Mel Martinez Defends Gonzalez in Spanish on Senate Floor

St. Petersburg Times ^ | February 3, 2005 | WES ALLISON

[Betis70]

He's our new AG.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1335350/posts

[FrankR]

So, how do we demand that English be our "official" language when Spanish is now being spoken in the revered halls of Government?

Loco

[reelfoot]

My best wishes to the new Attorney General. I hope he does a great job in enforcing the laws of the land.

[fr_freak]

Furthermore, I wholly reject that Senator Martinez is part of the problem for supporting Mr. Gonzalez. Methinks the real problem you have is not the ideas of Sen. Martinez and Mr. Gonzalez, but their last names.

The fact that you would accuse me of such a thing without knowing a damn thing about me demonstrates to me that you used the word "xenophobe" in exactly the way I thought you did. In the paragraph I quoted above, you are using an implied accusation of racism to try to dismiss my point outright, and get me to shut up. Do you see racism everywhere?

Martinez's support of Gonzalez is a wonderful thing. There is no need for him to do it in Spanish on the Senate floor. Whether he intended to or not, he pandered to the "multicutural" factions within our country, and I consider that to be exacerbating the problem.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Muy bueno!

[fr_freak]

Sometimes, and sometimes it is apt.

Just like the other terms are properly applied in certain situations.

The terms do exist for a reason, and that is because there do exist some people who are appropriately described by them. However, the terms have been misused for decades now in order to intimidate people into silence. What is one of the worst things you can be labeled in the media today? How about "racist"? Many otherwise tough, no-nonsense men have fallen all over themselves apologizing for even the most innocent comments once someone manages to find a way to accuse it of racial overtones. Most people these days know that being called "racist" in today's society is almost as bad as being called a witch back in the medieval times.

In this case, FreeRepublic members were accused of being "xenophobes" before the discussion even began (post 12). It was a pre-emptive strike, if you will, a warning that anyone who might object is a "xenophobe". The only possible purpose for that is to intimidate potential posters from objecting to Martinez's use of Spanish on the Senate floor.

If we are ever going to make any headway in this fight to save our country from decay, we must refuse to let discussion and debate be stifled by these kinds of techniques. We might as well start here.

[ClintonBeGone]

Could you explain in very general terms what Tancredo's anti-immigration agenda is?

I think the short version is if your skin is darker than his and you speak with an accent, you have two choices: work on his home or go back to Mexico.

[ClintonBeGone]

Oh great. Now I am opposed to immigrants. I am a first-genertion myself. Your depiction is both wrong and vulgar.

There's certainly nothing in being a first generation immigrant that prevents anyone from also being racist or anti-immigrant. Just another version of NIMBY.

[ClintonBeGone]

I'm sure you are looking forward to the day when a rep from the Detroit area delivers the first speech in Arabic, right?

If he's conservative, HELL YES!

[econ_grad]

When did I say I am anti-immigrant? You are acting like a liberal Democrat. Even if he was born in this country and spoke in Spanish in the floor of the Senate, I would object that too. Either you don't know what anti-immigrant means, or you like to accuse people of prejudice by nature. You either don't know anything, or vulgar. Maybe both.

[TexasCajun]

Didn't Michele Malkin just out Alberto Gonzales as a member of La Raza or whatever its name is, supports President Bush's open border philosophy?

[hchutch]

I would submit that the intimidation goes the other way, too. Why is it that any time someone raises concerns, they are accused of race-baiting? That claim is often used to excuse those who DO cross the line of racism.

So, let's not stifle discussion of the fact that there are real racists out there. Let's see the intimidation end on that front, as well, please. Or does thenon-intimidation request only go one way?

[hchutch]

Agreed.

[cyncooper]

If this were a Democratic Senator giving a speech in Spanish, I doubt there would be a single freeper defending him

It wouldn't bother me in the least and it wouldn't bother most freepers. Why should it? I would only mock it if the context demanded it, and if a dem did it, it probably would be laughable. But it would not be Spanish-speaking per se, but what and why they said whatever they did en Español.

[ClintonBeGone]

Even if he was born in this country and spoke in Spanish in the floor of the Senate, I would object that too.

So then, what do you have against hispanics?

[livius]

I think it will. Martinez is a great guy, very pro-life, and somebody I was really happy to work for as a GOP campaigner.

[spodefly]

If they were Conservative, the last thing they would do is go against tradition and custom. And anyone that would welcome arabic used to deliver a speech in the Senate is a fool.

[The Coopster]

So he should only pander to you? Or English speakers? English isn't the official US language, its just the customary one. I'd like it to be the official language, for the record. But back to pandering: you do realize that this speach will hit all the Spanish-speaking airwaves, right? And its in the defence of Bush's nominee. Hispanics who can't have children who do, and they'll be telling their kids how great Bush is, and how great the Republicans are. This wasn't pandering - it was communication.

Bingo!

[texastoo]

Maybe the Republicans will get 45% of the hispanic vote next time.