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Longtime Alaska Rep. Don Young, 79, attempted to clarify Thursday his use of the derogatory term "wetbacks" to describe immigrant workers in an interview earlier this week.

"I used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in Central California," the Republican congressman said in a statement issued to a local television station in Anchorage. "I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays and I meant no disrespect."


Young, Alaska's sole congressman, originally made the comment during a sit-down interview with Ketchikan Public Radio earlier this week. Talking about how technology is affecting the economy, he referenced an anecdote from his family's farm in California.

"My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes," Young said. "It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It's all done by machine."

The word is widely considered an ethnic slur and generally refers to those from Mexico who come to the United States illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River.

The 21-term congressman later issued the statement, which didn't come as a full apology but sought to explain his reasoning behind using the word. The word was used by the U.S. government in the 1950s for "Operation Wetback," a massive crackdown on illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Grandpa's Spells wrote:http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/20 ... ?hpt=hp_t2

First sentence is really all you need:

Longtime Alaska Rep. Don Young, 79, attempted to clarify Thursday his use of the derogatory term "wetbacks" to describe immigrant workers in an interview earlier this week.

The word is widely considered an ethnic slur and generally refers to those from Mexico who come to the United States illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River.

johno wrote:

The word is widely considered an ethnic slur and generally refers to those from Mexico who come to the United States illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River.

Yes, criticize someone who uses the politically incorrect term for lawbreakers. Not the lawbreakers themselves.

"Wetbacks."
No, "Illegal Immigrants."
No, "Undocumented Immigrants."
No, "Immigrants."

Let's get it over with and call them "Citizens." Anyone who can sneak across our border should have full rights to citizenship, full Gov't benefits, and protection against being called rude names.

Blaidd Drwg wrote:

johno wrote:

The word is widely considered an ethnic slur and generally refers to those from Mexico who come to the United States illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River.

Yes, criticize someone who uses the politically incorrect term for lawbreakers. Not the lawbreakers themselves.

"Wetbacks."
No, "Illegal Immigrants."
No, "Undocumented Immigrants."
No, "Immigrants."

Let's get it over with and call them "Citizens." Anyone who can sneak across our border should have full rights to citizenship, full Gov't benefits, and protection against being called rude names.

So it'd be totally cool for an elected official to stroll through a press conference calling out Kikes, Wops and Niggers?

While that might be refreshingly direct, it'd still be tone deaf as hell.

Ed Zachary wrote:

Blaidd Drwg wrote:

johno wrote:

The word is widely considered an ethnic slur and generally refers to those from Mexico who come to the United States illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River.

Yes, criticize someone who uses the politically incorrect term for lawbreakers. Not the lawbreakers themselves.

"Wetbacks."
No, "Illegal Immigrants."
No, "Undocumented Immigrants."
No, "Immigrants."

Let's get it over with and call them "Citizens." Anyone who can sneak across our border should have full rights to citizenship, full Gov't benefits, and protection against being called rude names.

So it'd be totally cool for an elected official to stroll through a press conference calling out Kikes, Wops and Niggers?

While that might be refreshingly direct, it'd still be tone deaf as hell.

DARF 4 PREZIDENTS!

protobuilder wrote:

Ed Zachary wrote:

Blaidd Drwg wrote:

johno wrote:

The word is widely considered an ethnic slur and generally refers to those from Mexico who come to the United States illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River.

Yes, criticize someone who uses the politically incorrect term for lawbreakers. Not the lawbreakers themselves.

"Wetbacks."
No, "Illegal Immigrants."
No, "Undocumented Immigrants."
No, "Immigrants."

Let's get it over with and call them "Citizens." Anyone who can sneak across our border should have full rights to citizenship, full Gov't benefits, and protection against being called rude names.

So it'd be totally cool for an elected official to stroll through a press conference calling out Kikes, Wops and Niggers?

While that might be refreshingly direct, it'd still be tone deaf as hell.

DARF 4 PREZIDENTS!