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A politically incorrect post

28 comments on A politically incorrect post

A politically incorrect post

: This is going to be a politically incorrect post about political correctness but here goes…

Am I the only one who noted how far out of their way the DNC went to find a Muslim woman to speak on behalf of the families of victims of 9/11 last night?

Of course, I don’t mean to devalue her sacrifice and suffering one bit or her right to speak on behalf of fellow victims.

But the DNC turned an important moment into a moment of politically correct tokenism.

But wouldn’t the DNC have been wise to at least find a fireman’s widow, too?

28 responses to “A politically incorrect post”

  1. tony Avatar
    tony

    have no fear, there will be a fireman’s widow or two or three or four on the way, no doubt.
    the repubs will probably present a stage full of them.
    but to answer your question, you may be the only one who noted it. perhaps im naive but i didnt catch the muslim-ness of her testimony.
    and especially after the great speech by president clinton, i doubt anyone remembers much else of the first day of the convention.
    sorry, al.

  2. Richard Aubrey Avatar
    Richard Aubrey

    A fireman’s widow might say something about a royal Irish ass or something, thus reminding us this is not over just because we buried the 9-11 dead.
    Reminding us it’s not over is not good for the dems.

  3. Andy Avatar
    Andy

    It doesn’t seem that the PC list was made up for check-off. Perhaps a bit of ad hoc-ery decision making?
    Carter had had a few belts or a stroke. Several other old-timers seemed to have had a few drinks. Its’ not good for the Wise Old Men of the party to be seen toddling around.
    re: Clinton’s Speech, everyone says it was great. Nobody can remember what he said. Clinton makes everyone feel good about their own ideas.

  4. Anil Avatar
    Anil

    Eh, it’s TV and it’s a political convention. Symbolism and a lack of subtlety are the order of the day.

  5. Chris Pierson Avatar
    Chris Pierson

    How do you know she was Muslim? Was she identified as Muslim?

  6. Jeff Jarvis Avatar
    Jeff Jarvis

    Chris: Yes, not from the stage of the convention, but by the anchor who followed (can’t remember which of many networks I was watching at just that moment).

  7. CeCe Avatar
    CeCe

    It seemed odd and somewhat ill conceived from the moment she appeared on stage. I’m sure it was painful for her to lose family in the tragedy and I have no less sympathy for her than any other victim, but she seemed choosen not to remind us of the horror of 9/11, but to deflect attention from the fact that Muslim fanatics are the primary perpetrators of terrorist crimes. The hidden message seemed to be that Muslims are victims too and if we were to employ any kind of racial profiling in airline security, it would be unfair to nice people like this woman.

  8. Michael Zimmer Avatar
    Michael Zimmer

    “But wouldn’t the DNC have been wise to at least find a fireman’s widow, too?”
    It’s only day 2 of the convention.

  9. shark Avatar
    shark

    Never mind the attempt at tokenism….how about Glen Close reading a 9/11 speech….wowee.
    I’m sure the Repubs will have some firemen…and the Dems will accuse them of exploiting 9/11
    Anyway:
    WASH POST POLL
    It has some encouraging news for Bush. He solidly leads Kerry on fighting terror and on handling Iraq, and is narrowly ahead or behind (basically tied) on taxes, health care (!), education, and the economy. He leads on who is honest, consistent, a strong leader, shares your values (just slightly), and will make country safer. Kerry leads narrowly on understands people like you. Bush’s job approval is 50.

  10. Angelos Avatar
    Angelos

    This is all ridiculous theater. There will be more nonsense to come this week from Boston, and just as much from NYC soon.
    This appears to be a damned-if-you-do situation. Any ethnicity of speaker could be perceived as pandering or PC, and a white one could be criticized too.

  11. RebeccaH Avatar
    RebeccaH

    The Democrats and the Republicans both ought to dig up a few more Muslims to speak about 9/11 and what an atrocity it was and how the terrorists (calling them by their right name) don’t reflect the majority opinion of Muslims in the U.S. Because if the Muslims continue to remain silent in the face of Islamic war against the West, then they are going to be royally screwed. And they will have deserved it, for their cowardice.

  12. John Avatar
    John

    I don’t understand what the problem is in finding a Muslim woman to talk about her loss on 9/11. It’s too often glossed over that Muslims were hurt and killed on 9/11 too, and that our fight is against Islamist extremists, not Muslims generally. Why is that so terrible? And why is it politically correct tokenism rather than a worthwhile reminder? By calling her a token, Jeff, you are indeed devaluing her right to speak on behalf of her fellow victims, despite your protestations otherwise. Her presence may have gotten in the way of our need to demonize Muslims and treat this war as a Judeo-Christian crusade against an entire religion, but I think it’s good she was there. To me, her being Muslim wasn’t the most important thing about her, and wasn’t a distraction from her powerful message.

  13. Neil Shah Avatar
    Neil Shah

    There’s nothing politically correct about asking, but there is something intellectually wrong with it, considering the woman, Haleema Salie is involved in politics although she has been in this country for only a decade. According to Wolf Blitzer: “And making it all more poignant, Judy, she’s a Muslim of Sri Lanka nationality who’s lived in this country for only ten years. She’s a member of the convention platform committee. She spoke for so many people from her heart.”

  14. Andy Freeman Avatar
    Andy Freeman

    > There’s nothing politically correct about asking, but there is something intellectually wrong with it, considering the woman, Haleema Salie is involved in politics although she has been in this country for only a decade.
    Huh? What’s intellectually wrong with asking? And how long should she wait before getting involved in politics?

  15. David Avatar
    David

    Nothing “politically incorrect” about it…i just call it racist pure and simple. You just don’t like the fact that not just white americans suffered on 9/11…3000 people died on that day and from the media coverage they’d have us believe it was only ivy leaguers who worked at cator fitzgerald who died, or brave Bush voting firemen. 3000 PEOPLE died that day and for you to be upset that a muslim woman was given a few minutes of airtime speaks volume for you.
    What can you expect when we have our fearless gladiator who made it a point to pronounce Islam as “IsSlum” over and over again right after 9/11. Find me one instance of anyone pronuncing Islam as IssssSlum before Bush did it and i’ll give a $100 dollars.

  16. GMRoper Avatar
    GMRoper

    Jeff, you called it, and a miniature firestorm you have created.
    My only gripe about David and John and others of their frame of reference is that the Democrats raised holy heck about a Photo of Bush at the scene of the 9/11 attacks. Then, in their own convention they have A.) A Muslim victims Mom, B.)a Violin recital of Amazing Grace and C.) Candles in a darkened theater no less. The only thing missing was raised hands clutching and the entire audience swaying. Sheesh – sickening. Just plain old sickening.
    Is no one else going to call these hypocrites on their hokum?

  17. ed Avatar
    ed

    Oh wait! now someone’s reading from the Koran! obviosly we can read something else into this! Let’s Go!

  18. Dann Avatar
    Dann

    David-
    Sorry, I see nothing ‘racist’ in Jeff’s comments. The decision to have her speak on the subject of 9-11 is clearly designed to imply something beyond her comments. The implied message is that Muslims were victims on that day as well.
    For the record, I don’t particularly mind that implied message. It is factual and the political types will be making hay out of 9-11 from their respective positions for the next 5 months anyway.
    And it does serve as a reminder that being American goes well and far beyond being white or European or much of anything else from a racial perspective. Just the same, I’d agree with those that have indicated a desire to see American Muslims be a bit more vocal in their opposition to the terrorists attacking us here at home and our military and diplomats abroad.
    Regards

  19. C. Bennett Avatar
    C. Bennett

    Several years ago I received an award and was one of three to be honored at a dinner with some speeches. At the end, each of us who received an award came to the podium. I was called first and next a younger (30-ish) woman. While they were calling the third person (an African-American), the woman next to me (whom I hadn’t met before this evening) leaned over and whispered “I really hope I’m not up here because I’m a woman.”
    I think one of the unfortunate side-effects of these pallet award allocation systems is that it not only can look cheap to the audience but it can create great ambivalence in the award recepients themselves. On the one hand, they are honored and they want to support the organizations that have chosen to recognize them; on the other hand, they feel uncertain about the motivation for the award — was it me or was it my color/gender? One can almost feel used.
    This isn’t a new insight — I just mention it because the focus of attention is on the Party and the audience here. Another person impacted by this is the woman herself, who believes in her message, wants to feel she is a good choice to deliver that message and not just because of what she looks like in a convention photo.
    The one year I served on the award committee for the same award I received earlier, I was told when I nominated a white male that “it isn’t consistent with the message we want to send.” As with the Muslim speaker, a big part of the message is just speaker demographic — it’s obvious, but it creates ambivalence within the person chosen as well as in those observing.

  20. pele Avatar
    pele

    It’s all theatre. I think it’s important reiterate the point that it is Islamist extremists that are ‘the enemy’ and not ordinary Muslims.

  21. David Avatar
    David

    Suicide Bomber kills 68 in Iraq…
    considering that Iraq has about 28 million people that means that the 68 killed are equivilant to 680 americans being killed…and we hear nothing about this from the likes of Jarvis.
    funny how mr. moderate Jeff Jarvis is so quick to criticize Democrats for any little misstep but has nothing to say about the great speech given last night by Barack Obama. Of course if Obama bombed or was even a bit negative Jarvis would be all over it.

  22. Michael Zimmer Avatar
    Michael Zimmer

    “i just call it racist”
    Last time I checked, “Muslim” is not a race, it is an adjective describing a believer in or follower of Islam.

  23. Walter Wallis Avatar
    Walter Wallis

    If the President should have known to stop 9/11, then the widows should have kept their hubbies home that day.
    Sheesh!

  24. David Avatar
    David

    Walter I doubt the widows had seen a report a month earlier that said “Al Quida set to attack inside the US” like Shrub did and then decided to head out to vacation.

  25. Ptolemy Avatar
    Ptolemy

    No David but I bet they did see a big fat check coming from the Red Cross and a big chance for tv time and attention to make asses of themselves didn’t they? Now if we could only find a way to move that money to the widows/orphans of our soldiers who went to work knowing they might die, we might actually see real compensation and gratitude.

  26. david Avatar
    david

    Ptolemy;
    Shame on you. None of the widows or family members I’ve seen have made “asses of themselves.” If it wasn’t for them and their persistence there would never have been a 9/11 commission. As for the big fat check I doubt on the day of 9/11 victims families were jumping up and down saying wooohoo I just hit the lottery now the government will take care of me and my family even though my loved one has been taken away from me. If you really thing such things I hope god has mercy on your soul.
    SOLDIERS know when they sign up that they might die…their families know they might die…they just ask that they be sent to war as a last cause and for the right reasons. I’m sure there was not ONE WWII veteran or his family who regretted serving their country, but soldiers who died in Korea, Vietnam, and this Iraq mess have a reason to question their (mis)leaders and people like you who only care about caring for the dead soldiers but don’t want to take every opportunity to make sure that they don’t have to face death for a needless cause.

  27. freddie poo Avatar
    freddie poo

    It is not that you are politically incorrect but rather that you nit pick to show what a sore head you can be…why not a Muslim woman? Why not all males? Why not no blacks? The parties each are going for Muslim, Jewish, farmers, lawyers, doctors, etc votes and if they can do this and still have a good speaker and speech, so be it…When youare put in chage, they will take your advice.

  28. shark Avatar
    shark

    Comon…..if you don’t believe the Muslim woman wasn’t carefully picked to make a statement, you’re deluding yourself.
    No comment on the statement itself…but it’s telling that remembering 9/11 w/o an unterior motive just doesn’t cut it for the Dems.