Preface: My political partisanship is no small secret on this site. I've been quick to blast away at the abuses of the GWB administration. That said, I've tried to be scrupulous about checking my facts, and providing sources to back up my words. I'm sorry to admit that sometimes my comrades take things a bit too far. Here I'm documenting an unfair smear campaign against Richard Riordan, who is Schwarzeneggar's Secretary of Education (and who was once a candidate for governor himself). There are a *lot* of things I don't like about Riordan's platforms and policies -- but this particular incident is being distorted and misrepresented:
The story unfolds:
On Thursday, July 1, Riordan visits a Santa Barbara library to read to children to promote a summer reading program. During the visit he reads two books to the small group of children in attendance, and then opens the floor for discussion.
During the discussion, 6-year-old Isis D'Luciano asks "Did you know my name means 'Egyptian goddess'?" However, other children were talking simultaneously. Riordan, unable to hear the entire question, thought the girl was asking him what her name meant.
Jokingly he makes a guess: "stupid, dirty girl?" Witnesses present were taken aback; but agree that the tone of voice, facial expression, and laughter all indicated that he was teasing the girl and was not at all serious. (I've linked at the bottom of this post to video of the event so you can judge for yourself.)
Sure, it was terrible judgement to tease a girl you don't yet know. Siblings can call each other "douchebag" and "dickface", and mean it gently; for Riordan to do this to someone else's daughter whom he'd just met was a real mistake.
And Riordan realized it. He apologized to the girl immediately; and then publicly in a press release the next day.
The furor brews:
However, the next day began the fourth of July weekend -- a slow news weekend by most accounts. The Associated Press picks up the story, and the story quickly spread from there. By July 7, the Sacramento Bee carries the story, but there is no longer any mention of joking or teasing on the part of Riordan. In the Bee's version, Riordan is dead serious about calling Isis D'Luciano stupid and dirty.
Readers are outraged and call for his resignation. In response, the governator denounces Riordan's remarks as "unacceptable under any circumstances", but stops short of asking for Riordan's resignation. Letters pour into California newspapers vilifying Riordan.
And then the furor goes a little too far:
Leading the call for Riordan's resignation, Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton) schedules a news conference outside the state Capitol, along with representatives of the state NAACP. "Would he have done that to a white girl?" he asks.
However, Dymally jumped to a racist conclusion based on the 'exoticness' of her name: Isis D'Luciano, is in fact white. She's also not half as outraged as state Democrats seem to be: (Source: CNN)
There's a big difference between having poor interpersonal skills, and being unfit for office. Although there are a flurry of valid criticisms of Riordan; this wasn't one of them.
Video of the original incident
The story unfolds:
On Thursday, July 1, Riordan visits a Santa Barbara library to read to children to promote a summer reading program. During the visit he reads two books to the small group of children in attendance, and then opens the floor for discussion.
During the discussion, 6-year-old Isis D'Luciano asks "Did you know my name means 'Egyptian goddess'?" However, other children were talking simultaneously. Riordan, unable to hear the entire question, thought the girl was asking him what her name meant.
Jokingly he makes a guess: "stupid, dirty girl?" Witnesses present were taken aback; but agree that the tone of voice, facial expression, and laughter all indicated that he was teasing the girl and was not at all serious. (I've linked at the bottom of this post to video of the event so you can judge for yourself.)
Sure, it was terrible judgement to tease a girl you don't yet know. Siblings can call each other "douchebag" and "dickface", and mean it gently; for Riordan to do this to someone else's daughter whom he'd just met was a real mistake.
And Riordan realized it. He apologized to the girl immediately; and then publicly in a press release the next day.
The furor brews:
However, the next day began the fourth of July weekend -- a slow news weekend by most accounts. The Associated Press picks up the story, and the story quickly spread from there. By July 7, the Sacramento Bee carries the story, but there is no longer any mention of joking or teasing on the part of Riordan. In the Bee's version, Riordan is dead serious about calling Isis D'Luciano stupid and dirty.
Readers are outraged and call for his resignation. In response, the governator denounces Riordan's remarks as "unacceptable under any circumstances", but stops short of asking for Riordan's resignation. Letters pour into California newspapers vilifying Riordan.
And then the furor goes a little too far:
Leading the call for Riordan's resignation, Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton) schedules a news conference outside the state Capitol, along with representatives of the state NAACP. "Would he have done that to a white girl?" he asks.
However, Dymally jumped to a racist conclusion based on the 'exoticness' of her name: Isis D'Luciano, is in fact white. She's also not half as outraged as state Democrats seem to be: (Source: CNN)
There's a big difference between having poor interpersonal skills, and being unfit for office. Although there are a flurry of valid criticisms of Riordan; this wasn't one of them.
Video of the original incident
