George Allen: "Macaca" Was a "Made Up Word"

Worse, Allen Was Not Challenged On That Rationalization (0.00 / 0)

What does that tell you about the thoroughness and objectivity of the report?

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by: Dan Sullivan @ Mon Jan 24, 2011 at 20:36:57 PM UTC

He wasn't challenged on anything he said (0.00 / 0)

most of which was either lies, misstatements, or evasions.

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by: lowkell @ Mon Jan 24, 2011 at 20:46:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I wonder... (0.00 / 0)

if some of our friends over on that site are going to throw away their own calling out of the guy and act like it was always understood that it was "made up".  I hope not.  If we hope to have decency, we can't let the crooks get off on a light sentence every single time, so to speak.  I guess some feel like they have to because he's their candidate, which is a real shame.

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by: robsmithiii @ Mon Jan 24, 2011 at 20:47:34 PM UTC

Macaca is a french slur (0.00 / 0)

The example that I know about is even on the movie screen.  There is a scene in Saratoga Trunk with Ingrid Bergmans Maid calls Cupidor a "Macaca."  Since the film was made in 1945, maybe it was made up then too

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by: commandantezero @ Mon Jan 24, 2011 at 23:36:16 PM UTC

Do a Twitter search (0.00 / 0)

http://twitter.com/#!/search/m...

About half of the entries are in other languages, which makes me think this word is very popular.  Can anyone translate them for me?  Are there that many foreign racists or does the word have other meanings?

follow me on Twitter.

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by: frankoanderson @ Tue Jan 25, 2011 at 01:30:29 AM UTC

History of the word... (0.00 / 0)

is quite varied, but in all its incarnations, it is used as a racial slur. It was used by white Belgians in the Congo to refer to Africans, meaning they were monkeys (French: macaques). It was also used by European whites to refer to natives of Morocco. North African whites used it to refer to anyone with darker skin. Allen's mother, Sarah Lumbroso Allen, was born in French Tunisia, where the term was commonly used as a racial slur, so most folks think Allen may have picked it up as a boy. He may swear that he "made up" the racial epithet, but he protests a bit too much, especially since he used to keep a confederate flag on his wall and kept a noose in his office. He also proudly declared a Confederate Month in Virginia when he was governor. (At least Bob McDonnell had the good sense to back away from that one.)

My favorite George "Macawitz" Allen factoid is that he still holds the record for the most interceptions by a UVa quarterback in one game. I think he was intercepted five or six times. :-)

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Tue Jan 25, 2011 at 02:38:12 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Macaca literally translates as monkey (0.00 / 0)

The twitter posts are in Portuguese.  Macaca means monkey (female).  Macaco would be a male monkey.  It's used quite a bit in Brazil as sometimes a slur and sometimes just as a nickname.  Sort of like calling a toddler who's starting to climb out of the playpen or something "you little monkey".

Pretty much, the way we would use the word monkey.  Sometimes in reference to an actual monkey, or like "monkeying around", "you little monkey" to a kid, or as a slur against blacks.

I don't think Felix Macacawitz was thinking that Sidarth was a young kid climbing on the furniture when he made his comment in 2006.

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by: FlorisDem @ Tue Jan 25, 2011 at 02:51:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

summer of 2006 (0.00 / 0)

George Allen was visiting Lynchburg to speak to the local Chamber of Commerce at Westminster Canterbury. Some of us in the local Dem Committee decided to line VES Rd. w/ Webb signs to show our support of Webb.It was awesome to see until local Republican guy Wendell Walker and his minions put Allen signs directly in front our ours...we  rearranged the best we could !
As we were finishing up we were standing and talking on a side St. and a car flew in and stopped. The young guy gets out and asks where he can go to change his clothes...he is an intern for Webb and is filming Allen. We told him where he could go to quickly change and he left.
A few days later we realize we had talked to S.R. Sidarth...better known as "macaca". We felt honored!

I accidentally posted this on the other article...sorry !

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by: gg2landy @ Tue Jan 25, 2011 at 11:09:04 AM UTC

And therein is the Allen problem... (0.00 / 0)

Lowell asks "Does this guy have absolutely zero ability for self reflection or learning?"  While I don't have the definitive answer, this episode shows us everything that is wrong with the Allen candidacy-and I say this a Republican.

I don't understand why in 2006 and he could not simply say "I should not have used language I was not familiar with, and I apologize, etc.".  Had he showed up at Webb HQ to offer a personal apology he would have looked like a stand up guy and the incident would have blown over.  Instead, as is always the case, it's the post event evasion and rationalization kept the story alive.

Now it's almost five years later, and you think he could get over his ego and face up to his SNAFU...but he doesn't.  I suspect he will grab up bad staff again (see "Hitler Ad" piece) and make similar mistakes again, and if all that happens face similar results...

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by: Bwana @ Tue Jan 25, 2011 at 12:56:12 PM UTC

I Sure Hope So (0.00 / 0)

He deserves to be put out to pasture again.

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Tue Jan 25, 2011 at 15:20:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

If "Macaca" ... (0.00 / 0)

... were the only instance of George Allen using racial epithets, he might be forgiven and given a second chance.
It's not. There's a long documented history of incidents, credibly reported by witnesses. Where there's that much smoke.......

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by: Steve Vaughan @ Tue Jan 25, 2011 at 16:56:02 PM UTC