CA Education Secretary calls 6 year old a "stupid dirty girl"

Richard Riordan, the Education Secretary appointed by Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former LA Mayor, is being urged to resign after insulting a 6 year old girl at a promotional event for summer reading on July 1st.
The little girl introduced herself and asked Riordan if her knew that her name, Isis, means an Egyptian goddess.
Riordan countered with, "It means stupid dirty girl."

Unfortunately for him, plenty of TV cameras were present.
CBS news link
Link to video

He claims he was teasing little Isis.

I claim he's beyond rude. What would possess him to say that to a child??
Disgusting.

What in the blue hell would make him come up with a reply like that to her? Crazy!

his comment might have been tesing to him, but as a political figure don't you think he should have known better? i mean she is 6 yrs old. not only crazy but a bit stupid of him too.

The idiot California Supt. of Education later apologized to the girl and her mother. The mom says she isn't going to sue for therapy, just wants to get on with her life, presumably without this guy around.

What was funnier was that the NAACP got involved and said, "Would he have said that to a little WHITE girl?"

Well, it turns out that Isis is a little white girl. NAACP promptly dropped the issue. Does that mean they don't care if white people are dissed?

Riordan definitely made an a$$ out of himself. But he's not the only one.

From a CNN article:

Democratic state Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, who had scheduled a protest by civil rights organizations, canceled the demonstration after an apparent mix-up over the girl's racial background.

Dymally was quoted in the San Jose Mercury News Thursday saying the child was "a little African-American girl. Would he (Riordan) have done that to a white girl?" (The girl is white, with blonde hair)

Dymally did not return telephone calls. His office issued a statement Wednesday calling Riordan's remarks to the girl "outrageous and irresponsible," then issued another statement Thursday saying, "To err is human; to forgive is divine."

So, let me get this straight, it's ok to insult this child if she's white?

This is turning out to be a very sad and disappointing political year.

The NAACP was organizing a protest when they found out that Isis was white.... which means that they're willing to put a huge political event into motion before checking out the basic facts that inspired it. I think this is a shining example of a 'kneejerk' reaction.

what the hell was going through his head? no... wait... i don't want to know. i also notice in the video he tells the kids the .gov in his email address stands for "governor"... (?)

-koji K.

I am a teacher and I don't even know what to say to that video, he most have been on drugs.

Oh, we would have called it a bad joke but okay, that's America.
Sue for therapy...let alone that thought would never come to the mind of a European.

Interesting though, the NAACP reaction. F**king racists

haha, he got high before the talk. But seriously, I cannot even comprehend why someone would say that in such a prominent position. He really must have been high or maybe he's never talked to a kid in his life. Either way, he shouldn't be education secretary.

In relation to the NAACP, they are just ridiculous. They don't realize this sort of thing causes even more racial schisms. Black comedians can go on stage and talk about white people for their entire skit, which they commonly do, but if a white comedian attempted such you can be sure there would be outrage among the NAACP. BET too, I don't understand it. It's not even Hip-hop, Rap, R&B station, its called black entertainment.

They do these things and then wonder why they are segregated from others. We'd more than welcome them, but it is they who seperate themselves.

Anyway, things get more polarized by the day, and this sucks..

That is really sad and it must have well hurt her feelings. Being called that at her age is bad enough but by a political figure. Aww i think its sad and to say he was teasing her is such a bad excuse.

Appaling behavouir

Rynaldo

What is amazing, how could an adult ever say something like that? I mean to a friends kid you know well and you are teasing, maybe it is ok at that time. But, I would think, then you would only do it to the friends kid if they were older as well. I just cannot fathom where this came from.

2nd... Why does race have to get involved in everything? Come on... This is a 6 year old kid. This has nothing to do with race, religion etc etc etc.

Do ALL politicians seem to be getting worse and worse or is it just me?

Interesting though, the NAACP reaction. F**king racists

There is already a system in place to protect and address grievances from whites, it's called society. Minorites need people to take up thier cause, because no one else will. It's been ingrained into our nation that minorites don't deserve the same amount of attention that whites receive, so it's going to take time until people our comfortable that non-whites are being treated fairly.

Originally posted by curme

Interesting though, the NAACP reaction. F**king racists

There is already a system in place to protect and address grievances from whites, it's called society. Minorites need people to take up thier cause, because no one else will. It's been ingrained into our nation that minorites don't deserve the same amount of attention that whites receive, so it's going to take time until people our comfortable that non-whites are being treated fairly.

God....thank you curme. Finally someone who doesn't see minority organizations as "racist".

I'm really getting sick of this white persecution complex.....it's nuts.

God....thank you curme. Finally someone who doesn't see minority organizations as "racist".

I'm really getting sick of this white persecution complex.....it's nuts.

Eh? Why is race even brought into ths? This is a little kid... Should race matter? White persecution complex? HA HA good one, I never heard that before. Wow, we political correctness for everything now.... ha ha ha

BTW: think we should stay on the topic of the poor little kid. I am sure the mud pit would love to have a heated race discussion though......

[edit on 9-7-2004 by JCMinJapan]

Originally posted by Flinx
I'm really getting sick of this white persecution complex.....it's nuts.

I dont feel persecuted as a white male, but I dont see the importance of special rights in the name of idiotic causes.

Equal rights are necessary, but wheres the equality in one member of society being able to knee jerk react and label another section racist and bigotted.

Theres a double standard and thats what people are sick of.

Well pertaining more to the topic, I agree that the NAACP's reaction was knee-jerk and made them look bad. They should have done more research before organizing a protest. But I do not see them as a racist organization. Don't forget that they, aren't an all-Black organization either....

I think Richard Riordan should resign, and the NAACP should offer a reasonable explanation as to why they dropped the issue. Unless both Richard Riordan and the NAACP simply don't give a damn, if that happens though I'd be very, very dissapointed with Arnold Shuarzeneger's government, and I'd simply categorize the NAACP as rascist, Come on!! The NAACP got involved and said: "Would he have said that to a White girl"?, then the NAACP finds out that the girl, is in fact a "White girl" and they shut their mouth and get away from the issue. Isn't that "Pure and Straight Racism"? or what the hell is going on here?

[edit on 9-7-2004 by bartholomeo]

Poor little girl. She'll get over it...people come on REALLY!! EVERYONE's been called worse even being younger than that girl. What if you were pissed off at something, and someone came up, and annoyed you! I would be mean too.

Originally posted by KSmith69
his comment might have been tesing to him, but as a political figure don't you think he should have known better? i mean she is 6 yrs old. not only crazy but a bit stupid of him too.

He is a experienced politician. THat remark was asinine, stupid and offencive esp to a 6 year old. He should resign NOW! Joke or not its classless.