Opinion in Brief
‘Macaca’
U.S. Senate incumbent George Felix Allen, R-Va., must be asking himself how he could ever have uttered such a word. The word, “Macaca,” was addressed to a 20-year-old senior attending the University of Virginia, born in Virginia but of Indian descent.
‘Macaca’
U.S. Senate incumbent George Felix Allen, R-Va., must be asking himself how he could ever have uttered such a word. The word, “Macaca,” was addressed to a 20-year-old senior attending the University of Virginia, born in Virginia but of Indian descent. The U.Va. student was a volunteer for the rival campaign of former Reagan Defense Secretary James Webb who had been charged with following Allen around with a video camera, a common campaign tactic.
Whatever excuse or apology Allen offers, it doesn’t quiet the concern of what kind of mind could have come up with such a comment. (Similar questions surround Mel Gibson’s comments a few weeks ago, but at least he was under the influence of alcohol.) Even without the video camera, Allen should have known that the words of a politician are always watched.
The shame is that Allen’s comments reflect not only on himself and his campaign, but on the commonwealth of Virginia as a whole.
