Debate The insult of a 6-year old, "supposedly" black.

Riordan protest canceled because 'black' girl white
Former Los Angeles mayor in flap over his insult of 6-year-old student

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Posted: July 9, 2004
12:00 p.m. Eastern



© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

Black civil-rights activists canceled plans for a protest after discovering a child insulted by California Education Secretary Richard Riordan was not African-American as originally believed, but a blonde, white girl.

In an incident captured on video [Requires Real Player], Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor, stunned participants in a promotional event July 1 at the Santa Barbara library by jokingly telling a 6-year-old her name, Isis, meant "stupid dirty girl."

Alice Huffman, president of the California chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Thursday that Riordan "is not suitable to lead education in our state" and should be removed.

Democratic state Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally called on Riordan to step down, telling the San Jose Mercury News the child was a "little African-American girl."

"Would he (Riordan) have done that to a white girl?" Dymally asked.

But the lawmaker reversed himself and canceled a planned civil-rights demonstration after finding out the girl is white.

"Mayor Richard Riordan has extended another apology ... and expressed his regret to me by way of a Los Angeles bishop," Dymally said in a statement. "To err is human; to forgive is divine. I have requested a meeting with Secretary Riordan to further discuss the issue."

But Dymally's sudden reversal prompted a reaction of disbelief from the girl's mother, the Sacramento Bee reported.

"If he feels the man should step down, why does it matter if my daughter is white?" Trinity Lila of Goleta said in an interview with the paper.

Lila said Riordan should probably step down but isn't demanding he do so.

"I let my daughter go to story hour and figured she'd be safe in a room full of librarians and parents and other children and the secretary of education," Lila told the Bee.

"If I was in the room, I would have defended her. But she did OK without me. I'm really proud of her for standing up for herself. She's OK. She's moved on. It's not like I'm going to sue to pay her therapy bills."

The incident began with Isis D'Luciano seated next to Riordan along with a few dozen children.

"Did you know that my name actually means an Egyptian goddess?" she said with noticeable pride in her voice, according to the Bee.

Riordan, apparently without hearing the full question, answered: "It means stupid, dirty girl."

The children giggled and groaned before Isis repeated that her name was that of a goddess.

"Hey, that's nifty," said Riordan, who issued a statement a short time later saying he "teased" her and "immediately apologized ... for misunderstanding."

Lila said her daughter didn't correct Riordan because "she told me she didn't want to hurt his feelings. I got the impression she just didn't think he was very bright."

Kevin Spillane, political director for Riordan's 2002 gubernatorial campaign, said he doesn't think Riordan should or would resign.

"Why should a man who has a lifetime of doing charitable work for children resign over one unfortunate remark that he quickly apologized for?" Spillane asked.

"And for Mervyn Dymally to try to make political hay by shamelessly playing the race card in this is ridiculous. Richard Riordan has done more for black children than Mervyn Dymally can ever dream of," he said.

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39370
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xD This is wrong on SO many different levels. Debate to your heart's content. I personally think that this'll be an interesting one.

I don't doubt that something was cut out in that video, and that there was more to it.

Although, that really wasn't right in the first place, I can see him doing it with older students, but kindergarden? Not only could that have had an impression on the little girl herself (who was so cute! x3) But it could have had an effect on the other kids, too. They couldda started teasing her and calling her dirty, stupid girl. They would do it, too. I've had a lot of experience with early childhood professions, and plain and simple, you just don't tell a kid that.

Even if he were to joke with her, "dirty" AND "stupid" aren't the first harmless "bad words" in a kindergarden kid's mind. He didn't have to say both, either.

Regardless of what he SHOULD have done, I believe there was no need for a ****in protest. o_0

And it was funny, too. xD xD That little girl didn't even care.

 

Funny because the little girl didn't care? Yes. I find it funny that she didn't get worked up over something as stupid as an insult the NAACP would piss themselves over. Best part of this, though? The fact they only give a damn if the kid is black. Why should skin color matter? It shouldn't, but they make it an issue when claiming it isn't one. Tch. Hypocrisy at it's best. :anime: And that little girl sounds pretty bright. Most children wouldn't have the first clue about their name. Although Riordan's immaturity shows he may not be the best man for the job, regardless of whether it was a joke and whether or not he apologized.

 

Sigh. This is wrong on three different levels that I can count. Let's break it down.

1. Richard Riordan is a moron. (Well, we knew that already. He's a Republican, after all. Just kidding, people.) It's not the smartest thing to do to make an insult like that to a little girl. He's lucky she didn't care. However that birngs us to point 2.

2. She DIDN'T care. And yet these people all get their panties in a bunch. I say, no harm, no foul. It's not like the girl's not going to be scarred for life. Although he should be admonshied, arranging an entire protest against him is a little unfair, neh?

3, and most important: The black incident. Yay for American double-standards. If she was a black girl, these people were prepared to line up. But she's white. Okay, no big deal. That's really the part of this that absolutely disgusts me.

 

This plainly shows how the NAACP are desperate for a way to show their 'zealism' of the colored people rights and how they are right and everyone else is wrong. When they run out of those scandals, NAACP'll reduce to dust, which it should have long ago. I mean, in the beginning it was a worthy cause, but now it's just grasping for some media.

 

Well, there are some "white civil rights" groups, but turns out that all of them (as far as i know) are white supremacist groups.

I think there should be a "children civil rights" group. I'd join one for example, and protest whenever a teacher or principal punishes, suspends or expells some kid who finally beat down one of those bullies.

*AHEM* ok sorry for the evil self-projecting part. Anyway...

that teacher should be put on a blacklist or something.

 

He's not a teacher he's the head of education for the state of California lol. even better. Poor guy though. He thought she asked if he knew what her name was and made an horrible joke (which he instantly regretted). Isis has moved on, I guess we can too. After all, Mervyn Dymally did! ahahaha

How nice of them to refuse to hold a rally because Isis is white. Who's the racist now, beyotch? Poor Mervyn.. I can understand why he'd just want to lie low after getting called on his flat out wrong assertion that the girl is black, but would it have serisouly hurt to hold the rally anyway? Showed some solidarity or something? Or showed that it was about protecting children and not playing the race card at every possible instance?

The whole thing has an awesomely surreal feel to it. It's amazing to see idiocy piled on idiocy like that.

 

African-American Rights groups can be . . . amusing, can't they? I find it interesting that their zeal and tenacity are only expressed when a "victim" is black. It would appear that they don't give a crap wether true justice is attained. No offense intended. Racism is . . . ridiculous. No African American alive can say "My owner whipped me," and yet we still have riots. And that causes various white idiots to resent this, causing racism. Fools. An endless circle.