Posted on 07/09/2002 10:43:24 AM PDT by Tancredo Fan
Singer's remark riles Hispanics -- Greeley debates 'English' comment
By Michael Riley
Denver Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 09, 2002
A country western singer who told his audience at the Greeley Independence Stampede that immigrants should learn to speak English ignited an emotional debate in a community that has seen an influx of Hispanics over the past decade.
Warner Brothers recording star Chad Brock said Monday that his comments were meant to express his "pride in being American." But Hispanic leaders said they were racist and the failure of Stampede organizers to condemn them shows the refusal to embrace newcomers.
Brock stepped on stage Friday to belt out hits like "Lighting Does the Work," but he salted his performance with some sharp opinions.
In a speech between sets, Brock said he was tired of having to adapt to the widening influence of the country's newcomers. "You are coming to our country. We don't speak Russian. We don't speak Spanish. We speak English here," Brock told an audience of 7,000, according to the Greeley Tribune. While many Hispanics in the audience walked out, people who attended the event said many non-Hispanics cheered.
Brock, a former pro wrestler, said Monday that the comments came out of an honest patriotic fervor, inspired in part by a recent court decision declaring the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional.
"I'm not a racist. I wasn't directing the comments toward any particular group. I was speaking my mind as an American" during the Fourth of July holiday, Brock said.
"But I had no idea there were so many Hispanics in Greeley," he said. "I didn't mean to offend anybody."
Hispanic leaders said "offend" doesn't even begin to cover it.
"His comments were bigoted, inflammatory and hateful," said Roberto Cordova, a local college professor.
The issue goes deeper than Brock, said Jorge Amaya, director of the Northern Colorado Latino Chamber of Commerce. "The problem isn't what Brock said. The problem is that our community leaders didn't step up to condemn it."
At a news conference Monday, the Hispanic leaders demanded an apology from city officials, the event's corporate sponsors and Stampede organizers. They said this isn't the first time the Stampede has offended the city's growing Hispanic population.
Citing poor ticket sales, Stampede organizers last year canceled the fiesta section of the annual event.
Stampede marketing director Kyle Holman said organizers wanted to make the fiesta more inclusive and renamed it Family Night.
"Mr. Brock has the right of free speech just like every other American," Holman said. "But his opinion aren't necessarily the opinions of the Greeley Stampede."
But some here said they share Brock's sentiments.
According to census figures, Greeley's Hispanic population nearly doubled in the 1990s, as immigrants, many with limited English skills, took jobs in the region's meat packing plants and feedlots.
As the ethnic makeup of schools and neighborhoods shifts, some residents say they feel left out. Language has become both a divide and a flashpoint.
"If we're going to communicate, everybody needs to speak the same language," said Billie Messner, a patron at a local coffee shop.
Greeley City Manager Leonard Wiest said the city is working to accommodate newcomers.
Brock said Monday that while he's sorry if his comments offended anyone, he won't apologize.
"I had the guts to speak out, but I think a lot of people feel the same way," he said.
Sounds good to me.
You even SOUND like your Daddy! And you tried rappin' a few posts back too!
(he's way better at it than you are)
You want talk about who "us" may be Jesse? "Us" is most likely, whoever is reading this thread, waiting for you to substantiate one single claim that you have made about me.
You are making the allegation that I am a proponent of illegal immigrants voting in US elections. I asked that you substantiate that charge.
You haven't.
You haven't because you can't.
And you can't because you are lying.
Bingo.
Exactly. Immigrants from a hundred years ago did not come to America and collect food stamps, welfare, free medical care, etc. They learned English and assimilated. They didn't pour over our Southern border by the millions and sponge off of the US taxpayer and turn American cities into third-worldish dumps. Things are getting worse, not better, as they continue to pour over the borders. The immigrants of over a hundred years ago built this country into a great nation, the 'immigrants' of today are turning it more and more into the third world cesspool they left.
Go teach south of the border, ingrate! What country has allowed you the luxury of becoming a professor?
He's not a real professor. He's a "Chicano studies" or "Hispanic studies" professor, whatever that is. Think of him as an ethnic agitator, troublemaker, and likely seditionist.... all being paid for by us.
Louie, louie, louie, your little baiting, and weak juvenile intimidation doesn't work anymore. LOL! At one time, long ago, you would get me mad with your name calling and race baiting tactics. Hehehe, no longer louie. It just don't work any more junior. It didn't take long to figure out your little tactics.
You show up on almost every single immigration thread, most involving illegal aliens, and you proceed to argue, debate, and attempt to label and paint those that oppose this invasion as nazis, racist, red necks and on and on, etc etc.
Yes louie, we will be seeing you on the future threads involving anything immigration, and illegal aliens. Won't we louie?
You would be better off staying within your own little clique of followers louie, and stick to those cute little essays, and poems. Go after Castro and Cuba louie, help them turn Cuba into a Las Vegas with a Pirates of the Caribbean theme. It would be better for you louie, as you would look so foolish all the time....
It's worth a read.
I'll be seeing YOU the next time you decide to inject name-calling and race-baiting on a thread, just like you did here.
BTW, like on every other thread, you walk out of here a proven liar, with your tail tucked between your legs, and failing to substantiate one single accusation you leveled at me. Once a liar and a race-monger, always a liar and a race-monger.
"You show up on almost every single immigration thread, most involving illegal aliens, and you proceed to argue, debate, and attempt to label and paint those that oppose this invasion as nazis, racist, red necks and on and on, etc etc."
So then, I guess it would be fairly simple for you to show me and everyone else here the posts on this thread where I do that, right Jesse?
You won't, because like most every other word that comes out of you, that's a lie.
"Yes louie, we will be seeing you on the future threads involving anything immigration, and illegal aliens. Won't we louie?"
"We" Jesse? Suffering from dellusions of grandeur like your Daddy?
"...stick to those cute little essays, and poems."
Hey! At least my essays are originals every time, not the same repeated (and probably plagiarized) "There are many forms of terrorism..." one that you've posted what? Thirty or forty times now?
BTW, the cute little poems are from the guy with the prehistoric cat icon...you know, the guy who vehemently opposes militarizing the borders.
Sure you are louie......
What the hell is wrong with Y'ALL??? If the damn Yankees don't like it, they can... uh...
Well kiss my Suthrun a$$, that's what... :)
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