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Sun 11 Jul, 2004 02:04 am
Quote:Riordan calls kid a 'stupid, dirty girl' at book event
By Margaret Talev -- Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 2:15 am PDT Wednesday, July 7, 2004
No one ever accused Richard Riordan of being a prisoner to political correctness, but the feisty former mayor of Los Angeles and now the state's education secretary may have outdone himself last week when he called a youngster at a book event a "stupid, dirty girl."
The incident took place Thursday at the Santa Barbara Central Library, where Riordan stopped in to promote a summer reading program. After reading a picture book to preschoolers and young elementary school pupils, he chatted with some of them.
One girl asked whether he was aware that her name was that of an Egyptian goddess.
While her full name was not released, event participants said her first name is Isis, the archetypal Egyptian goddess who represents everything from motherhood to magic to the dead and is considered by some historians to have influenced Christian interpretation of the Virgin Mary.
Riordan apparently thought the girl was asking whether he knew what her name meant and, with a camera rolling from a local news station, made an inexplicable quip he would immediately regret.
"It means stupid, dirty girl," he said.
The story was carried by the Associated Press and circulated statewide over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who named the 74-year-old Riordan to his Cabinet, issued a stern statement calling his appointee's remark "unacceptable in any context." But Schwarzenegger went on to say that Riordan "would never knowingly or intentionally upset a child. ... I know he deeply regrets having made these unfortunate remarks."
Riordan apologized to the girl on the spot, said Carol Keator, director of the Santa Barbara public library system.
"She was just a supercool kid," Keator said. "It bothered her but she didn't cry. She didn't act out in any way. She just said, 'No, my name means Egyptian goddess.'"
Riordan, who could not be reached for comment Tuesday, also issued a public apology but has not attempted to explain what inspired his outburst, saying only that it was a "misunderstanding."
Riordan and Schwarzenegger are two dolts. Neither one is qualified to hold the positiions they have. Riordan should be fired for making that comment to the little girl, IMO.
I think that Riordan is more qualified than Schwarzenegger, keeping in mind his being mayor of Los Angeles and his being able to be called 'politician' a little more justifiably. However, had I the chance to decide the Californian governance, I would put confidence in neither.
The comment that R. made was inappropriate and wrong, but I find it too harsh to take his political position from him over a problem that, if one looks at it, is not really a political one.
I actually don't care. So he made a comic misjudgement.
I got bigger fish to fry.
Toodles.
Just because some people work in high places doesn't necessarily mean they have brains.
Please keep in mind the dichotomy of Riordan's statement and the phrase 'compassionate conservative' when you go to vote in November.
I agree this one, if it happened as it is being reported, is indefensible. I disagree with PDiddie that one or two incidents defines who the GOP is any more than one or two idiots defines who the Democrats are.
When in a forest, one loses count of all the trees ...
Oh, it's not just yesterday's one or two incidents, Foxy, as you no doubt know.
It's the one or two incidents that occur every hour of every day since these Fascists assumed control that define who they are.
IronLionZion wrote:I actually don't care. So he made a comic misjudgement.
I got bigger fish to fry.
Toodles.
If you had a child and he/she came home and told you that some adult figure in authority made fun of the name you gave them, this would not be your response - no matter how many fish you've got in your frying pan.
Schwarzenegger referred to the remarks as "unacceptable in any context" and I agree. Riordan isn't playing with a full deck and should have been fired instantly.
Actually, it makes me wonder if Riordan is having some onset of dementia, and I don't mean that in jest, but medically. I don't remember him being so off the wall in a remark previously, though on the other hand, I haven't lived in LA for five years now and haven't been paying that much attention re Riordan.
onyxelle wrote:IronLionZion wrote:I actually don't care. So he made a comic misjudgement.
I got bigger fish to fry.
Toodles.
If you had a child and he/she came home and told you that some adult figure in authority made fun of the name you gave them, this would not be your response - no matter how many fish you've got in your frying pan.
Actually, it would. Have you seen the videotape? It was clearly just a poor, impulsive joke, and the children recognized it as such instantly.
pdiddie writes
Quote:It's the one or two incidents that occur every hour of every day since these Fascists assumed control that define who they are.
Are you really unaware how seriously you weaken your argument when you post stuff like this?
IronLionZion wrote:onyxelle wrote:IronLionZion wrote:I actually don't care. So he made a comic misjudgement.
I got bigger fish to fry.
Toodles.
If you had a child and he/she came home and told you that some adult figure in authority made fun of the name you gave them, this would not be your response - no matter how many fish you've got in your frying pan.
Actually, it would. Have you seen the videotape? It was clearly just a poor, impulsive joke, and the children recognized it as such instantly.
Just because people laugh at something, doesn't mean it's something to be laughed at. That probably sounds dumb, but it's true. Especially CHILDREN.
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