As a taxpayer, I’m not overly happy that we still have an Indian Affairs Committee. And I’m definitely not happy that the Committee is wasting my money by holding a hearing about stereotypes. And I’m rolling my eyes that some folks on the Committee are upset that Osama bin Laden was given the code-name Geronimo.
Here’s what ABC is reporting.
The Senate Indian Affairs committee will hold a hearing Thursday on racist Native American stereotypes, a hearing that will now also address the Osama bin Laden mission and the code-name Geronimo. While the hearing was scheduled before the mission, a committee aide today said the linking of the name Geronimo with the world’s most wanted man is “inappropriate” and can have a “devastating” impact on kids.
I’m not saying that the Geronimo was the best choice in the world. I’m sure, for instance, that the CIA (or Defense Department, or whoever) would understand that a negative-sounding Middle-Eastern code-name (such as “Towel-head”) would be completely inappropriate.
Likewise, I doubt anybody in the government would use an African-American-sounding code-name, particularly when referencing a villain.
In other words, some common-sense sensitivity is a good thing.
But is there any reason why the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Akaka of Hawaii, can’t make a quiet phone call and say, “I know you guys didn’t mean anything, but in the future please stay away from using code-names that link bad guys to American Indians.”
[…] policies are bad for Native Americans, but don’t hold your breath expecting the clowns in Washington to make things […]
[…] a Muslim so President Obama did not invite him to the White House – RF) The military was criticized for giving Osama bin Laden an Indian code name (Geronimo) as part of the operation to exterminate the al Qaeda leader. A Florida student was expelled for […]
[…] military was criticized for giving Osama bin Laden an Indian code name (Geronimo) as part of the operation to exterminate the al Qaeda […]
[…] school. —The military was criticized for giving Osama bin Laden an Indian code name (Geronimo) as part of the operation to kill or capture […]
[…] military was criticized for giving Osama bin Laden an Indian code name (Geronimo) as part of the operation to exterminate the al Qaeda […]
[…] benign form of political correctness, sort of on the same level as the Senate Subcommittee that investigated whether it was insensitive to give Osama bin Laden the code name Geronimo, or the Canadian soccer league that decided that […]
[…] The military was criticized for giving Osama bin Laden an Indian code name (Geronimo) as part of the operation to exterminate the al Qaeda […]
Is there a media jargon term for using the news cycle to propel your own name/agenda/platform into the news by finding some frivolous angle in it just to get a headline? If not, I humbly submit tandem-spin and lede-surfing. Take your pick.
This is pure PR strategy — I highly doubt the concerns of this committee hearing are sincere.
It’s not a big thing for those of us believe “political correctness” has no existence outside the Republican imagination.
That out of the way, would I have a Congressional hearing on the “Geronimo” issue? Only if there was some significant dispute over the name and the adoption.
On the other hand I can think of several Congressional hearings that I could oppose that take up more time or occur on issues with a lot less substance.
One thing that marks the movement against “political correctness” is a large number of people with large magnifying glasses searching through current events for some issue, however trivial, around which they can start yelling “political correctness!”
I ****ing knew it!
The second I heard them say that … I just knew this was coming.
How can something be so predictable and yet so un-freaking-believable?
[…] have been resolved with a single phone call, as Cato Institute Senior Fellow Dan Mitchell calmly explains: In other words, some common-sense sensitivity is a good […]
And here’s your sign. By all means, no one has anything better to do than worry about code words used in an accomplished mission. Past tense arguments are so productive as opposed to, I dunno, reducing the national debt!