Defending "camel jockeys" slur, Coulter said: "We have sure moved away from the day when we called them Krauts and Nips"
On the October 1 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, during a discussion with right-wing pundit Ann Coulter, co-host Alan Colmes said, referring to a chapter in Coulter's new book, If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans (Crown Forum): "[Y]ou're quoted as saying, 'Maybe I'm winning the camel jockeys over,' " to which Coulter responded: "Yes ... That's actually in the book. That's not a made-up quote." Colmes then asked: "So you have no problem referring to Arabs as camel jockeys?" Coulter responded: "Oh. Yeah. No. They killed 3,000 Americans. I'll be very careful with my language." In response, Colmes said: "[W]hen you refer to an entire ethnicity as camel jockeys, it sounds bigoted," to which Coulter again asserted: "Yes, and it's so mean after they killed 3,000 Americans, and I shouldn't be mean to them," adding, "We have sure moved away from the day when we called them Krauts and Nips."
The description of Coulter's book by publisher Crown Forum states: "Now you can read all the quotes that have so outraged her enemies and so delighted her legions of fans. More than just the definitive collection of Coulterisms, If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans includes dozens of brand-new commentaries written by Coulter and hundreds of never-before-published quotations."
Later in the segment, Coulter said that her "camel jockeys" comment "was a quote on [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad." Colmes responded: "You were talking about camel jockeys. That's plural." As Media Matters for America documented, Coulter did refer to Ahmadinejad as a "camel jockey" in her February 15, 2006, nationally syndicated column, but she also used the plural version of the phrase "camel jockey" in her book without referring to any individual.
From her February 15, 2006, column:
If you don't want to get shot by the police, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then don't point a toy gun at them. Or, as I believe our motto should be after 9/11: Jihad monkey talks tough; jihad monkey takes the consequences. Sorry, I realize that's offensive. How about "camel jockey"? What? Now what'd I say? Boy, you tent merchants sure are touchy. Grow up, would you?
From If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans, in a passage recounting Coulter's attacks on former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta and the criticism that ensued:
One curious thing about the ensuing outrage is that Hollywood Liberals denounced me faster than the Arabs did. Maybe I'm winning the camel jockeys over! After all, they get Christmas presents under my plan.
"'ANN COULTER'S RECENT ATTACK ON NORMAN MINETA IS DESPICABLE,' SAID PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY FOUNDATION PRESIDENT RALPH G. NEAS. 'IT IS OUTRAGEOUS TO SAY THAT THIS LONG-TIME PUBLIC SERVANT HATES AMERICA. BUT IT IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT SURPRISING, GIVEN COULTER'S HISTORY OF SIMILARLY RABID COMMENTARY,'" - Statement, People For the American Way Foundation, March 1, 2002. [Page 10]
As Media Matters for America has documented, Coulter has a history of making disparaging comments toward Arabs and Muslims:
- In a November 30, 2006, syndicated column about the removal of six imams from an airplane in Minnesota after other passengers saw them praying prior to boarding, Coulter claimed that "profiling Muslims is more like profiling the Klan" than it is like profiling African-Americans, "because of the history of discrimination against blacks in this country." Coulter added: "What did we do to the Arabs? I believe Americans are the victims in that relationship."
- In her February 8, 2006, column, Coulter suggested that Islam is "a car-burning cult," and wrote that Muslims have "a predilection for violence." Coulter was commenting on the rash of violence linked to cartoons in European newspapers that satirized the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.
- After lauding the elections in Iraq as "one of the grandest events in the history of the world" in her February 3 column, Coulter cited reports of Iraqis celebrating in the streets on Election Day and added parenthetically: "Isn't it great to see Muslims celebrating something other than the slaughter of Americans?"
- On September 12, 2001, responding to the September 11 attacks, Coulter wrote of Muslims in the National Review: "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity." She was later fired from the conservative National Review Online as a result of those comments. In her book, How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter (Crown Forum, October 2004), Coulter wrote: "I am often asked if I still think we should invade [Muslim] countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity. The answer is: Now more than ever!"
As Media Matters also noted, Coulter's latest book was released on October 2. Following her appearance on the October 1 edition of Hannity & Colmes, Coulter also appeared on the October 2 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends and the October 2 edition of NBC's Today.
From the October 1 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:
COLMES: You talk about the Norman Mineta controversy in your book, and how you were criticized for things you said about him, about there being internment camps, and claiming he was whining about it. In the ensuing outrage, you say, "Liberals denounced her [sic: me] faster than Arabs did." Then you're quoted as saying, "Maybe I'm winning the camel jockeys over."
COULTER: Yes.
COLMES: So you have no problem referring to --
COULTER: That's actually in the book. That's not a made-up quote.
COLMES: That's why I'm talking to you about it. So you have no problem referring to Arabs as camel jockeys?
COULTER: Oh. Yeah. No. they killed 3,000 Americans. I'll be very careful with my language.
COLMES: Wait a minute. All Arabs? All Arabs killed 3,000 Americans?
COULTER: The point is, they were a little slower to attack me for that than the Jews were.
COLMES: All right, but when you refer to an entire ethnicity as camel jockeys, it sounds bigoted.
COULTER: Yes, and it's so mean after they killed 3,000 Americans, and I shouldn't be mean to them.
COLMES: But "they" were not all Arabs.
COULTER: We have sure moved away from the day when we called them Krauts and Nips.
COLMES: You're very proud of yourself, aren't you?
COULTER: No, I'm making a point. We're at war. And what liberals are concerned about is what language we're using --
COLMES: You know what? Wait a minute --
COULTER: -- to describe the enemy.
COLMES: You make your living on language. Language is very important. And, in fact, if you're going to try to prosecute a war or if you're going to try to win a war, you don't win it by using nasty language towards your opponent or calling everybody who's an Arab or everyone who's a German
COULTER: You don't win it by whining, when that is a quote about Ahmadinejad. That was a quote on Ahmadinejad.
COLMES: You were talking about camel jockeys. That's plural.
COULTER: And what they're worried about is language being used toward him. And you pretend you're just worried about the language, but as we know from last week, you weren't just worried about the language. Columbia University invites Ahmadinejad to speak there. He is an honored guest there. I'm not. The Minutemen are not.
COLMES: The Minutemen were invited there.
COULTER: This isn't just a question of language. You use language to change the substance of what people are talking about.
COLMES: No, I'm quoting your language, as you pointed out.
SEAN HANNITY (co-host): I want to talk about -- the band is back together. You've got George Soros funding John Podesta's group, Think Progress, which is attacking the structural imbalance of talk radio. You've got George Soros funding MoveOn.org, George Soros funding Harold Ickes in Americans Coming Together. We need Media Matters to open up their books.
But all these groups are now designed to hurt people like you. They have this phony battle and total mischaracterization of Rush Limbaugh's comments to hurt him. And it seems like they're trying to pick off one conservative after another.
COULTER: Right.
HANNITY: It's all the Clinton machine, to prepare for her run and hurt anybody that might be an opponent of hers.
COULTER: Right. I think the point of my book is -- I wouldn't be too worried if I were a conservative - oh wait, I am a conservative -- because, I mean, that is the cure you sang about, the first chapter of my book. You go through these 10 years of defamation campaigns against me, taking something I've said or making up something entirely that I never did say, twisting it, changing it, becoming hysterical, leading the news with it. And in every one of the battles, you don't even know --
HANNITY: But isn't the goal --
COULTER: Wait, but not only am I still here, but everyone I went up against has a reputation that has not gone up since that fight.
Must be easy and conforting to trash entire groups of people while under the protection of O'Reilly's army, the Foxstapo.
Anyone that watched this knows what joy Coulter takes in her joustings with Colmes. She insults and he stiffens. He accuses and she deliciously eats it up until she's done with him and then turns to Sean.
Colmes really looks pathetic in these exchanges with her. There is no point in debating her wild-eyed, head-shaking opinions - he might as well sit these interviews out and let Sean handle her alone. He comes off bruised and just looks dopey.
I agree. I like Alan, but he's so overmatched in these "conversations" that it's embarassing. Joe Conason claims that he had been considered for that job. I guess he would have been too tough to browbeat.
Colmes is a lightweight, but that's exactly what Sean Hannity demands for his show.
"wild-eyed, head-shaking opinions"
That must be the velvet glove way of saying racist, bigoted and ethnocentric.
Let Sean handle her?
I think you mean let Sean stroke her ego.
It's essentially his show, his agenda, his hand-picked stories.......Colmes is there to look foolish in a feeble attempt to defend the far left stuff Sean and Fox like to highlight, and occasionally offer up a contrary viewpoint.
Yes, to stroke her ego and help sell her books.
Colmes is on the show to display to the mouth-breathers audience how lib-ruls are weak, and how they are not to be trusted with national security.
Coulter is on there to show these idiots that it's 'OK' to be a racist hate-monger, and stereotypes are good, especially when they hurt 'the enemy'
I saw her recently on this show, and she sat almost completely facing Hannity and whenever Colmes would ask her something she would casually glance over her shoulder at him.
Can we get Bill-O's body language expert on this one?
I think Colmes is a traitor to all progressives.
I agree. If we all just ignore this B#*ch maybe she will go away. The more attention you give a misbehaved child the more misbehavior you get.
Outrageous. Don't take the nickname away from Germans by calling Arab's "Krauts". And I don't even know what a "Nip" is...some race that lives in a cold region of the world?
But seriously folks..
Ann Coulter needs to either be a comedian or be a political commentator. She's allowed jokes, but if she's going to use them at the lowest levels (the F*g comment and "camel jockeys"), she just needs to go on a comedy central tour.
The point has to do with the names we called Germans and the Japanese when we were at war with them. I knew alot of oldsters that used those words until their death. WW II is long past so those words have slowly disappeared. However, we are at war with Al Quaeda. That's her point. Not sure I agree with it but that's her point.
What would it take for you to be sure?
Does anybody remember the propaganda cartoons where Bugs Bunny was fighting the Japanese? The Japanese had cokebottle glasses and huge buck teeth. Bugs drove up in a Good Humor truck and was passing out grenades on popsicle sticks. I must admit that I thought they were funny, but I don't think they even show them any more.
They locked 'em away because they know the content is inflammatory and doesn't present the kind of image for WB that WB wants to present. With good reason.
They're an interesting insight into that day and age, though. I'm told you can find some on youtube.
Those cartoons have gone the way of Disney's "Song of the South".
Down the memory hole...
just so you remember, that cartoon was called "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips". I suppose you can figure why it is no longer seen. Probably for thet same reason "Coal Black and Da Sebbun Dwarves" is no longer seen. Because we have realized that insulting and demeaning and entire race for the actions of the few is just not a good idea if we wish to improve relationships.
Nerzog, I remember those cartoons too. I also thought they were funny. I'm sure they are no longer being shown. But then again a lot of the old cartoons have been replaced.
Watch any old WWII movie & you'll still hear Krauts, Nips, Japs[it hasn't been removed]. Hey they were still using Kraut in the 1960's on Hogan's Heroes [one of my all time favorite sitcoms]
I suppose Ann figures that during war time any old slur is acceptable, as it used to be.
I wouldn't want to insult all Arabs, but I wouldn't have a problem specifically calling the Islamic jihadist bent on terrorism a slur or two.
J,
Personally, I think it's a good thing that insulting slurs get removed from our lexicon over time - many things that were commonplace a generation ago are no longer so. By and large, eliminating stereotypical and disrespectful words against anyone is a positive evolvement.
However, when one utters these now, such as Coulter's "camel jockey" term, I believe that this goes more to her ignorance and intellect than anything else. Considering the source is just as important as the slur itself, in my opinion.
I just know that for me, if I was on the other end of one of Ann's patented insulting labels, I would laugh at her, more than feel insulted for myself.
Tommy,
When it comes to what slithers out of Coulter's mouth, I always consider the source ;-)
While the rest of us have evolved beyond the use or acceptance of slurs, I think she carries on thinking it makes her a rebel or something.
Agree, that and the shock value that her fans demand, that keeps her in the news, and sells her books. The girl ain't stupid.
I think you underestimate Coulter. There's no question she's a bright woman. What's she's doing isn't evidence of her own ignorance. She's demonstrating an understanding of her audience. There remains a significant portion of this country that finds this kind of speech completely acceptable. Witness the defense of O'Reilly.
I completely agree with the first part of your post. I think however someone ought to treat Gangleskank Ann the way she treats everyone she doesnt like. The world would be a better place if she suddenly aquired a soul and some dim understanding of the word empathy
Something I learned a few years back:
You cannot tell someone who lacks empathy that they lack empathy. It's like describing the colour blue to a blind person. They have nothing on which to hang the concept because it's so foreign to their experience.
With all my love,
Aunty Em
Those images and the language used were quite racist, and typical for America circa 1940's. I believe that most Americans have evolved beyond that, and we realize denigrating a whole group of people is a pretty ignorant thing to do. The term regressive is a very apt title for people like Coulter.
Lynn,
They were still showing those cartoons in the late 50's, early 60's cause that's when I was a kid watching cartoons.
They still showed thwm up into the 90's I never realized how racist they where until I saw a cartoon with little monkey and large lips(africans). Then I was dumbfounded by the racism in cartoons. Popeye was a good one that made fun of the Jews. Whatever, I still thought they where funny as a kid. Glad I did not understand the message they where sending.
They still showed them up into the 90's
Noro I'm surprised by that. I laughed at the images when I was a kid probably because I didn't know any better & had no idea they were racist.
I used to watch Popeye. Guess I was too young to pick up on the Jewish bashing.
I sincerely doubt that they were shown on network TV as late as that. I don't recall seeing many of them and I was watching cartoons in the late 60s and into the 70s. By the time I stopped watching, they'd already begun chopping out all the violence.
I do remember seeing some WWII era cartoons on local television, but the stuff I recall was very specific in its mocking of Hitler and not a group of people in general. I don't recall ever seeing the most vile stuff. (I believe you can see them on occasion at one local film archive. I suspect other libraries probably show them as well.)
Wikipedia to the rescue...
ControversyThe stereotypes
A handful of Looney Tunes shorts from the World War II era are no longer aired on American television nor are they available for sale by Warner Bros. due to the racial stereotypes of African-Americans, Jews (especially in the earlier cartoons, despite the fact that all four of the Warner Bros. were Jewish as well[[2]]), Japanese, Chinese people, and Germans (especially during WWII) included in some of the cartoons. Eleven cartoons that prominently featured stereotypical black characters (and a few passing jokes about Japanese people, as was the case with Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs and "Jungle Jitters") were withdrawn from distribution in 1968 and are known as the Censored Eleven.
(Link to the above)
That's weird cause I saw all of these cartoons as a kid and I was born in the early 70's. Maybe they were black market cartoons on a guerrilla UHF station.
What Jewish bashing?
Popeye made fun of a few cultlures.
They're reissuing , sorta, the original Pop Eye news paper strips. The First offerring was good. His first words,"Ja think I was a cowboy?"
Well Jeter, it was still OK to be openly racist in the 50s and 60's. I remember those old cartoons and I look at them now and cringe. I feel the same way when I look at how Blacks were portrayed in the media strait through the 50s early 60s. All American traditions weren't good ones. I want to keep the good stuff like bar-b-queing on the 4th of July and get rid of the negative, we shouldn't let people like Coulter take us backwards.
Now we just want people to think we are not Racist. What ever happened to comming out of the closet?
That particular proud moment in cinema is called "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips," and is available thanks to the magical internets at http://youtube.com/watch?v=BZzP6-cWkE0
Tastes and life change. I don't beleive there were any racists working in The Termit Tarrace. People on the leading edge on an art form. People trying to be funny. People quietly fighting their management. Reflecting a society amazingly different from ours. Some parts very good, some very bad.
Me, I remember a conflict between an African Child and a force of nature disgised as a mina bird. I'm sure the child was the butt of some physical humor, though I can't bring any scene to mind. Mostly he seemed to be being himself as hard as he could. He ended up frustrated, surprise, but his pride was not touched and he looked ready to face another day of hunting with no reduction to himself for the days events. Perhaps he might have decided to ignore any mina birds he might see.
I remember that one; it was a classic in its time. The kid was the stereotypical "African native", with a bone through his hair, carrying a spear. There were also many depictions in older cartoons of African natives with plates in their lips. As children, we didn't think much of it.
Al Quaeda is a criminal terrorist organization, not a national or ethnographic group. The government is opposed to the Mafia which is of Italian origin; should we be calling Italians "w*ps"? Ethnic slurs are used to diminish the basic humanity of those we oppose. I suspect Coulter would like to see us go to war with a predominantly black nation just so she could dust off slurs that even she has so far refrained from using. I really hope that you are not defending her on this one, Leather.
That's an excellent point. Conservatives keep trying to equate this to WWII, but it is very different. We were at war with entire nations then, but now, as you point out, we are at war with rogue elements within nations. We are not at war with all Arabs or Muslims...at least not yet. Give Cheney a couple of more years, and we may be.
We were at war with Germany because that is where Hitler was. Don't think that the majority of Germans were on his side? He just had enough of the miltary might on his side to take over. There were many who had no choice but to keep quiet or face the firing squad.
Look at the situation in the USA. I keep hearing that the majority of Americans want out of Iraq. Then why are we still there.
We are at war with the nations that harbor terrorists or subscribe to the violent ideology of the Islamic extremes
"The point has to do with the names we called Germans and the Japanese when we were at war with them."
Were we trying to win their hearts and minds?We where taught to hate them, and with good reason. Otherwise, you might be a lampshade on some German table.
Bush clearly proclaimed that our enemy was not the Iraqi people, but their leadership. We are their liberators, etc.
I don't see our cause of liberation and winning hearts and minds advanced by way of a bestselling author describing Arabs in such a way.
I agree in the present time. Times have changed.
So you hate Germans?
No, did I imply that?
Look Lynn, get off your high horse. I do not HATE anyone. I dislike a lot of people, but hate is not in my vains. Take my sons life, I am sure I can spawn some hate. Otherwise, stop pretending you are not human.
Your talking gibberish again.
Who are you again?
No.
We may have been right to hate the Nazis but not the German people.
I really like the way South Park addressed this issue stylistically when they did their preachy bit on the Afghanistan war (before we invaded Iraq, if I recall correctly). In their cartoon, the boys go to Afghanistan to return a goat that their Afghani counterparts sent in return for some dollars they sent over to "help" the kids who were victims of the war.
The boys get taken to Bin Laden by members of the Afghani village, and are held hostage while Osama makes propaganda tapes about them. They are rescued by the Afghani kids, who make it clear that they hate America for what it's done to their country, but will not allow the (innocent) boys to suffer because of something that's not their fault.
In this episode, there are a LOT of cultural stereotypes - Arab men who screw camels, Arabs who speak in "ooga booga" talk, etc., but it is (almost) entirely attributed to one man - Bin Laden himself. By and large, the rest of the ancillary Afghani characters are either highly intelligent, normal characters, or are "mob types" needed for market scenes. The insults, the cultural stereotypes are really only applied to the real enemy - not to the good guys, and not to the "normal" people.
In this vein, it would have been nice if WB had taken the same approach way back when and differentiated between the Germans and the Nazis, or between the Japanese and their war-mongering leaders.
I remember that one. A goat was mistaken for Stevie Nicks. Of course the new one tonight features Eric Cartman with Tourette's. Wouldn't miss that one for the world! {:)
Let me differentiate between laughing at what Eric Cartman says and the Bugs Bunny cartoons in the 40's:
The fans know that Cartman is a bigot (in the same mold of Archie Bunker) and we laugh out of shock and also at the utter stupidity of what he says.
Japans real name is Nippon - that's where it comes from.
It is not even a derogatory term, and neither is "krauts". The Germans got that name for their liking of sauerkraut.
Well well......
I guess the cat is out of the bag now, first Billo, then Rush, then Medved, and now Ann...... on FOX, big suprise here!
I'm sure that all the other right-wing painfully obvious racist pigs of our country are bound to come out from under the rock they are sharing with Dick Cheney any day now......
Sadly, a good size portion of our fellow citizens don't pay attention to all this crap going on around them but since this stuff is in the internet(s) it is there for ever, so history will see the blatant sickness of the right-wing as something to be immunized against.
Why are Conservatives, in general, so rude? What is it about their chemical makeup that allows them to spout off so much hatred, and then complain that the Liberals are being ridiculous? I really think that the extensive study done that tracked children and their attitudes through adulthood is very accurate. Children who eventually became Conservatives were too structured, angry, whiny little brats. Then they became overly structured, angry, whiny adults. Black-White, with no room for gray.
Someone please find a link to the study so I can reread! Thanks.
I think it has to do with their religious upbringing.
Coulter herself makes the distinction between "polite" moderate Republicans and the Right Wing Republicans she tries to represent.
She's very clear about how she feels the moderate "polite" road is less effective.
Here is one. There are contless studies that show simlar results. Just ask The Google
"Extreme conservatives could be really rigid," she said. "Moderates should be pretty flexible. But if we go all the way to the left, they may look a lot like the extreme right — rigid in their ideas."
We are really not that different, are we?
Oh no you are quite different. You're on of a kind you are.
I am one of a kind you mean? Thank you Lynn. Maybe we can have a latte some time. you may find me to be a polite person outside of the Stail Interent.
Check out John Dean's Conservatives Without Conscience, or Broken Government. He cites the studies I believe you're referencing. The name of the researcher escapes me at the moment.
I have LITERALLY just finished reading "Broken Government" by John W. Dean, within the last hour.
This is a very important book, which I think everyone who cares about the political sitch-eee-ay-shun in America.
I want to pull one quote out of the book, from page 189: "RESTORING PROPER PROCESSESBreakdown in the three branches of the federal government do not call for new government reforms. The breakdowns I have described did not develop because any of the three branches has fundamentally flawed processes. Rather, as I have made clear, they occurred because contemporary Republican leaders simply do not govern or rule by long-standing and understood proceedures. The solution to the problem is simple: Run the government as it is supposed to be run. If Republicans are not willing to do that --- and I believe they are not capable of it --- they should not be trusted to control America. Given the droves of people who have left the GOP in the past six years --- many of whom, I believe, are disgusted with the behavior of elected Republicans --- this is not as difficult as it might seem. One of the best ways to to keep Republicans out of power is to encourage their cheerleaders --- pundits like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Ann Coulter --- to continue serving as spokespeople and catalysts for authoritarian conservatism. Few want to go where they would take this country, as Republican losses in the 2006 elections were solid signs that Americans are not interested in GOP authoritarianism. It was a hopeful indication that the electorate is wearly of vituperation and polarization, and seeks instead to return to the quiet center where this country has always operated at its best."Therefore, I say, we should encourage Limpballs, Scammity, mAnn and, of course Mr. Falafel to continue spewing their garbage.Go mAnn go!!!
With all my love,Aunty Em
This is the best excuse she can come up with....and she's a lawyer?
I guess, in Ann's mind, those were the 'good ole days" when we could freely use words like krauts, nips, camel jockeys (and words that won't get past the filter)...etc., and not think twice about it?
Thats what I was thinking....who gets to decide when a word is "bad"? "Nips" and "Krauts" were part of the script on McHales Navy and Hogans Hero's. Now those words are baaaaad. Black male comedians are given the greatest latitude for word usage today. Some day it will be the Trolls turn to "dis" with reckless abandon and with out consequence.
Hey, don't let anyone stop you from expressing yourself. If you think you're in the right to use whatever words you want to talk about entire groups of people and to stereotype those people, have at it. Just let me watch.
And "black male comedians" are reeling themselves in or being reeled in, too. But don't let the truth get in the way of your talking points.
as long as she doesn't call the general "betrayus". Now that would be offensive!
(I'm joking of course)
Yes, and it's so mean after they killed 3,000 Americans, and I shouldn't be mean to them.
For AC and anyone else who wants to get up to speed on how the rest of the world percieves history (hint, history did not start on 9-11-01) I recomend the excellent "The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic ".
To me, she completely looses any respect when she uses the word "they" and "them" as if the 500 million people she offends with her slurs personally had a hand in the terrorism of 9-11-01.
Camel jockey is now an evil term? Pet negro, redneck, wet back and even Yankee are derogatory terms IMO, but I have seen them posted here with no outrage. Some people just love to find everything offensive. C'mom, camel jockey?
Dave,
Are you serious? Yes CJ is an insulting derrogatory term meant to belittle ethnic minorities. And if you think it is really not that bad try going to the closest middle eastern area of your city and start calling people that. You will quickly learn how offensive some people find it.
Camel jockey is now an evil term? Pet negro, redneck, wet back and even Yankee are derogatory terms IMO, but I have seen them posted here with no outrage. Some people just love to find everything offensive. C'mom, camel jockey? Dave
Dave the problem you have with understanding is your black/white thinking. We are individuals, period. For me, calling someone a negro is acceptable. I do not use the “N” word at all and I dislike being called “colored” period, but that is me and only me. The next black person you meet may feel completely different.
I do not call Asian Americans “Oriental”, that’s a fricking food not a race of people but to some Asians it may be acceptable. I do not call people “Mexican”. If I’m not sure I will say “Latino” or “Hispanic”. I know for a fact that calling someone a “wet back” is an insult and I’m no rocket scientist The word”Yankee” was used as a slur by many southerners. It started with the civil war and continues even today. We are not ignorant people (at least some of us) and it should not be hard to find acceptable words to use. It also should not be hard to apologize when you make a mistake and call someone by a word they don’t like. It’s called humanity, treat people they way you wished to be treated. Pretty simple.
Pearl,
Good post as always. I agree with you. I believe those terms were insults myself. I admit I'm a bit older and have not heard camel jockey until recently. To me, it was a bit funny, but hardly insulting. Pet negro was more insulting, and I'm a white guy from NY. Redneck, which frequents this site, descibing a white dumb R voter from the South, goes unchallenged. I guess insults are in the eye of the beholder, but I believe thicker skin would be better. I really believe some people look to be offended so they have something to complain about.
Redneck, which frequents this site, descibing a white dumb R voter from the South, goes unchallenged. I guess insults are in the eye of the beholder, but I believe thicker skin would be better. I really believe some people look to be offended so they have something to complain about.
Dave, when I saw your comment about "rednecks" I thought of Larry the Cable Guy. IMO some comedians are trying to use humor to take the sting out words that are insulting to some and perfectly OK to others.
Black comedians for years and years used the "N" word to take the sting out of how it was used in a negative way by whites. We have come of age (some of us) and black folks are now demanding that comedians stop using the "N" word in their acts. We are living in the year 2007 and if we want people to acknowledge the insult of the word, we have to make sure that their is no room for confusion by anyone. It is time.
"It is time."
Yes, it is time to step up and save America from attacks by Islamists. Or perhaps, you don't like seeing the Sears Tower in the Chicago skyline (http://www.miamiherald.com/775/story/257718.html), and would prefer to discuss how you can't decide whether to use latino or hispanic. Unbelievable.
Why don't you go sign up and stop those threatening, horrible Islamists, keyboard commando?
In the meantime, I'm going to sit here and try to figure out what's wrong with being a Yankee.
Just to get this straight, you want me to sign up for the military? Would that be the same military that liberals despise because of the anti-gay attitude the "dont ask, don't tell" policy brings? Or, the same military that liberals accuse of killing innocents? The same military that "tortured" detainees at Abu-Ghraib? And the same military that is mosre focused on air-raiding villages than finding Osama?
You can't hold up joining the military as something good when most the people on the left mock it.
You're telling us that you're not signing up to put your life on the line for your country because you're afraid of what a few liberals will say?
If a thing is right, it's right. Quit using supposed liberal condemnation as an excuse for simple cowardice.
Take a good look around this forum. You'll find that most people here are adamant supporters of the United States' military. I for one certainly am. My father served in the Army, and I have friends who served in the first Gulf War. Our military is the greatest fighting force the world has ever known, and I don't think there's any military goal beyond its reach.
I just don't think that the administration's goals can be accomplished through military means in Iraq. But hey, if you do, then you'll have my full support, and every day you will have my prayers that you defeat our enemies and return home safe.
And if I were you, I'd worry less about the support or criticism of liberals than I would about a conservative administration that totally botched its planning of a war of choice.
Since Bush announced that major combat operations were complete in Iraq in front of a "Mission Accomplished" banner, more than 3,000 American soldiers have died in Iraq. So if you're afraid to sign up to serve, I can't blame you. But it's not the words of liberals that you have to fear -- it's the actions of your supposed conservative supporters.
1. I was not attempting to justify not signing up for military service by citing liberal criticism; I was pointing out the hypocrisy of those on the left (obviously, not you) who hold anti-military beliefs and then turn around and tell people to sign up.
2. The "mission accomplished" point is complete nonsense. The US objective originally was to search for WMD's and topple the Sadam regime. That mission was accomplished, thats why the ceremony was held. After this point in time, the mission changed to stabalizing the country, setting up a government, and removal of insurgents. No doubt this mission is failing miserably because of an incompetent commander in chief, and politicians on both sides of the aisle benefiting from the contracting work going on over there.
"No doubt this mission is failing miserably because of an incompetent commander in chief, and politicians on both sides of the aisle benefiting from the contracting work going on over there."
Watch out, John. Keep talking like that and you'll be branded an America-hating liberal...
BLR, John can't sign up he's afraid to actually serve his country. He's much more effective hiding under his been and screaming like a lot of young Republicans.
and would prefer to discuss how you can't decide whether to use latino or hispanic. Unbelievable.
And your to stupid to breathe, but that's life and here you are, still breathing and still dumb.
Few things annoy me more than the lame, lame, lame public discourse on the goodness or badness of particular words. I keep waiting for a thoughtful public media figure to suggest that Imus and Coulter's racial slurs aren't offensive because of the particular words they chose, but because of the implicit arguments they advanced and their particular contexts.
Example: Colmes is absolutely right (for once) in pointing out that the truly ugly aspect of Coulter's "camel jockey" remark isn't the epithet about Arabs on camels, but the suggestion that Arabs and terrorists are one and the same.
Another example: The coverage of Michael Richards' infamous tirade at the Laugh Factory quickly degenerated into a discussion of whether or not the use of the N-word would have been tolerated if Richards was an African American comic. In fact, I don't think Richards' utterance of the N-word on its own mattered as much as his use of the word as he described, in rather disturbingly vivid imagery, a hypothetical lynching of an African American audience member.
The Don Imus episode earlier this year played out in a similar way. It's one thing to talk about "nappy headed hos." It's quite another to say that and then consciously and overtly link that statement about college women's basketball players to Spike Lee's School Daze. Again, though, the controversy around Imus devolved into the status of the particular words he chose. In fact, if he and the other people on his show had used other words to make the same argument, they would have said something just as offensive.
So can we please not make this a question about whether or not "camel jockey" is offensive or not? It's not respectful, but that's really not the point. The point here is that Coulter is claiming a basis to disrespect all Arabs because they -- all of them as a group -- killed 3,000 people.
It's not surprising that YOU would be the one to provide such an illuminating list, as you are so obviously amused by your own limited intellect. Thanks for playing.
It's a very offensive list.
Oh your poor poor little ears and eyes......
"kids, no duck duck goose, it may single a kid out"......
That is some funny stuff.
In a fifth-grade, boys bathroom sort of way.
You the type of person that votes to ban Kickball because it hurts kids feeling when they get Tagged? PATHETIC.
You are amused by a sophmoric and racist list of drivel and you have the balls to call me pathetic? Go have yourself a big steaming cup of shut the f*#k up.
Whatever you say Latte liberal.
Lyons banns laughter.
^^^^^^^^ That has no meaning.
You are amused by a list of sophmoric, racist drivel and you have the nerve to call me pathetic? Go pour yourself a big steaming cup of STFU!
Only to ignorant people.
Ignorant? me? Naw...... Opinionated, YES.
No if you find the offensive crap on that list the least bit funny you're ignorant and immature.
now, immature Ill give ya. Thanks for clearing that up sweety.
old and washed up?
NOBRAINNOLUCIDTHOUGHTS
LIBERALWITHAMENTALDISORDER
Norotor another conservative moron too stupid to even recognize higher brain function much less accomplish it
Higher brain function? Wana compare salaries washed up one? And to give you a slight boost in confidence, I was a highschool dropout.
What's salary got to do with anything?
I guess people like Ken Lay must've had higher functioning brains than all of us.
Man, that list rules. Next time I need to make someone's jaw hit the floor with shock and disgust, I will be sure to reference it before speaking.
But seriously, would Coulter's comment have been less noticed if she had specified "camel jockey Islamists" rather then just a broad sweeping use of it? Personally, I think she should have consulted the list and went with "goat roper" hahahaha. It has a more pleasant sound to it.
Aren't some of those camel jockeys part of the government we are backing? Do Coulter and her ilk even care who the different sides are?
Nope, just keep the fear machine whirring and humming, get that defense budget up to 500 billion per year. Yay for out militarism, go team USA, shucks yeah!!
You think Coulter cares about the war, who's fighting it, who's winning, etc.?
She cares about selling books. She's selling plenty. She couldn't give a crap if soldiers are dying, or people are starving, or whether she's registered to vote in the right district. She's selling books!
The description of Coulter's book by publisher Crown Forum states: "Now you can read all the quotes that have so outraged her enemies and so delighted her legions of fans."
The "legions" (which some of our righty friends here in the MMFA forums continually claim not to be a part of) now have a "greatest hits album" from which they can rejoice and reminisce over the many musings of the quintessential heroin of conservative white trash.
Thanks, liberal media, for giving this abomination a stage from which to deliver and amass such an impressive philosophical repertoire.
I saw that disgusting witch on Today, yuck.
On Today? On NBC?
Oh no MMFA will be devastated. Wasn't it just yesterday they wondered:
Will NBC Once Again Help Ann Coulter Sell Books?
Guess they got their answer ;-)
What I get from Coulter's rants is... she is truly a moron. Her 'arguments' are childish and asanine. Inflammatory nonsense. It's like, "Oookaaayyy... can the adults talk now? You're Barbie's hais is on fire... you may want to take care of that".
Colmes is a whore for FOX. Can't feel bad for the guy.
Yo, TtheT,
Your list didn't have "Rag Heads", a very popular ethnic discription among the right wingers on their blogs, and sad to say a lot of military. Even had one poster correct the name by saying that they don't really wear rags but something like sheets, so... they are really "Sheet Heads".
I'm not trying to be funny, having grown up in West Virginia I've been called a "Hillbilly" before, but the only ones allowed to do that are other "Hillbillies" or good friends. Others may need to put up or shut up. ;-)
AC should be asked to put up or shut by any Muslim who is offended by her slur, which is most likely all Muslims. Would love to see her debate this with a Muslim, but that will never happen.
You can draw a silly cartoon and get killed by the extreem. Some Muslims are over sensitive and ignorant.
Are there any Muslim stand up comedians?
I happened to love the movie, "Finding Comedy in the Muslim World"....
I heard a good Indian, southern asian type, on the radio, he was good. This might be a job title waiting to be filled.
There are Arab comedians. As an extra feature of the F-911 CD there is a short but very interesting little documentary about Arab stand-up comedians. If you saw it you would probably recognize a face or two.
Yes there are I saw three of them on the Comedy chanell last week two of them were very funny
So are some Christians, who demanded that the Emmy's be edited to remove Kathy Griffin's comments. And then there's the debilitating boycotts by O'Reilly. Oh, and don't forget Eric Rudolph and his crew of whackjobs, killing people all in the name of his Christian God.
True as are SOME of every large group in existence
TtheT,
Don't know, worth a Google search, Muslim + Jokes? Yep, 2M hits. :-)
Yes Ann we have moved away from demonizing people in mass due to their ethnicity. Its called growing up. Societies do it as do some people. I highly recommed it, you should try it.
Hateful language is hateful language. It was hateful to refer to Nips and Krauts in World War II as it is to refer to "camel jockeys" today. We were at war with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan not with the German people or the Japanese people just as we must remember we are today at war with supposed terrorist organizations that happen to be run by Arabs and not at war with all Arabs.
Hateful language from Ann Coulter should not be surprising. She's a bigoted, hateful, sensationalist out to make a fast buck. She say anything and do anything to sell a few books. She is calculating enough to know that the louder and more obnoxious she is the more her rabid fans will like her and the more of her books they'll snap up.
If we weren't at war with the German and Japanese peoples then why did we firebomb Tokyo and Dresden?
We fight "politically correct" type of wars these days....maybe that's why we lose.
so what she's saying is really no different from Giuliani's refrain:
"its all about 9/11"
yup. gotta luv that Righteous HATE.
ummm yummy.
Given that today's Gandhi's birthday, let's dredge up a quote, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind"
Spread Love... ... but wear the Glove!
BlueBerry Pick'n can be found @ ThisCanadian.com ~~~ "We, two, form a Multitude" ~ Ovid. ~~~ "Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced"
She's just pandering to the GOP base. This isn't new.
I think this takes her words out of context. All she did was say "cammel jokeys" (which isen't even a real slur), and when questioned about it she said (meant) that considering what they did to us, and considering what we would have called them a few years ago, we are being overly sensetive. If you actually WATCH that clip, then it's pretty easy to put in context.
Not that all Arabs are American killers, but you guys seriously need to find something to argue about. If you insist on attacking Ann Coulter, than atleast find a better quote then this. I know for a fact she has said more offensive things than this.
I can't wait to get my copy of this book. Destined to be another best seller. It is a shame that the liberals are so afraid of the truth. Cry all you want to but people like Coulter, Hannity and Oreilly are having an impact despite all of the money that soros is wasting trying to turn the country into a land of wimps. or basically turning us into france or germany. i don't know if this will make it into the comment section. media matters doesn't seem to like opinions other then that the conservatives are dogs.
I guess I see the problem as this - back when we used the terms "nips" and "Krauts" there was no racism - hold on I will explain. I mean there was in the sense that people disliked other races and stereotyped them, but there was no concept of the fact that it was wrong. For example, there is a great Fred Astair/Ginger Roger Movie called "Swingtime" in which Astaire's big solo number is called "Bojangles of Harlem" - a tribute to the legendary Mr Bojangles. He performs the entire number in blackface surrounded by watermelons. The number is fantastic, and offensive by many standards. But Astaire did not think ir wrong when he did it. To him he was celebrating the man and his culture. To us today it appears he is demeaning black people and their culture.
"Birth of a Nation" (the first American feature film) in much the same way promotes the KKK as heroes - very wrong.
Hell the first "talkie" (The Jazz Singer) had Al Joulson singing in blackface.
The fact is, we have evolved as a society and I hope we judge people more on their merits and actions than their race. Are there bad arabs in this world? Yes. Are there bad anglo-saxon Christians? Yes. Are there bad black people? Yes. The truth is every race in this world breeds a certain amount of a**holes. That does not make the whole lot of them bad does it?
Now of there is camel racing in the middle east and several Arabs actually serve as jockeys in these races and she wants to call them camel jockeys as that is what they do - that's fine. But to call and entire race a term known to be demeaning and insulting is just plain wrong and does nothing to raise the level of discourse - she just keeps moving the bar lower.
What a harpy. Still it could be worse. She could have called Arabs "ragheads" or "sand n---ers."
While I shouldn't be surprised, it's a shame that Mr. Colmes didn't call the she-devil on her conflating Persians with Arabs.
Ann Coulter is a pathetic, immature glutton for attention, and Hannity and Colmes are not better for enabling her.
Contact information:
Ann Coulter tom@anncoulter.org
Tom? Is that why Coulter has such a prominent adam's apple?