"lips so large he could float half of Cuba to the shores of Miami"

[Athena]

Veiled racism? Well, maybe it's not that veiled at all.

Adam LaDuca, former executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans was recently forced to resign after posting on his facebook page that Obama has "a pair of lips so large he could float half of Cuba to the shores of Miami (and probably would.)"

In poor taste, certainly. But is it racism?

When you consider that this same man regarded MLK as a "fraud" and a "pariah", and that he also headed up a hotly condemned bake sale in protest of affirmative action that charged white people more for the baked goods, I'd be tempted to say that it's probably pretty racist. However, LaDuca defends himself, stating that his comment was no different than comments that targeted Bush's big ears and others based on the physical attributes of politicians.

It's not a bad point. So, what's your take? Is this kid racist, or are we looking at a double-standard?

[brokenandtwisted]

The Bush "has big ears" comment holds true because he has an uncanny resemblance to a monkey, in both form and intelligence. One normally (I am not racist) attributes "monkey" with African-Americans or people of African descent in general. I don't see how he says the comment is no different when African-Americans are also stereotyped for "large lips". Therefore the two stereotypes don't match at all.

It's racism in my opinion.

[katyk]

Veiled racism? Well, maybe it's not that veiled at all.

Adam LaDuca, former executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans was recently forced to resign after posting on his facebook page that Obama has "a pair of lips so large he could float half of Cuba to the shores of Miami (and probably would.)"

In poor taste, certainly. But is it racism?

When you consider that this same man regarded MLK as a "fraud" and a "pariah", and that he also headed up a hotly condemned bake sale in protest of affirmative action that charged white people more for the baked goods, I'd be tempted to say that it's probably pretty racist. However, LaDuca defends himself, stating that his comment was no different than comments that targeted Bush's big ears and others based on the physical attributes of politicians.

It's not a bad point. So, what's your take? Is this kid racist, or are we looking at a double-standard?

Racist.

In my opinion, most racists will try to cloak their racism by throwing in a token insult toward a white person.

And his lips aren't that big. Did he say that about Angelina Jolie? Probably not. What a d-bag.

[Castille]

However, LaDuca defends himself, stating that his comment was no different than comments that targeted Bush's big ears and others based on the physical attributes of politicians.

Oh please - is this even entertainable? Why don't you make fun of the slantiness of an asian guy's eyes, or for that matter go directly for Obama's skin color or hair, and tell me there's not a huge racial component to that? When certain features have come to characterize a race in our racially divided society, no one living here can claim they aren't fully aware of them. Next this guy is going to pretend he didn't know blacks were sterotyped with big lips. I don't think physical attributes are entirely off limits of course, but to deny the racial implication of discussing - let alone criticising, racially connected features is intentionally loaded. The mocking of racially connected features is where the racism comes in, ya know? Like the sexism would if you were mocking a female politicians breasts, or I guess a male politician's penis, for that matter. Ears, to my knowledge, don't really have any racial implication, unless we're talking about Vulcans. Now, I don't always object to politically incorrect, or even offensive humor. But this was neither smart or funny. Last time I looked, repubs were all about encouraging and supporting Cuban refugees and accused dems of wanting to make nice with evil Cuba (which would eliminate that wet feet, political asylum bit,) so it doesn't even make political sense to me. Refresh me on the politics of that Elian Gonzales thing? Anyhow, I thought the repubs were firmly on the keeping-the-cubans side of that political fence. DaLuca may be racist, but his larger crimes seem to be stupidity and lack of originality.

[Ruby]

Puhleaze, it's racist any way you slice, dice, obfuscate, or rename it. Geez.

The stupidest thing about it is that Obama does not have particularly large lips. Mine are bigger. Fuller. More voluptuous. And I'm an Eastern European Yid. Go figure.

[Castille]

The stupidest thing about it is that Obama does not have particularly large lips. Mine are bigger. Fuller. More voluptuous. And I'm an Eastern European Yid. Go figure.

Well, if you've been staring overlong at the current president's visage, or that of the repub canidate, just the simple presence of any visible lip at all must look enormous to your eyes. Oh look, maybe that is a double standard of sorts - I can make fun of their lack of lips with impunity I believe. But that's because white people aren't particularly characterized or sterotyped by a lack of lips.

[Gilbrit]

"Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me."

He used poor judgement and paid dearly by having to resign.

[Athena]

Daddy Yankee endorsed McCain. I doubt LaDuca has anything to say about his lips.



Hotness...Even in pink. :p

[michelle]

Daddy Yankee endorsed McCain. I doubt LaDuca has anything to say about his lips.



Hotness...Even in pink. :p

I don't know where to start here. Were the remarks racist? SHit yeah? Does it make them less true? No. Are Bushes ears huge, and is he a dimwit? Hell yes.
Historically, most folks of African American descent have large lips, wide noses, and darker skin than say the white anglo-saxxons. Do Asian people have slanted eyes? Do white anglo-saxxons folks have pale skin and little immunity from the sun? IMHO it's all relative to geography and evolution. As the human race we all evolved here on the planet in direct relation to our environment, including weather, diet, geography, government etc.... As intelligent folks we can agree on that. Name me a physical stereotype and mostly I can name a reason for it or at least a past history of it.
That said, it doesn't give some asshole a reason to perpetuate that any particular group of people is less than another based on these evolutionary difference, and his insult did just that.
I like it all. I am an EOE woman. I know and see beautiful people everywhere.