Gaffes on Hispanics From 2 Well Known Mouths [Bill O' Reilly Uses Word 'wetback' On Air]

NY Times ^ | February 10, 2003 | Dave Carr

[ewing]

On Thursday night the FOX News talkshow host Bill O'Reilly, used the word 'wetback' as he fumbled for words to describe smugglers who transport illegal aliens over the border.

Mr. O'Reilly returned a New York Times phone call to say, 'I was groping for a term to describe an industry that brings people in here. It was not meant to discourage people in any way.'

Rep. Silvestre Reyes, House Democrat of Texas, whom Mr. O'Reilly was interviewing when the word slipped out, said in a statement: 'Of course he didn't intend to say it. But the fact that 'wetback' is a part of his vocabulary and slipped out is a clear sign of where his views fall.'

A FOX News spokeswoman said on Friday, 'This network does not condone the use of any racial epithet, nor does Bill.

[ewing]

That was the FOX person defending against the PC police, probably.

[Arpege92]

"O'Reilly proved himself to be a Northern Redneck with that remark"


I don't think the term "Redneck" is politically correct and it demoralizes southern people. You owe them an apology! Hey, if we are going to be so sensitive to peoples feelings then that would include whites as well!!!!

[duckman]

I was my understanding was wetback was to Mexician as Wop was to Italians. Wop=With Out Papers. Don't flame me I am Italian. Don't know what wetback has to do with anything racial Can some one clue me in?

[South40]

I hope to hell you are being sarcastic. What is romantic about illegal Aliens? Would you feel better if I called them assholes.

Call them what they are...CRIMINALS!

[ewing]

I'll bet Bill will make a statement and apologize on 'The Factor' tonight.

[South40]

Don't know what wetback has to do with anything racial Can some one clue me in?

The PC crowd considers them to be immigrants coming here for a better life.

Sure, they cross the Rio Grande and get wet...hence the name.

But to call them anything other than "immigrants coming here for a better life" is totally unacceptable.

[Palladin]

Believe me, Northeast bigots have it all over the Southern kind. They pretend to be PC, while harboring the worst enmities to those who are not like them.

And, no, I am not being sarcastic. If Mexico takes back California and Texas one way or another, it will be poetic justice.

Read your history books and see how we acquired said territories-- by flagrant acts of colonialism.

BTW, I am an Irish-Catholic myself, and I believe O'Reilly went "beyond the pale" with this one.

[CyberCowboy777]

I look down on anyone who hates my country enough to break it's laws and disrespects it enough to come here illegally.

I do not care how hard they work while doing it.

Do you also have a problem with disparaging drunk drivers or check forgers or bank robbers?

All people who hate others enough to break the law for selfish and self centered reasons. I have no respect for any of them.

I am not Irish Catholic. I am an law abiding American.

[org.whodat]

the Conquistador ancestors of those he maligns as "wetbacks" were exploring, colonizing, and Christianizing the Americas.

Yes, I seem to recall that they christianized 7000 of them in one day. How long does it take for a 108 men to hack to death 7000 indians.

[rellimpank]

--but for some reason those descendants of the Conquistadors only kept the parts without paved roads, drinkable water, a decent standard of living or a relatively honest government--

[CyberCowboy777]

Read your history books and see how we acquired said territories-- by flagrant acts of colonialism.

And how did the Conquistador's get California?

Hint: From my ancestors

You seem to only read the parts you like!

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Hey, I live in a banana republic where there is no PC. Can I say "wetback?"

[Amerigomag]

hardworking ethnic group, whose ancestors once owned half of the USA, only to have their real estate appropriated by the Manifest Destiny thugs ... as "wetbacks" were exploring, colonizing, and Christianizing the Americas.

Have you taken a moment to think about the ironic absurdity of what you just published?

I especially liked the nobel references to ownership, colonizing and Christianizing.

[CyberCowboy777]

You are a self loathing Irish-Catholic.

You actually ignore whole swaths of history in order to flog yourself and others.

[Blue Screen of Death]

Sure, they cross the Rio Grande and get wet...hence the name.

Well the term is way out of touch with reality. The flows in the Rio Grande are so far down they might be better described as "wet ankles". Of course this is due to golobal warming, mans misuse of water resources, baseball, and a racist, homophobic, capitalist society that bathes once a day. Things would be different in France.

[Sonny M]

Senator Hollins from I believe South (could be north?) Carolina is known to still use the word wetbacks when describing anyone (not just mexicans) who is spanish. It amazes me, that he still says it, and still gets away with it. He's made anti-hispanic remarks about alot of latino's, but he becomes a little more sarcastic and open about it, when its a hispanic republican. He made some very racist comments during the Bush/Gore debacle in Florida when talking about how the cubans were voting Bush. The press gives him a pass, because, he's a dem, he's a southern dem, and he's old. (i.e. same as Byrd).

[CyberCowboy777]

bleeding heart, numb mind

[SerpentDove]

That's what I was going to say. "Mojado" is used QUITE commonly by Hispanics here in Texas to describe illegal aliens.

There is no "racist" connotation at all.

[SwinneySwitch]

Rep. Reyes, what's less offensive "illegal alien" or "wetback"?

[metesky]

You caught that.