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'Black' hurricane names brewing swirl of dissent
World Net Daily ^ | August 3, 2003 | Joe Kovacs

Posted on 08/03/2003 2:33:11 PM PDT by rickmichaels

Do devastating hurricanes need help from affirmative action?

A member of Congress apparently thinks so, and is demanding the storms be given names that sound "black."

The congressional newspaper the Hill reported this week that Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) feels that the current names are too "lily white," and is seeking to have better representation for names reflecting African-Americans and other ethnic groups.

"All racial groups should be represented," Lee said, according to the Hill. She hoped federal weather officials "would try to be inclusive of African-American names."

A sampling of popular names that could be used include Keisha, Jamal and Deshawn, according to the paper. Jackson Lee's call is brewing its own storm of response across America.

A WorldNetDaily reader wrote:

"You can be sure if there were too many 'black' names assigned to hurricanes, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee would instead be complaining that this practice unfairly stereotypes blacks as violent. Let's hope this silly storm blows over!"

Radio talk-show giant Rush Limbaugh says he was having dinner with his wife when he first learned of the proposal.

"I just threw up my hands. I said, 'Has it come to this now?'" Limbaugh recounted on his show.

"There's discrimination and actually elected officials wandering around worried about the discrimination in the name of hurricanes. And hurricanes are destructive.

You know nobody's very excited when a hurricane's heading their way, and yet here she is demanding that hurricanes be named after black people.

"You know it used to be that hurricanes were named only after women because they were destructive and unpredictable. And that's the reason. The feminists grew upset about that, demanded that hurricanes be named after men, and so now, the civil rights leaders are demanding black names for hurricanes.

Limbaugh continued his analysis, saying it was not the mainstream populace responsible for what he called the "Balkanization" of race relations in America.

"It is these elected black leaders, the civil-rights coalitions – they're the ones that keep causing all this racial divide, they're the ones that keep calling attention to all this," said Limbaugh. "They're the ones that keep stirring this pot. They're the ones who don't want there to be any colorblind society. They're the ones who keep being agitated and trying to agitate others over all this, and now it's descended into the meaningless element of the names of hurricanes."

According to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, hurricanes were for centuries named after the Catholic saints' days on which the storms fell.

In 1953, the United States abandoned as confusing a two-year-old plan to name storms by a phonetic alphabet (Able, Baker, Charlie) when a new, international phonetic alphabet was introduced. That year, weather services began using female names for storms.

The practice of naming hurricanes solely after women came to an end in 1978 when men's and women's names were included in the Eastern North Pacific storm lists. In 1979, male and female names were included in lists for the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: houston; hurricanes; jackson; lee; mofo; sheila; storms
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To: yarddog
The first 10 were given relatively normal names but I guess they ran out as number 11 was Collard Green, 12 was Turnip Green and thirteen was Birmingham.

Good ones, all. Don't forget Hurricane Food Stamp, Hurricane Welfare, Hurricane Housing Project, and Hurricane Drive-by.

21 posted on 08/03/2003 3:07:52 PM PDT by Migraine (my grain is pretty straight today)
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To: rickmichaels
So, we can't have Indian-sounding names for sports teams - that woulod be 'bad.'

But we should have 'black' names for hurricanes - that would be 'good.'

Therefore, hurricanes are better than sports teams.

Or is it that blacks are better than Indians?

22 posted on 08/03/2003 3:11:33 PM PDT by Ed_in_NJ
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To: Ed_in_NJ
Interesting point!

Do you ever have a feeling that everything is going slightly mad?
23 posted on 08/03/2003 3:13:45 PM PDT by Mears
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To: rickmichaels
Hurricane Labia, Eustacia or Philopia?
24 posted on 08/03/2003 3:14:16 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (RATS: We're sorry Saddam.)
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To: rickmichaels
Actually, Ms. Lee's own name detracts from her argument. Chantal or Latitia would be more credible. Sheila is pretty mainstream white name IMO.

Prairie
25 posted on 08/03/2003 3:14:46 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (My dad, a WW2 vet, always said "America's best and most loyal ally is....Britain". He was right.)
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To: Utah Binger
MOFO is a good descriptor. Can't remember whose name it is.

Darn near everybody I've ever met at one time or another.

26 posted on 08/03/2003 3:16:11 PM PDT by uglybiker (I think I drink more beer than anything. Ever try to drink a case of Cokes?)
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To: rickmichaels
"All racial groups should be represented," Lee said

Hurricanes Jackson, Lee, Longstreet, Forrest.....

27 posted on 08/03/2003 3:17:38 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (RATS: We're sorry Saddam.)
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To: yarddog
...number 11 was Collard Green, 12 was Turnip Green and thirteen was Birmingham.

Good thing she's never watched the movie "Soylent Green".

28 posted on 08/03/2003 3:21:17 PM PDT by Tall_Texan (http://righteverytime.blogspot.com - home to Tall_Texan's new column.)
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To: Mears
If we use the many variations of "Antoine", we would never get past the letter "A" in usual hurricane seasons.
29 posted on 08/03/2003 3:23:24 PM PDT by RicocheT
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Comment #30 Removed by Moderator

To: Charles Henrickson
"Hurricane Carter"

You win today's prize, hands down.
31 posted on 08/03/2003 3:24:06 PM PDT by AngrySpud
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To: Tall_Texan
How about Hurricane HOE
32 posted on 08/03/2003 3:25:38 PM PDT by tsali
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To: boothead
demanding the storms be given names that sound "black."

How about Chittlin Wind

ROFLMAO

33 posted on 08/03/2003 3:26:14 PM PDT by varon
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To: rickmichaels
Obligatory reference: Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Mars)
34 posted on 08/03/2003 3:26:43 PM PDT by Husker8877
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To: rickmichaels
I, for one, happen to agree with Ms. Jackson-Lee on this one.

In fact, I believe that not just the names, but also the reporting on weather in general needs to be 'more black'.

"Hurricane Shinequa be blowing like a muthafuka, swirlin' her crazy ass all over the damn place, thinkin she be all that. Bitch levelled Miami. Phucked it up. That sheeit ain't right, you knowhatimsayin? Folks down there be in deep shizzle, my dizzle. I'm out ... y'all be cool."
35 posted on 08/03/2003 3:28:00 PM PDT by spodefly (This is my tagline. There are many like it, but this one is mine.)
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To: Migraine
Ooo, those are some black sounding names.

I was going to post something similar, but didn't have the guts.

Of course, the 13 kids reminded me of the old joke where the single mother named them all Rufus and the census taker wanted to know how she called to them individually.

"Oh that's easy, she says, then I call them by their last name".

36 posted on 08/03/2003 3:28:04 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
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To: rickmichaels
Fine, let's REALLY honor her and name ALL hurricanes with african-american names. Think she'd be happy then?
37 posted on 08/03/2003 3:30:14 PM PDT by gorush
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To: spodefly
Now THAT'S funny. Ya gots guts spodefly!
38 posted on 08/03/2003 3:34:20 PM PDT by FixitGuy
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To: Ed_in_NJ
We could tie the PC types in knots with that one. How about Hurricane Redskins, Hurricane Braves, Hurricane Indians, Hurricane Redmen.
39 posted on 08/03/2003 3:34:43 PM PDT by JusPasenThru (We're through being cool (you can say that again, Dad))
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To: rickmichaels
How about Hurricane Beulah (1967)?
40 posted on 08/03/2003 3:35:40 PM PDT by paolop
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