Today when I was tuning into my favorite corporate, syndicated news channel, MSNBC I happened to catch a story about a GOP candidate from Orange County California Tan Nguyen. Apparently there was a letter sent out to the Hispanic-American residents of Orange County from Nguyen's campaign that says: "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time."
WTF?! Not only is this not true, but Mr. Nguyen isn't denying that it was infact sent by his people. He is, however, denying he had any involvement with it. The letter was written is Spanish too. It was sent to approximately 14,000 people in Orange County. The biggest kicker of all is that Tan himself is an imigrant from Vietnam! So that only makes it all the more clear exactly who is being targeted here. It's not the European imigrants, it's not the Asian imigrants, it's the Hispanic population that is being unfairly targeted here. Well when you write it in Spanish...
I think it is ridiculous that Tan is claiming to have had no knowledge of these kinds of things when it's pretty much common knowledge that everything in a candidate's campaign is approved by them. It has to be or else the public wouldn't trust it. What's even worse is that Nguyen refuses to back out gracefully. The GOP party's executive commitee has voted unanimously to urge him to drop out of the race. Hmmm...you can't take a hint when...On tv this morning they quoted him saying something along the lines of "We're winning the race and we will win" (that's not an exact quote, just what I can remember) Well personally I think the man is done for. I am offended that he would admit to his campaign sending out a threatening letter and then refuse to back out of the race. To me that just shows how little we, as Americans care about our brothers and sisters of Hispanic origin. If we cared enough that man would be forced to resign because the public would not let him show his face. Not only that, but in regular circumstances (being if he were an average citizen and not a man running for a Republican office) he would be facing criminal charges for this as well. Where is the justice for this hideous blight this man has commited against our fellow countrymen?
I think Tan Nguyen needs to save the little dignity he has left and resign from the race. Not only will this prove that he is truly sorry for what has happened, but it would show that our Democracy we have (in the past) fought so hard for has not become a mockery and that hope for our country's future still stands strong.
Time to Step Down, Tan Nguyen!
By Sarah Speelman - Posted on October 21st, 2006
Tagged: News and politics
• Effective government
Im a littl confused here. What was the exact wording of this letter? Does anyone have copy?. I am curious as to the wording , since in MY opinion, it makes a WORLD of difference.
Joe
If you want to know where I got this information, which is completely 100% true (I'm not an ignoramus who just goes off on a whim) go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15343606/
I promise I did not fabricate this, but I understand you wanting to have official sources. I was going to put the address in my blog, but I forgot. Oops.
Ms. Speelman - I agree completely with the view that what Mr. Nyugen did was reprehensible and even deserves criminal prosecution.
Where I totally diverge with you is your "Go Home Tan Nguyen!" headline - asshole that he is, Mr. Nyugen is still an American and entitled to the rights and protection from racist and other hate-crime oriented remarks such as yours. Where do you propose that he go "home" to?
that he go back to Vietnam. I was simply implying that he drop out of the election. I am shocked now that I read my title at how it can be misconstrued. I assure you that that is not at all what I had in mind! I apologize for such a poor choice of titles. I simply think he should step down.
Just a reminder to all that telling immigrants (and citizens of non-European heritage especially Hispanic and Asian) to "Go Home" is quite a common insulting remark that is easily used by some to use the race card to achieve a verbal victory.
I had to say something about this blog entry because I linked to it via Google news which shows it may be heavily read. Your apology shows decency, however, shouldn't the title be changed?
that I could change the title. I'm relatively new to this blogging thing. Now that I know, it has been changed. Thanks for your input. I had no idea my title was going to be read like that.
Truly reprehensible behavior, and I hope he gets criminally prosecuted as an example against this sort of thing ever happening again in the US. You'd think that he'd be more sensitive to the rights of recent immigrants being one himself, but evidently, this didn't stop him from playing the race card.
This sort of mean-spirited behavior reveals a high level of bigotry and racism, and lack of conscience; I am immediately reminded of the 2000 Presidential elections in Florida where African-Americans were systematically discouraged from casting their votes.
We need to elect officials who serve the people by unifying and empowering them, not those who attack others perceived to be weaker in stature.