So Easy a Caveman Can Do It Alexandria Ocasio Cortez Memes
- David Plazas is the managing director of stance and engagement for the USA TODAY NETWORK Tennessee.
Let'southward get this out of the way first: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is fair game for public scrutiny and criticism.
The 29-year-old newly elected Autonomous U.S. Business firm of Representatives fellow member from New York has been song, controversial and unafraid to snap back at her critics.
Her democratic socialist views rile her detractors. Every bit apparently practice her selfies and college-era dancing.
And so, the consequence surrounding the meme that the Williamson County Republican Party sent in its newsletter recently isn't about Ocasio-Cortez.
It's about the words a failed comedian attributed to her.
Why this meme is racist
Instead of quoting things the congresswoman actually said, the meme had give-and-take bubbles over her and an interviewer.
Interviewer: "What is your opinion on Roe five. Wade?"
Ocasio-Cortez: "Thats (sic) the only ii means Mexicans can cantankerous the river."
Oh, I guess she must have heard "row" v. "wade" as in rowing and wading across the Rio Grande. Ba dum tss (that sound you lot hear after an unfunny joke).
Can you see what the problem is?
Mexicans — and Central Americans — who make the dangerous journey to the U.S. border and attempt to cross it do so considering they are poor, struggling, jobless and yearning for opportunity for them and their families in this great nation, the United States of America.
These are vulnerable and powerless people who take a chance their safety and lives, as documented past The USA TODAY NETWORK's Pulitzer Prize winning projection, "The Wall."
The Williamson County GOP punched down for the sake of a laugh.
The reason it is racist is that it demeans a specific group because of its culture and ethnicity.
Let'due south face information technology, take action and move on
Afterwards The Tennessean story was published Wednesday, I tweeted the link out with this message:
"Hate speech is protected past the Showtime Amendment, but it'south even so wrong. Tennessee Firm members today passed a resolution condemning racism. They should honour that vote by publicly condemning this racist meme."
Yes, that very morning time state Business firm members, past a voice vote, affirmed they would "join with Tennesseans throughout this great land to continue the fight against racism of all types as we all work to bring Dr. (Martin Luther) King's dream to fruition by making Tennessee a place where equality, justice, freedom, and peace go along to grow and flourish."
As y'all might imagine, I received a range of reactions from that tweet, amid them some "whatabout-ism" concerning the confrontation in Washington, D.C., that involved Catholic school boys in "Make America Swell Over again" hats, a Native American elderberry playing a pulsate and a group calling itself the Blackness Hebrew Israelites, which taunted the youths.
That's fine and whatever racist words were said should be condemned, simply allow this not distract us from what happened in our lawn.
With neat power comes great responsibleness
Williamson County, the most affluent county in Tennessee, boasting the best schools in the state, is the home to Gov. Bill Lee, one of our U.S. senators Marsha Blackburn, the land Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and the land Speaker of the House Glen Casada.
Many residents are people with enormous power, and every bit the axiom goes: "With groovy power comes great responsibility."
Amongst those responsibilities: Empathy.
Nosotros can learn from this upshot. We can learn to be empathetic to those who don't share our privilege.
Nosotros tin learn to admit a incorrect, take responsibleness for it, apologize and ask for forgiveness.
We can larn not to repeat the mistake.
And, that's what the Williamson County GOP should do.
David Plazas is the director of opinion and appointment for the Us TODAY NETWORK Tennessee and an editorial board fellow member of The Tennessean. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
Source: https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/columnists/david-plazas/2019/01/25/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-williamson-county-tennessee-republican/2668990002/