Sidarth's Grandparents Write Angry Letter to Washington Post

By: Lowell
Published On: 8/18/2006 6:33:04 AM

Yesterday, a letter to the editor from Sidarth's grandparents appeared in the Washington Post. 

We would like to thank you for taking the right stand on the gaffe of Sen. George Allen ["George Allen's America," editorial, Aug. 15].

It is quite shocking for a person of Mr. Allen's caliber, who is running for a second Senate term and is a likely candidate for president in 2008, to point a finger at a young lad of 20, bullying our grandson, S.R. Sidarth, and calling him a derogatory and uncalled-for name. Sidarth was only videotaping the event.

In the 1930s Sidarth's great-grandfather accompanied Mohandas Gandhi to London as his secretary at the Round Table Conference on political reform in India. We come from a heritage of nationalists and seekers after truth. Hence these remarks hurt all the more, and we are personally affected by such an attack.

BOB NARASIMHAN

MANI NARASIMHAN

Bethesda

The great grandson of the great Mahatma Gandhi's secretary insulted by the son of a French Tunisian "pied noir" who apparently called dark-skinned people - Arabs and Africans - "macaca?"  Amazing. The historical irony (or is it ironic?  should we ask Alanis Morisette?). Come to think of it, if George Allen had been around in the 1930s and 1940s, he probably would have called Mahatma "macaca!"  Hey, since you're fluent in the language, what's the French word for "jackass," George?

Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign.  The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.

Comments



Jackass in French (Curlew - 8/18/2006 6:51:50 AM)
Its "Connard."

"Imbecile" is french for "ass"

However "casse-couilles" or "pain in the ass" is a much more appropriate moniker for Senator Felix Macaca.



Merci beaucoup! (Lowell - 8/18/2006 7:01:02 AM)
J'aime ces noms pour felix le chat!


Since we're reality-based, Lowell.... (blueroots - 8/18/2006 7:01:35 AM)
The letter says "In the 1930s Sidarth's great-grandfather accompanied Mohandas Gandhi to London as his secretary". They don't say his great grandfather was actually Mohandas Gandhi.

However, I think it would be prudent to continue reminding all Virginians over and over that their junior senator - a man who currently represents them on our national stage - called a brown man the French equivalent of "ni**er", and knew EXACTLY what he meant when he said it.



Typo. I fixed that. (Lowell - 8/18/2006 7:30:07 AM)
Thanks.


Eugene Robinson:WaPo Tues On Allen (kevinceckowski - 8/18/2006 7:58:42 AM)
Eugene Robinson was live blogging Tuesday of this week, someone had to ask him a question about George F.Allen.

Love his comment about if you are a politician and NOT connected to the immigration issue, e.g. we are a melting pot and we all live together as ONE AMERICA, then your days as a politician are numbered (my interpretation of what Eugene said to a caller).  :<)

Arlington, Va.: Do you think George Allen's comments yesterday were racist? I'm an African-American and I've never trusted the Republican party because things like this continually occur.

Eugene Robinson: Ooooh, I was hoping somebody would raise the subject of George Allen. The senator from Virginia was at a campaign rally last Friday, and he spotted a volunteer from the campaign of his Democratic opponent, James Webb. The young man happened to be of Indian descent. Allen pointed him out, referring to him as "macaca, or whatever his name is... Let's give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." In Europe, macaca is a slur against African immigrants. The young man in question had been born in Fairfax County. Was this racist? Gee, sounds like it to me.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: George Allen: racist imbecile or just an imbecile? To demean a guy by calling him a racist slur while you know he's filming you for your opponent's campaign has to be the height of idiocy.

Eugene Robinson: Not the brightest move. There's a larger point here, though. Look at the census figures that are in all the papers today. Immigrants are a huge presence in American life -- the foreign-born population in the Washington area is over 1 million -- and politicians who don't recognize that fact are not going to fare well.  :<)



Bearing the unbearable (Bubby - 8/18/2006 10:18:43 AM)
I read this letter and I think how difficult it must be to believe yourself a respectable citizen, and wake up to find that YOUR U.S. Senator has called your grandson a sub-human foreigner. What are these people to think of their neighbors and the people on the street? Perhaps they also feel this way?  What an unbearable burden on that "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness" thing. Its a fucking shame.


good. (drmontoya - 8/18/2006 11:00:19 AM)
for sidarth's grandparents.

Man, if he was my kin.. I'd be pissed beyond belief.



My wife has submitted the following LTE to all of the local papers... (Loudoun County Dem - 8/18/2006 11:43:21 AM)
As a parent and a Virginian I am appalled by the use of this offensive epithet and the condescending attitude ('Welcome to America') displayed toward this young man by Mr. Allen.

The use of a racial slur known to many cultures from Russia to South America is reprehensible. The term reportedly originated as a derogatory aspersion toward dark skinned Africans and Arabs by European colonists in North Africa (Mr. Allen's mother was a French Colonial in Tunisia while growing up).

The use of this epithet was neither innocent nor accidental, Mr. Allen knew what the word meant. Now I also know what the word means and, unfortunately, so do our children.