The Daily Howler - 09/09/05

OUR LATEST FIX! Maybe we’ll “fix” the New Orleans schools? What makes us think we can do that? // link // print // previous // next //

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2005

EXPANDING ON DRUM: We haven’t used the term “refugees,” and we pretty much doubt that we would have. (We also wouldn’t compare scenes from New Orleans to “Mogadishu,” “Haiti,” or “The Third World,” as people have reflexively done—most recently, Doug Brinkley, on C-SPAN this morning.) But we applaud Kevin Drum for his sensible statement about the term “refugee.” “I'm happy to stop using the word if it bothers people,” he sensibly says. But we’d expand upon that a bit; in our view, we should all be a little bit tougher on people like Rep. Dianne Watson (D-CA). Kevin quotes her recent, ridiculous statement—but fails to note how completely phony the statement actually is:

WATSON: These are American citizens, plus they are the sons and daughters of slaves. Calling them refugees coming from a foreign country does not apply to their status. This shows disdain for them. I'm almost calling this a hate crime.

Kevin notes how stupid it is to refer to this as a “hate crime.” But let’s go farther: Who exactly has called the New Orleans storm victims “refugees coming from a foreign country?” Answer: No one has made such a statement. Watson is pleasuring herself.