaign be denouncing this tactic and refusing any money that comes from the sale of such merchandise?

[Arturo]

"shouldn't the Webb campaign be denouncing this tactic and refusing any money that comes from the sale of such merchandise?"

The seller of this merchandise is not associated with the Webb campaign, and as far as I know, the Webb campaign is not getting any money from the sale of this merchandise.

Charles: Those of us who have been called the m-word (yes, the 3 syllable version) know that it is a slur.

Denounce or forgive? What's the right thing to do?

[Mason Conservative]

This thing is like Unicron - it eats everything in front of it.

[I Trust Webb]

NLS,

From today’s Washington Post, an interesting (I do not agree with all of it) Op-Ed from a noted (more on the conservative side?) African American linguist, John H. McWhorter:

“Similar insincerity is evident in the reaction to Allen and the macaca episode, in which the Virginia Republican used the word in reference to a U.S.-born Democratic campaign worker of Indian descent. Imagine for a moment that Allen actually knew that a "macaque" is a kind of monkey, or that in French the term is sometimes used as an insult for North Africans (Allen denied having known about either). Who, then, believes that Allen would use the slur against an opposition campaigner aiming a camera straight at him?

The facts of the case would suggest that Allen just made up something silly on the spot -- something especially clear from the video of the incident, in which Allen, as usual, speaks in his jocular backyard-barbecue tone. His erstwhile attitudes toward Confederate memorabilia and Martin Luther King Jr. Day notwithstanding, was calling young S.R. Sidarth "macaca" graceful? Hardly. But racist? Nonsense.”

Full text here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/25/AR2006082501194.html

This really flies in the face of your assertion that “macaca” is a racial slur. I remain convinced that the long-term strategy (albeit 72 Days) is to focus on Allen’s insensitivity, foolishness, and lack of judgment. Playing the race card for the next two months just bogs down other very important issues, and people are getting fatigued by the debate of “macaca=n-word.” Isn’t the real issue Allen’s continued lack of common sense? Lord knows that trait has been proven time and time again.

[mike]

can you tell us what the quote you heard was? was it against moslems? please give us more info, great site

[Voice of Reason]

Macaca is not a racial slur regardless of the spin at RK. Allen's comments, however, were racist. Just as a word, no matter how offensive, taken out of context can be meaningless, a meaningless word in certain context can be extremely offensive. Allen used his meaningless word to denigrate and pick on an individual who looked different than everyone else who heard the comment.

I can't believe anyone would defend him by engaging in semantics about what the word does or does not mean.

[SE VA MWC Alum]

was it dave marsden? Just wondering

[brimur]

He was clearly making note of George Allen's insensitivity. Go Poisson!

[Not Ben]

I think what Poisson was saying was we're all macacas, as in we're all outraged by racial remarks like Allen's.

Brimur: oh I get it. So its ok to address a crowd with a racial slur because you're mocking someone else for their insensitivity. This is just the kind of dumb ass statement I was waiting to see posted. I only wish Lowell Feld would have posted it.

[brimur]

Anon. 3:20 - clearly this is so important to you that you remained anonymous to post it.

Just come off your disingenuous self-righteousness, you know there's a million degrees of difference between the two.

This is just Ben being Ben again.

[Sam]

Sidarth's first name is not being disclosed probably for personal reasons. I've known him since sixth grade, but without his permission, I won't reveal it, but it doesn't matter, at least as long as I've known him he goes by Sidarth and that's what his friends call him.

Voice of Reason is exactly right. "Macaca" in English really isn't a racial slur or racist term. George Allen saying it, however, was. Any racial slur in some context can be fine, just like any word on some context can be racist. Look at Allen's mannerisms, listen to his tone of voice, it's all there. He knew he was in an all-white crowd, and had no qualms saying something that SOUNDS demeaning (I'll bet to him, he made up the word right there) to refer to the non-white one there. Any idiot, though, can tell that the word "macaca" sounds demeaning, and Allen generally isn't an idiot.

[matt]

how many times did they say George "Macaca" Allen on Dailykos and you did not care?

No, Ben's right - in fact, it's such a powerfully brutal word that it managed to somehow spring into existence as a slur on August 16:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Macaca_%28slur%29&dir=prev&action=history

[NotFrenchCheese]

Dave Poisson's comment was not used in the same way at all. He wasn't pointing out a person of color, mocking him, humiliating him. I think Poisson was just trying to say he and the crowd were all people that in George Allen's world would be mocked. He meant it in a communal way.

I think we all have to be careful to not get so politically correct and over judgmental that we are looking for controversy in everything every politician says. No one will ever run for office!

George Allen's comment was over the top and combined with his somewhat racist background - people were rightly aghast.

If Poisson humiliates and bully's anyone in one of his crowds and points out their ethnic differences and suggests they are not a citizen I will be equally aghast. Poisson did not even come close.

Sidarth himself used the word "micaca" in his essay to get into Larry Sabato's class. He was supposed to enter a one page essay as to why he should be allowed entry into the class. All he wrote was:

"I am micaca"

Poisson's comments are on the same level as what Sidarth himself wrote. Lets not make mountains out of molehills people. The word -without malice attached - is just another noun.

[Insider]

NFC, what you're saying is Republicans can't say the word because you just know they're racists, but Democrats can because they're "communal."

No go. If it's racist to call people that word, it's racist to call people that word.

You can't flip-flop it when the R changes to a D.

In the words of the legendary Steve Martin..."I AM A MACACA!"