MARCH 21, 2009
I’ve looked and cannot find evidence of barry’s own words of contrition. I could very well be wrong but I don’t think so.
All we have heard are two lame “apologies”. Burton calling it “an offhand remark” and Gibbs a “thoughtless joke”.
A joke. He still refers to it as a joke – still he doesn’t get it.
And then there’s Mr Tim Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics, telling us on GMA and Andrea Mitchell that barry has apologized and we are left to take his word for it.
Why?
Was Shriver the only target of barry’s disgusting statement?
Was barry just referring to Shriver’s (lack of) intelligence, and therefore, lack of physical ability?
Was he just referring to the Special Olympics organization and board members?
We’ll never know until we hear barry speak. Until we hear words of sincere apology coming from the lips that essentially referred to Special Olympians as physically limited r*t*rds.
And if Mr Shriver were to say ni***r? Would he just apologize to barry?
So why not apology?
Why hasn’t Leno’s audience heard barry’s words so we can decide for ourselves his contriteness? Burton’s and Gibbs’ “apologies” revealed a complete lack of insight into the despicable nature of barry’s “offanded remark”. And from barry’s silence, we are left to conclude that he doesn’t think it important to apologize to everyone who heard his “joke”.
Instead, he hides behind his spokespeople (who obviosuly do not get it) and Mr Shriver, who has his own dual agenda: speaking up for Special Olympians and covering for family favorite barry.
barry is acting like one of those cowards Eric Holder referred to.
Let’s be clear here. barry did not just insult the Special Olympics. He insulted every person affiliated with them: the athletes and their families, the employees and coaches, the volunteers, as well as sponsors and donors.
Every human being should have been offended.
So why no apology?
Why no call for a public apology from Mr Shriver?
Why no demand for an apology from the media?
Would Gov Palin, Madame Secretary Clinton or Senator McCain have gotten by with no apology? McCain and Palin were crucified and compared to George Wallace because of a statement that was never made. “Kill him” was a figment of reporter David Singleton’s bot mind.
And barry made sure it as the last thing the voters heard in the last debate before they voted. It was intentional. He said it so voters were left believing that McCain’s fans wanted to assassinate a black man. His ultimate use of the race card was a complete and utter lie – and he knew it – his own Secret Service disproved it.
And he never apologized. Not even when it became common knowlege the allegations were completely unsusbstantiated.
He has never apologized for anything he allowed to go on while pretending to be a man of honor. He never said a word or objected to how Sen Clinton and Gov Palin were allowed to be destroyed on a fundamentally feminine level: Palin, an empty-headed Caribou Barbie and Clinton, a ball-breaking, steel-thighed nutcracker.
Imagine if Secretary Clinton or Gov Palin, when attacked for the nth time about their voices said, well at least it ain’t no eubonics?
Would they have been able to just have their spokespersons say it was an offhand remark and thoughtless joke? Or have a third party come forward and apologize for them?
Laughable. Both of them would be crueled to death in the press and, of course, labeled evil racists by Bob Herbert, Rep Clyburn and Roland Martin.
And barry?
Why the continued Double Standard?
How can folks still believe race was anything but an advantage in this election?
barry’s “thoughtless joke” was an insult to humanity. It came from the lips of a man who considers each of his words carefully. He intended it as it was said.
Families members of Special Olympians daily defend their loved ones against ignorant people. Now the most high-profile insulter doesn’t even have the courage to admit to what he said, that he understands the nature and extent of the pain his words caused, that he apologizes as in “I am sorry”, that he will do x to make sure it never happens again and that he will do y to make sure others get it and will do z to directly help the Special Olympics.
We have heard none of it. Not a single word.
His pride and cowardice compounds the hurt of his initial comment.
Is there anyone on this planet who knows what barry really thinks about his disgusting words, except Tim Shriver and the rest of the Kennedys?
How were barry’s words a direct insult to the Chairman of the Special Olympics?
Why was Shriver the only person worthy of an apology?
What dialogue is opening up when the person who made the subhuman remark hasn’t even begun the conversation?
What 5 y/o doesn’t know that when he harms another person he must apologize to them directly? He doesn’t whisper an apology to his friend and then make his friend do the apologizing for him.
Where is the lesson learned?
Jake Tapper at ABC labeled barry’s comment a “wisecrack”. And then he said that “the White House says these other issues being raised are just noise and what the president will continue to push is his agenda to fix the economy.”
Noise?
barry insulted the Special Olympians’ intelligence and then insulted their athletic ability. He classified them – however thoughtlessly or offhandedly – as less thens, who, because of their limited intellectual abilities, must automatically be spastic athletes.
As angry, hurt and disillusioned as Tim Shriver looked – he did not demand barry feel the sting of the same words by having to admit to them on air.
TIM SHRIVER I think it’s important to see that words hurt, and words do matter. And these words that in some respect can be seen can be seen as humiliating or a put-down to people with special needs –do cause pain, and they do result in stereotypes, they do result in behavior that is neglectful and almost oppressive moment of people with special needs.
This kind of language needs to be a teachable moment, I think, for our country.
I would hope every parent that’s at home this morning watching this show could turn to their children and say, ‘This is a chance for us to recognize that when we talk about Special Olympics, when we talk about people with special needs. Let’s make sure we talk about it in an affirming way.
And barry?
What is he teaching with his non-affirming silence?
That other folks apologize for him?
How is it learning of any sort?
He’s cheating his punishment and wothout consequence the acts will continue.
What is he teaching his daughters? Did he even talk with them?
No one knows.
What would be the power of that lesson? A video bit of him teaching his daughters about what he said and how hurtful it was? He could make an audiotape.
That would be proof of sincerity and learning.
And what more powerful message could you have on your website?
And on the White House’s? He has the transcript of Leno proudly displayed with the offending words still present. And what’s not there? An accompanying statement pointing out what he said and why it should not have been said — or even thought.
As is, we don’t know what he thinks or what he feels or what he understands. We don’t know what he has acknowledged was wrong. We don’t even if he actually apologized. We have Mr Shriver’s word nothing else.
Era of responsibility?
***
(2-19) barry’s “It’s like the Special Olympics”
(2-19) Bill Burton: Apology #1 “offhand remark”
(2-20) Robert Gibbs: Apology #2 “thoughtless joke”
(2-20) Gov Palin re: Trig & Special Olympics (video)
(2-20) Gov Palin re: barry’s Special Olympics “joke”
(2-20) Gov Arnold & Maria Shriver re: barry’s Special Olympics “joke”
(2-20) Special Olympics video: The new R-word is Respect
(2-20) Bowling in top 5 Special Olympics sports, Kolan McConiughey
(2-20) Special Olympics Chairman, Tim Shriver statement re: barry’s ”joke”
(2-20) GMA: Tim Shriver: “This kind of language needs to be a teachable moment”
(2-21) Where are barry’s own words of apology on his Special Olympics “joke”?
(2-22) Yo, barry, you talked the trash, now back it up, and bowl
