From the Washington Times:
Just because President Obama’s Special Olympics joke on the Tonight Show Thursday was not great humor or good politics doesn’t mean he deserves the minor thrashing he is getting from the forces of political correctness and by some in the media.
… Most importantly, the President has real problems to address beside hurt feelings. The PC police need to relax and learn to take a joke.
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March 25th, 2009 at 8:16 am
The President last week in an unprecedented and widely viewed appearance on Jay Leno’s show, remarked that his poor bowling was worthy of the “Special Olympics or something”. The President quickly apologized to Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver for the remark, and Shriver accepted.
Interestingly, the President’s deputy press secretary said that the comment “was not meant to disparage the Special Olympics, only to poke some fun at the commander-in-chief’s bowling skills.” Echoing this sentiment, The Washington Times in an editorial (In Defense of Humor and President Obama, March 22, 2009) defended the President (and humor, apparently) saying that he “showed no clear pejorative intent”, and that those offended were blind to the context of the comment. Whether it was the President’s intention or not, his comment plainly used the Special Olympics as a low, even embarrassing, level for competitive ability; any argument that the comment did not disparage the Special Olympics or, more importantly, Special Olympians, is simply not credible.
The comment caused real pain to real people. One example is Loretta Claiborne of York, Pennsylvania, who is an internationally known Special Olympian; she is a big Obama fan, but she believes that the President owes her and other Special Olympians an apology. (http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_11973350?source=most_viewed). Unfortunately, oblivious to the comment’s effect, the Times concluded that the real issue here is the struggle between free speech and political correctness; it added: “The PC police need to relax and learn to take a joke.” But no one is trying to take away the President’s constitutional right to free speech. In addition, reaction to the comment is not about political correctness or regulating people’s speech, and is not guided by some “PC police” force. It is simply about respect for a group that includes some of the most vulnerable people in society. Many Special Olympians experience numerous physical, mental, and social
challenges before they even get to the playing field. For some, it is a triumph just to compete. Curiously, the Times said the President’s comment showed us his humanity, but surely the President has a better way of showing humanity.
The President can and should take a moment to apologize meaningfully to millions of Special Olympians everywhere, and he should do so publicly. He insulted millions in front of millions – apologizing to one person is clearly inadequate. The Times apparently thinks an apology is not warranted, saying: “The President has real problems to address beside hurt feelings”. But if the President has time to visit a talk show and carelessly insult millions of people around the world, I’d guess he probably has a spare moment to apologize to them.
(submitted to Times, not published)
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:15 am
“Mr. Obama showed no clear pejorative intent. Context matters in speech, and the offended in society often fail to recognize that.”
Since when do you have to mean to hurt people in order to hurt them? In the history of the world, has the non-apology of “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings” ever meant more than “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings”?
The offhandedness is precisely why the disability community is so upset. It shows how ingrained it is that it’s okay to make fun of people with disabilities. Even the president can do it!
Why should I stop using the R-word ["retard"]? The president thinks Special Olympics athletes aren’t worth thinking about — why should I?
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:52 pm
The editor who wrote that editorial is too ignorant to be working for my local newspaper! It’s not about PC, it has nothing TO DO with being PC!
You and Ben Stiller just don’t get it. It has to do with being a human being with compassion for others. It has nothing to do with whether or not you are Democrat or Republican; it has to do with kindness.
And for the leader of this great country to degrade those with disabilities on national TV, in front of millions is a disgrace! No ifs, ands or buts, he screwed up. And since he is so fond of being on TV and in front of the cameras, he needs to go on TV and publicly apologize to the millions of people in this country (and around the world) with disabilities that he offended. He made the slur on TV, let me see him publicly apologize on TV.
He, of all people, should understand prejudices and how hurtful it can be. If he were a white, Latin or Asian president making a racial slur about the African American community, you’d have Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and every other NAACP person on the news screaming injustice and prejudice.
But because it’s people with disabilities, it’s no big deal and it should be resolved with a very quiet apology to Tim Shriver? Where are our advocates and supporters? I’m totally shocked that there hasn’t been more of an uproar. I’m ready to march on Washington! A personal thank you to Sarah Palin for speaking out on behalf of our loved ones!
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:57 pm
If the President’s remark isn’t enough to piss us off and to demand equal treatment then is the Washington Times. Of course there are more too take Bill Meyer. He takes it a step further and even brags that he has “been there and done that” referring to his on air apology many years ago. Then he jokes that he has “them on speed dial”.
It’s our own damn fault, I am pissed that the Special Olympics isn’t doing more, that the NDSS hasn’t done more, that the NDSC hasn’t done more. That there is no human rights organization doing more is sickening.
The people that argue this is free speech and we need to lighten up are obviously misguided. Again our fault though, I have been writing my letters and commenting on blogs for years and for what? I get my letters of apology but nothing changes.
We haven’t educated anyone because we have assumed that people will just get it. They don’t — we need to spell it out. Because we haven’t done anything in the past it is getting worse and will continue to get worse until we now HAVE to make a huge stink.
The Special Olympics got into bed with the Farrelly Brothers and now they wonder why people are still making jokes. They themselves thought it a good idea to make a film with Johnny Knoxville? They themselves thought humor would make people get it. It made it worse — people don’t get it. You have to spell it out directly.
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:12 am
Anyone know what The Washington Times stand was on Don Imus? Just interested in consistency.
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:09 am
The funny thing is blogger, Bill Peace, predicted exactly this response 2 days ago…
The message that people with disabilities should just sit down and shut up when they don’t like the way they are treated is very hard to understand — and stomach.
Of course they used to say the same to other groups — like women and African Americans among others — when they asserted themselves and their civil rights. Maybe this is just part of the process.
March 22nd, 2009 at 6:56 am
President Obama’s comment about Special Olympics was derogatory and offensive, but he had the good manners and common sense to apologize immediately for his insensitive remark. The trite excuses trotted out in this editorial, justifying a disregard for the rights and dignity of individuals with developmental disabilities as long as the context is right, are tired and unconvincing. The writer does not have a chance of understanding why our dear president must endure our disappointment, anger and frustration. What a loser!
March 21st, 2009 at 10:58 pm
The next paragraph of the article is even better. Hello. It didn’t take a prophet to realize that this comment was hurtful to a lot of people. Why is there no author identified with this “editorial”? The Washington Times has anonymous editorial? Forgive my ignorance.
“With prophetic recognition of the coming moral outrage and lectures, the White House press shop immediately scrambled to explain away the comment and the president called Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver to apologize before the segment even aired. “