i caught a story on npr over the weekend about a man who was forced to apologize publicly after using the phrase "tar baby" in a speech. he was referring to some sort of legal mix up that might have rendered many divorces legally not recognized. i did not get the very beginning of the story, so i'm sure about the details, but i heard the tar baby part. he said to start sorting out the divorces in question, and trying to decide which were valid and which weren't would gain them a real tar baby, referring to the well-known story of br'er rabbit, in which a baby fashioned of tar was placed into some brambles for the purpose of first luring and them trapping another character in the brambles. you see, the more the character tried to release the tar baby from the brambles, the stickier and more entangled he'd become. it is obvious that this man was referring to a sticky situation which just gets worse the more one tries to handle it. yet he was forced into a public apology because...
2007-03-19 03:21:28 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in News & Events ➔ Other - News & Events
...some people use the term "tar baby" as a racial slur. should he have had to apologize for the fact that some people have taken an old phrase and turned it into something racially negative? it is quite clear that this man was making no reference at all to race, but was using the phrase in the manner in which it was originally used--to describe a sticky situation. don't you think this is an example of "political correctness" going too far? please share your thoughts. thanks.
2007-03-19 03:26:00 · update #1
If his use of the phrase "tar baby" was in fact to describe the situation that had become sticky as in the Brer rabbit story... then i feel there was no need for him to apologize.
It seems to me that people are trying to FIND racism where none exists. Forcing this man to apologize.... most likely because a group of people took it out of context & made a big stink about it.
If it was me I would have printed out the story of Brer Rabbit, highlighted the part of the story in reference to the tar baby & handed it out to all of the people who took it the wrong way & complained.
2007-03-19 03:28:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Then again, Uncle Remus has already been banished from this nation, so not many people over 30 have heard of him. Unfortunately we will not see the movie Song of the South again. I got the chance when I was very young to see it in the theatre and I enjoyed it. I also had the book of Uncle Remus, but it's really hard to read in the language he spoke in.
I agree with the statements of PC going way too far. I think that the PC agenda has created a bunch of people that get offended way too easily and it has only led to more problems. It was intended to make peace, but it has done the opposite. Now people just get offended all the time because they are trouble makers and know that they can make a stink and cry "offense!! " and make the news or something.
I appeal to the people of America. Please turn your brains back on and look for intent. Quit focusing on individual words and listen to whole sentences, read body language, listen for tone of voice. And - while you're at it, how 'bout attacking the rap music world for their over use of truly offensive slurs against black people and women?? Where is the outcry when words truly are meant to be offensive??
2007-03-19 11:00:43 · answer #2 · answered by BaseballGrrl 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
He should not have apoligized. He did not use it as a racial slur. I wish people would stop trying to be so "politically correct" and I wish the other half would stop taking things so personally.
The other day when General Pace said homosexuality was immoral, he expressed an OPINION. The fact that everyone demanded an opology is ridiculous. He is entitled to his opinion. People may not agree with it, but it's still a free country (as free as it can get with Bush at the helm) but still somewhat free.
People are becoming way too sensitive and I personally am tired of walking on eggshells.
2007-03-19 10:34:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
People, especially libs are always looking for SOMETHING to twist around to make someone else look bad. I can't say I'm surprised. You have to look at the context. If what he said could have easily been interpreted as a racial slur, that's one thing. If not, why apologize because someone else is a cry baby? I personally don't think anyone should be FORCED to apologize for ANYTHING. You know they don't mean it, so it's kind of pointless, right? I'm not for racial slurs AT ALL, but I'm not naive enough to think that I can force someone to apologize for something they said & actually believe they meant it.
What point would an apology serve? None at all. Maybe he should have been given the opportunity to clarify what he meant...but if I said something that someone took the wrong way, I might apologize for THEIR mistake, but I'd defend my position if it truly was an innocent mixup
2007-03-19 10:33:56 · answer #4 · answered by Roland'sMommy 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He did not mean it in a racist context, yet apparently that didn't matter. No, he shouldn't have had to apologize, because he didn't say it as a racial slur. If people educated themselves before crying racism, this wouldn't be such a big deal.
2007-03-19 13:18:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO!! People have a right to speak their minds no matter what. For a person or group of persons to violate anothers right to freedom of speech because they are offended by or put off by what another person says is unacceptable. This is politically correctness run amok and its got to stop.
2007-03-19 10:31:09 · answer #6 · answered by Sane 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
John McCain is obviously well read.
But he should know that the term "tarbaby" has had racial overtones attached to it and has gotten other politicians in trouble, before. He should have known this and avoided that question.
He did well to apologize to those who were offended - no need to point out their lack of knowledge of the rich literary heritage of this nation.
As for that expression - not many people today are familar with Uncle Remus. It's time to throw that tarbaby out with the bathwater.
2007-03-19 10:28:59 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
While you are correct on the denotation of the term (it was Sen. McCain who used it), the connotation is a reference to black people (which he didn't mean, but the term carries).
2007-03-19 10:25:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I do not think an apology is in order here. What you should do though is throw a rock at him and aim for that soft spot right between the eyes!!!
2007-03-19 10:24:50 · answer #9 · answered by arenaimage 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
To be politically correct he should of used the English-sticky situation
2007-03-19 10:30:14 · answer #10 · answered by Patches6 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋