Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Radio talker, Angle-backer: Angle shouldn’t apologize for “Asian” remarks and Hispanic students are the real racists

Yes, folks, that's what radio talk show host Heidi Harris said Wednesday on MSNBC's "The Ed Show" when asked about Sharron Angle's controversial comments to those Rancho High School Hispanic students. Harris said the kids were racist to be offended by being told they look Asian, she used air quotes (apparently that's like a secret handshake in the Angle campaign -- remember "autism") and said Angle should not apologize, as the students have asked her to do.

Alas, this kind of offensive nonsense may not be out of the ordinary for a frothing conservative talker. But Harris more than that -- she has been master of ceremonies at an Angle event and headlined a fundraiser for the GOP nominee.(My guess: The Harry Reid folks go nuts.)

Brace yourself for these remarks:

Transcript (video at right):

Ed: Well, that of course has created a firestorm. The students -- three students -- that say they represent all of the students there at the school have gone on and asked for an apology.

“Not only did we the students feel disrespected by Angle thinking that she could fix what she just stated by saying that she's been confused as Asian… confused as Asian as well, but we felt like she had just made fun of our community. We challenge Sharron Angle to apologize for her degrading remarks and for expecting us to buy it.”

Ed: Laura Flanders, could this be a turning point in the campaign because there's been so much talk about the Hispanic vote helping Harry Reid.

Flanders: Well, Sharron Angle's turning right now. I mean she's turning to try to say, “Listen, I'm not a racist. I'm very sympathetic. I care about the northern border, too. I'm here for all Nevadans.” But know those students are absolutely right. This is like her saying, you know, “I'm for the underdog” and then you know, standing against unemployment benefits for the working Nevadan folk. This is her saying, “I'm really for you.” But she has her own ad right now -- not by a front group -- her own ad attacking Harry Reid for, among other things, his position on immigration reform -- things like support for the DREAM Act that would give kids like that and those in that class a chance.

Ed: Heidi, should she apologize?

Heidi: Of course not! She shouldn’t apologize. First of all, Sharron Angle's daughter-in-law is Mexican -- Mexican, okay? Her grandkids are half-Latino…

Flanders: It doesn't insulate you from stupidity and bias.

Heidi: No, no, no, that’s… wait a minute, wait a minute. The point is she doesn't dislike Latinos. Secondly, you know who should be asking for an apology? The Asian kids who apparently should be concerned that the Hispanics think it's insulting to be told that you look like an Asian.

Flanders: You know, but this goes…

Heidi: Who's the racist?

Flanders: This goes back, Ed, to what we need in this country, which is a conversation not about the ridiculous outbursts of a few, but about our grappling with racism in this country such as her attitudes are out there. She's just one person. We go from one crazy comment after another, but this stuff resonates because there's a history and that's the work that Barack Obama was trying to do, what was it two years ago? We need more of it.

Ed: Can't you see how offensive this might be to people?

Harris: Yeah, if I were Asian I’d be really offended that the Latinos didn't like being called Asian. You better believe it!

Ed: Why would she bring it up like that?

Harris: Because she didn't know if everyone in the room was Latino or not, even though they call themselves a “Hispanic” group. First of all, why she's speaking to high school kids, they can't vote, I don’t know why she’s bothering until after she gets elected. Secondly, people are mutts in this country, I look at people, Ed, I don't who know they are, or where they are from. My nephew is half-Japanese. You look at him, he looks Asian, maybe? You don't know what else might be mixed in. Why are we talking about this? Why are we talking about heritage?

Ed: I can tell you why we’re talking about it, it’s because the kids are involved, the kids are involved and the Hispanics are offended by this. Why bring it up? She comes from a totally different generation that doesn't understand diversity. That’s what it comes off as. She doesn't understand diversity and she's on the verge of being the United States senator.

Harris: You want diversity? Then you don't belong to a Hispanic group. No, no, no, you don't belong to a “Hispanic” group if you want diversity. We’re all mutts, that's the way it should be. That should be the only focus.

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