Macaca?

So Senator Allen of Virginia called a photographer, who appeared to be of Indian descent, by the name “macaca”, and then welcomed him to America.

So far, so good. But wait. Why use the word “macaca”? I first thought that must have been the photographer’s name, I had never heard it before. I wasn’t the only one. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary had not a clue. Even the august Oxford English Dictionary offered only vague definitions like “monkey”, “baboon”, “lemur”. But it turns out that “Macaca” is also considered to be a derogatory name which refers to people of color generally being similar to monkeys or baboons. Apparently it is a French derogatory comment about Arabs in general. Allen’s mother was raised in France and in French-speaking Tunisia, and Allen apparently studied French in college and speaks it quite well.

So Allen had insulted this guy. OK. So what? No big deal. Of course, I’m white and was not impressed, and assumed that people of color would be impressed enough to remember the comment later when in the voting both. Then Senator Allen wrung the big bell. He told reporters that he had never heard of the word before and that he had just made it up on the spur of the moment.

Now, Allen has insulted ME! He has also insulted all of mankind! He apparently thinks we are dumb enough to believe such a stupid tale. That tells us what he really thinks about us. And this is a US senator? Running for reelection? And wants to be our president?

OK. Here’s a new definition for the magic word macaca: a) A universal insult. b) Describes any individual so referred to as a gullible person devoid of understanding, comprehension, rational abilities, and perception. c) Precisely categorizes any person using this word as crude, intolerant, insulting, precocious, unmanly, prejudicial and destructive.

Now some are saying that Allen made this apology to comfort his “base”. Ooohhhh, now he’s insulting them! (Wonder if any of them will notice that?)

© John Womack, 2006. All Rights Reserved.