# Colorado Politician Calls Mexican Immigrants "Illiterate Peasants" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 22, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349 "2008-04-22T02:25:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/41 "2008-04-22T13:44:12Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] I would object to his remarks more for being so obtuse; if they indeed are “illiterate peasants,” then that’s exactly why we want them to come here. They’re willing to do the work no one here is . . . [/QUOTE] Not even the negroes . . . ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/42 "2008-04-22T14:18:23Z")
I lived very close to DC for nineteen years. As **DudleyGarrett** said, it was very unusual to find someone working a menial job in fast food who spoke English particularly well. However, my mother taught ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) in that area for a few years, and many of her pupils were quite well educated; hell, one guy had been a lawyer for the government in Colombia. The problem was simply that they weren’t very good at English. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/43 "2008-04-22T14:21:46Z")
I am repeatedly outraged at how Americans treat Spanish and Spanish-speakers. My niece is taking freakin’ Latin because her school does not offer Spanish. Spanish is not a real language you know. Only greasy theivin’ Mexicans speak that. –ignore me, I am ranting– ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/44 "2008-04-22T15:07:25Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Carrot] I lived very close to DC for nineteen years. As **DudleyGarrett** said, it was very unusual to find someone working a menial job in fast food who spoke English particularly well. However, my mother taught ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) in that area for a few years, and many of her pupils were quite well educated; hell, one guy had been a lawyer for the government in Colombia. The problem was simply that they weren’t very good at English. [/QUOTE] Are you serious? I live in DC and go into Alexandria and Arlington somewhat frequently. We must go to different fast food places. Most of the ones I’ve gone to have people who speak English as their native language. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/45 "2008-04-22T15:08:35Z")
[QUOTE=Caffeine.addict] Are you serious? I live in DC and go into Alexandria and Arlington somewhat frequently. We must go to different fast food places. Most of the ones I’ve gone to have people who speak English as their native language. [/QUOTE] Come to Herndon. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/46 "2008-04-22T15:10:30Z")
Oddly, the McDonald’s I used to work at had Mexicans working there a few years ago. Now it is all Asians of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/47 "2008-04-22T15:37:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Anyone want to guess what political party he belongs to? Well, I’m sure that when Fox News reports it, he’ll be a Democrat. On a totally unrelated note, this guy got real mad at me the other day and I can’t figure out why. I looked up “porch” in the dictionary and it said “an exterior appendage to a building, forming a covered approach or vestibule to a doorway.” I looked up “monkey” in the dictionary and it said “any mammal of the order Primates, including the guenons, macaques, langurs, and capuchins…” So why do you think he got mad at me? There’s nothing derogatory in either of those words. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/48 "2008-04-22T15:55:37Z")
That macaca shouldn’t be allowed to make another speech as long as he lives. Christ, this thing is a tar baby. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/49 "2008-04-22T15:56:47Z")
[QUOTE=DudleyGarrett] I’m also guessing those screeching liberals who are condemning the politician for his comments don’t live in areas where there are lots of recent Hispanic immigrants or know really anything past a few Googled links. It’s tiresome. [/QUOTE] Come to California some time. The two things we have more of than anything else, are liberals and Hispanic immigrants. Hell, I live in Marin County, one of the great bastions of white liberal priviledge, and any day of the week, you can drive into downtown San Rafael and see dozens of Hispanic day laborers standing around, waiting for jobs. And yet we’re still significantly to the left of most of the nation on immigration issues. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/50 "2008-04-22T16:03:37Z")
California doesn’t count. The Spanish speakers were there before the white people. So your brown people get grandfathered in or something. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/51 "2008-04-22T16:40:21Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] California doesn’t count. The Spanish speakers were there before the white people. So your brown people get grandfathered in or something. 😉 [/QUOTE] 'Course, the same is true of Texas . . . sorry, Tejas . . . and probably AZ and NM, too. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/52 "2008-04-22T16:41:07Z")
Full of shit. I live in an area where there are a gazillion immigrants. They are not any dumber (or smarter) or any more lower class (or upper class) than anyone else. And they certianly aren’t peasants. Not in any sense, since we don’t have farms around here. What that Senator said was nasty, mean-spirited, racist and, most of all, not true. Why in the hell would anyone defend that remark? Maybe, _maybe_ if he had limited his nastiness to illegal immigrants, then you could try and work the criminal angle. But he didn’t even do that. He disparaged Mexicans with lies and you racist motherfuckers ate it right up. Yeah, I’m looking at you **mswas** and **Dudley**. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/53 "2008-04-22T16:42:03Z")
[QUOTE=Tristan] And while those words are to be admired, the US has never had a “We’ll take them all, no matter what” policy. There has ALWAYS been some level of restrictions on immigration into the country. As it is, at least in 2006, the US still admitted more legal immigrants than any other nation on Earth. (cite:wiki) [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Mr. Moto] I think you’ve been buying in to our own myths here. Even as we were encouraging immigration from the British Isles and Italy - when my ancestors came over - we were severely restricting it from China That was right around when the Statue was built, roughly. So it isn’t as if our policies on this have always been some sort of ideal that we have always followed consistently. [/QUOTE] I wasn’t referencing what you _have_ done, or even, sadly, what you probably _will_ do. I was referencing what you _should_ do,to really be the America you (generic you plural) claim to always have been. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/54 "2008-04-22T16:44:48Z")
[QUOTE=St. Urho] he got booted from a plum committe assignment by the Republican leadership, and now this. [/QUOTE] Note that he was booted from his committee for doing something eminently reasonable- voting against a resolution on the grounds that resolutions are a waste of time. Anyway, if he wasn’t removed from the legislature for assault I doubt this will do it. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/55 "2008-04-22T16:47:57Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] Full of shit. I live in an area where there are a gazillion immigrants. They are not any dumber (or smarter) or any more lower class (or upper class) than anyone else. And they certianly aren’t peasants. Not in any sense, since we don’t have farms around here. What that Senator said was nasty, mean-spirited, racist and, most of all, not true. Why in the hell would anyone defend that remark? Maybe, _maybe_ if he had limited his nastiness to illegal immigrants, then you could try and work the criminal angle. But he didn’t even do that. He disparaged Mexicans with lies and you racist motherfuckers ate it right up. Yeah, I’m looking at you **mswas** and **Dudley**. [/QUOTE] Christ, shut up. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/56 "2008-04-22T16:56:59Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Note that he was booted from his committee for doing something eminently reasonable- voting against a resolution on the grounds that resolutions are a waste of time. Anyway, if he wasn’t removed from the legislature for assault I doubt this will do it. [/QUOTE] The Republican leadership hates this guy because he embarrasses them. He is the face and voice of the rank and file Republicans. The voters think he’s a hero. You should have heard them on the radio yesterday (I’m in Colorado). The hosts were cringing as caller after caller confirmed all the stereotypes of Republicans that they insist aren’t true. There is some serious Mexican hate out there. Oh, and **DudleyGarrett**? You think Northern Virginia has a lot of Hispanic immigrants? The entire Western half of the United States laughs at you. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/57 "2008-04-22T16:57:45Z")
[QUOTE=DudleyGarrett] Christ, shut up. [/QUOTE] Now who’s attacking Free Speech? This liberal lives in Texas. And probably knows a bit more about the issue than a dweller in The Commonwealth of Virginia. Well, I know more about “illegal” immigration. But I’m pretty sure that Virginia has quite a few racist motherfuckers. Keep talking so we can all keep learning more. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/58 "2008-04-22T16:58:24Z")
Snappy comeback. Witty rhetoric, thy name is **Dudders**. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/59 "2008-04-22T16:59:10Z")
[QUOTE=Bridget Burke] Now who’s attacking Free Speech? This liberal lives in Texas. And probably knows a bit more about the issue than a dweller in The Commonwealth of Virginia. Well, I know more about “illegal” immigration. But I’m pretty sure that Virginia has quite a few racist motherfuckers. Keep talking so we can all keep learning more. [/QUOTE] You can’t be serious. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349/60 "2008-04-22T17:00:18Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] Snappy comeback. Witty rhetoric, thy name is **Dudders**. [/QUOTE] Do you really think that piece of trash that was aimed at me deserved more? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-politician-calls-mexican-immigrants-illiterate-peasants/446349.md?page=4)