FamiLee Life

Another Jap Car...

Just when you thought the congressional campaign between John Kline and Coleen Rowley couldn't get any weirder, a video appeared on a Minnesota political blog showing Kline's district director screaming about "another Jap car."

"I apologize if my words offended any Americans of Japanese descent, including my sister-in-law," Osskopp said. "I allowed my emotions to get the better of me and used a phrase commonly used in my youth, but which is now inappropriate and offensive." From the Star Tribune You also can watch the video of this racist comment at this anti-Kline blog.

Hm....so sad, so sad. It reminds me of the time when I attended a third-party candidate debate that was part of a Nightline program hosted by Ted Koppel. I was a new faculty member at Minnesota and happened to get tickets to this taping. I arrived early and sat front and center -- just three rows back from the stage where Jesse Ventura (still govenor at the time) and Ralph Nader were seated with Ted Koppel.

During the taping, Nader began to speak about minority votes and he starts listing the various racial groups...."African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Orientals..." My mouth dropped. This was Nader, Mr. Liberal, on national television. Shortly thereafter, there was a commercial break.

I stand up and shout out to them, "Mr. Nader, oriental is a rug, not a person. We are Asian American." He looks out at me and profusely apologies, saying he realized his mistake just after the words left his mouth. He seemed sincere, although he never corrected himself on-air. Still, I felt vindicated. Then, Jesse Ventura butts in with stupid comments about how we are all just American and there is no need to label oneself Swedish American, African American, etc. I debate him for the next minute, explaining that such self-labeling does not work the same way for Whites as for racial minority when Whites continue to view and judge me according to my skin color. He just idiotically keeps repeating this rhetorical question. I never got an apology from Jesse Ventura, though I am waiting......waiting.....waiting....

Let's get it straight on the Kline-Osskopp bungle. Osskopp's apology is not really an apology. The Pope's apology to Muslims is even a bit better than this one. Read Osskopp's (and Kline's) statement, he's sorry that his comments offended others, but not sorry for saying a racist comment. I really hate when this sort of fake apology is offered. Have some courage, man, to admit a mistake and to take responsibility for one's words and actions. He further minimizes his sincerity by saying the word "Jap" used to be appropriate and not offensive when he was a youth. Uh, huh? It was ALWAYS offensive and inappropriate! And then to infer that his comment was not racist (or he is not prejudiced) because his in-law is Japanese American is pathetic. Much like someone simply saying they have Black friends and therefore are not racist. Ugh.