Riordan calls kid a 'stupid, dirty girl' at book event

Sacramento Bee ^ | July 7, 2004 | Margaret Talev

[ElkGroveDan]

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. ....... "It means stupid, dirty girl," he said.

[gubamyster]

Actually I saw the little girl and she was definitely black.

How do you account for this then:

Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, D-Los Angeles, canceled a news conference today with civil rights groups after learning that the girl subjected to Riordan's joke was white, not African-American.

Isis' mother, Trinity Lila, was baffled both by Riordan's statement and Dymally's actions.

``Does it matter that she's white?'' asked Lila, who isn't sure if Riordan should step down, given his apologies. ``If he feels that the man should step down, does it matter that she's white?''

I'm not sure which girl you saw.

[BushisTheMan]

So you are taking the word of a "so-called" reporter?

Okay, good luck then.

[birbear]

There's just something, almost criminal, about that.
CRIMINAL? Really? Tacky, uncalled for, maybe. But criminal?

:) I did say almost criminal. Just trying to make a point and got carried away. :)

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

Proof positive that some blacks are as racist as the KKK.
Of course we knew that. But I'd like to see one squirm out of this.

[af_vet_rr]

So you are taking the word of a "so-called" reporter?

Okay, good luck then.

I think they are probably talking about the picture on the front of Drudge of the girl and her mother.

If you don't see it, try hitting refresh, should pop up. Although it shouldn't matter to anybody, the girl is clearly white.

[gubamyster]

So you are taking the word of a "so-called" reporter?

Okay, good luck then.

Isis D'Luciano, right, and her mother Trinity Lila are shown in this June 19 photo in Santa Barbara, California.

They look pretty white to me.

[al_c]

The girl and her mother have accepted the apology and have moved on. Why is it so hard for others that weren't involved to do the same?

[TankerKC]

Perfect! You do know, of course, that your method was used. Riordan protest canceled because 'black' girl white

It seems that the NAACP was going to hold a protest, until they found out that Isis is a little blonde white girl.

[TankerKC]

The video.

[Sally'sConcerns]

If some parents are going to teach their kids that they are goddesses, maybe it isn't a bad thing to have somebody tell them they are stupid, dirty children from time to time. After all, the latter statement is a lot more true than the former.

I wouldn't want you anywhere near any child since you appear to blame the child for something she had no control over! The child's name is Isis and I don't think the name is over the top but according to you she should be told she's stupid and dirty occasionally because her parents named her something out of the oridinary. HELLO!! RE-READ THE ARTICLE AND MAYBE YOU'LL HAVE MORE SUCCESS AT COMPREHENSION! Nowhere in the article does it state her parents are teaching her she's a goddess. They simply named her after an egyptian goddess, maybe they liked the name Isis.

My name is Sally. Here's the breakdown of what my name means.

SALLY f
Usage: English
Pronounced: SAL-ee
Pet form of SARAH

SARAH f
Usage: English, French, German, Jewish, Biblical
Pronounced: SER-a
Means "lady" or "princess" in Hebrew. This was the name of the wife of Abraham in the Old Testament. She became the mother of Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally Sarai, but God changed it (see Genesis 17:15).

According to you I should have been called stupid and dirty because my name is a pet name or nickname of Sarah which means lady or princess. How dare my parents name me a name meaning princess. Obviously you also think my parents taught me I was a princess.

After all, the latter statement is a lot more true than the former.

Kids do have a natural tendency to get dirty but to call a child stupid because of her name is beyond the scope of decency. For you to think it's not a bad thing to call a child dirty and stupid because of her name shows to me you suffer from a distinct lack of class.

[Sally'sConcerns]

I still think he should resign. I don't care whether the little girl was white, black, brown or green polka dotted and I don't care whether he's a D or an R or and I. His comment was extremely inappropriate.

[BushisTheMan]

Thanks but I saw it posted on another thread. This is not the tape I saw on Fox though.

Hmmmm...

[BushisTheMan]

I will admit that you were correct.

My bad.

[CounterCounterCulture]

I still think he should resign. I don't care whether the little girl was white, black, brown or green polka dotted and I don't care whether he's a D or an R or and I. His comment was extremely inappropriate.

Agreed. You don't call a little girl "stupid" ever. Luckily she is apparently made of stronger stuff than he is and was able to brush it off. Others may not have had the intestinal fortitude. And thank goodness she was white, as hell was ready to break loose by the racial agitators.

Richard Riordan is a walking liability for the GOP, has been for quite a while, and it's high time for him to seek retirement and just be the babbling grandfatherly type that family members roll their eyes at during the Thanksgiving feast.

And to think some people envisioned this man as the savior of the GOP during the 2002 gubernatorial campaign.

[bondjamesbond]

Well, context is everything. I understand there is actually video of this, but I have not seen it. Rest assured, I do not go around insulting children, not even my own.

For the record, I think Riordan was out of bounds on this. But it is hard to pass judgement when you have so little information. Tone and context are very important, even with such a seemingly indefensible comment as this.

If I had confidence in Riordan, I would say that he is probably being railroaded and he does not deserve such treatment. But from what I have seen, he says remarkably stupid things with some regularity, so I will not do so.

[Iron Matron]

Wow, do you expect a 6-year-old to understand that distinction?


Well, It was the little girl who brought it up wasn't it?