Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - Editorial - Denver Post
Country and western singer Chad Brock stepped into the mother of all cow pies in his boorish performance at the Greeley Independence Stampede. His comment that immigrants should learn to speak English offended many Latinos who'd gone there to hear him sing.
They're not the only ones offended: We also take umbrage at this loutish misuse of an entertainment venue to insult immigrant communities on the nation's birthday.
"You are coming to our country," the singer said between sets. "We don't speak Russian. We don't speak Spanish. We speak English here."
Although some members of the audience cheered, many Latinos walked out on the performer. Brock is entitled to his opinion, but the people who went to hear him expected to be entertained - not insulted. (It might be another matter entirely if Brock's schtick were in-your-face banter ala Don Rickles.)
Brock said later that he didn't realize Greeley had such a large Latino population and was sorry if he offended anybody but that he wouldn't apologize for his remarks. "I am not a racist," he said. "I wasn't directing the comments toward any particular group. I was speaking my mind as an American."
Indeed, Greeley's Hispanic population nearly doubled during the 1990s, and some members of the community like Jorge Amaya, director of the Northern Colorado Chamber of Commerce, are demanding that Stampede organizers and Greeley city officials condemn Brock's remarks.
That's an excessive demand, given that spokesman Kyle Holman's comment that the Stampede was "not at all pleased that it happened on our stage" effectively amounts to an apology. And, despite the inappropriateness of the venue, we do not believe it is the Stampede's job, or the city's, to "condemn" the content of anyone's political speech, however misguided.
Brock's lack of manners and sensitivity may in part be explained by the fact that he is a former professional wrestler, and whoever said "couth" and pro wrestling belonged in the same sentence?
Given the ill feeling that the Stampede's cancellation of Fiesta Day already has caused in the Latino community, organizers didn't need Brock's sorry display, and they should take care never to book him - or the horse he rode in on - again.