Flying-Dutchman said:
I've lightened up on Mandy because I believe her. It was a slip she never meant to say.
I don't think she will ever use the phrase again.
It's unbelievable that so many of you do not understand that the phrase is derogatory.
This ignorance is not at all helpful.
The next announcer to use the phrase will be history.
But, I believe Mandy's explanation.
Oh bullcrap! I'm sure that an announcer will use the term "halfbreed" on WAKY this afternoon when Cher sings and nobody will be history.
Why is it offensive? It's not offensive to be half Chinese, half Indian, half Irish, half white or half black. It's not a bad thing to be full blooded either. It's a valid description of what you are.
Now the TONE and CONTEXT of the way that is said can make a difference, that is why I keep asking for what she said and in what context. But so far nobody has been able to provide that.
So here it is:
“America has allowed poor people like Oprah Winfrey to come from nothing and create a billion-dollar media enterprise. At the same time it has allowed a young half-breed man — and I say half-breed not in a derogatory way, it was just the first thing I thought of — to become president” -
Courier Journal
Now the first thing that strikes me is that she hadn't even finished her sentence before she caught herself and tried to clarify it. That's a pretty significant bit on information that's been omitted up till now.
I don't know if you've ever been live on the radio but let me tell you, it's a feat to talk for 3 hours straight and never say something wrong. But if you're blessed with some tact and good sense, you'll instantly know when something you said didn't come out like you intended. And that is CLEARLY the case here.
Mandy knew as soon as the words came out that they were a poor choice and didn't convey her intention. She might have had the sense to know that some folks, who will find offense in ANYTHING, could find offense in that, even with her clearly good intentions. So she tried to clean it up, assure people that she meant nothing at all bad about the president or his race. But it was too late, and some people just will to be offended.
And notice what this implies about the discussion we've had up to this point:
Flying-Dutchman said:
This being said, why attack the president based on the color of his skin?
That was lame!
She most CLEARLY did not attack the president in any way in this clip. She clearly meant to PRAISE his accomplishments.
See how context matters? Why bash someone when you don't know all the facts?
