| But this is the thing about a set-up. It only works if a person rises to take the bait. The degeneration of the Whitewater probe only centered on Bill Clinton's sexal activities with Monica Lewinsky because - well, because Bill Clinton actually engaged in sexual activities with Monica Lewinsky. Larry Craig can claim he was "misunderstood" or "set-up" when he was arrested for seeking sexual activities in an airport restroom but the fact is (or looks to be) that he really was seeking sexual activities in an airport restroom.
There is also a report that McGettigan used the term repeatedly that night. Having spent a large part of my life around people who were openly and unabashedly prejudiced, I can tell you that a person's memory is not always the best record of what was said.
It is possible that no one is lying here. The Sheriff picked up a term from the questioner and used it a couple of times without even thinking about it. This happens when language becomes embedded in our frame of reference - it becomes reflexive and doesn't require much forethought. Therefore, it gets used and no real memory of using it exists - but it has to be said that this works for all parties of a conversation, not just the one who is speaking.
I have to stress that I don't know if this is really the case or not. I wasn't there and I'm only trying to put the pieces together from scattered reports. I want to be fair to Sheriff McGettigan, but I also want to be realistic about this issue. I doubt that there is anyone in the state who hasn't used a racial epithet at one time or another.
But if it can be used reflexively, without enough thought that it is easily forgotten, then it what I have called white knuckle racism - a hold-over from our racist past that we can't quite shake loose. I don't think it should automatically disqualify someone from office. But I do think it should be a caution flag about a person's ability to make decisions.
The fact that the term was used first by a member of the audience does not excuse its use by a public official. Consider the proper way to handle a question such as "How do you deal with those [insert any racial term here]?" The only acceptable answer would start with some variation of, "The first thing I do is to think of them as actual human beings instead of in racial terms that only serve to divide us." This may, in fact, be what the Sheriff was trying to do.
Of course, Republicans say they "have a tape" of the meeting. Feel free to cue the ominous Big-Brother music here. If so, then they could possibly land a knockout punch by putting the tape on You-tube. Unless, of course, doing so would totally undermine their claims.
I don't know what to say to the Sheriff or to his supporters. I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill. One thing to do is to look at the bad example of Don Imus and not make the same sort of bumbling non-apology until even his supporters no longer believe him. It is always possible to bumble a bit and put it behind you - but doing so takes positive action, not just denials and rhetorical retreats. Humility is always more appealing than arrogance. Sheriff McGettigan has the opportunity to show us what he's made of. Let's hope he takes it. |
