Islamophobic 'Joke' By Congressman

Freshman Florida Congressman Alan Grayson aspires to be the new famed Louisiana Governor Huey Long. And like his late idol, he is also big and stupid and seeks to establish himself by being a vulgar populist.

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At least Huey was authentic, while a poser like Grayson will never be and actually seems to believe that his crude jokes are funny. Grayson, with his over-cut suit and down-the-line brushed hair, is straight out of 1950s Chicago politics. And seems to want people to see that.

He recently made news by stating that the Republican health care plan was simply: Don't get sick and if you do die quickly. This is the extent of his mind. When it was called upon his to apologize, he sunk lower and stated that he would only apologize to those suffering from a "Holocaust" because of Republican opposition to universal health. A pure populist demagogue. Huey would have been proud.

But his cheap insults are not solely directed against conservatives and libertarians, on an HBO show on Friday night he made a joke about Muslims. Talking about something unrelated, he finished off by stating that so-and-so would the other cheek "like an good Muslim."

It was said in tongue-in-cheek manner and Grayson is may not be an Islamophobe but his comment is bigoted. First off, he is Congressman not Chris Rock to be making ethnic/religious jokes. So whatever the intent is i offensive coming from him. And it is more egregious since jokes against Muslims are not understood in the same manner as jokes against, say, blacks. Muslims are consistently maligned in American culture and nearly a majority of Americans believe Islam is predisposed to violence. For a Congressman to make such a "joke" is to reinforced such prejudiced and the culture of impunity when it comes to pronounced bigotry against Arabs and Muslims. Even a well-intended joke has to be understood in this context, to make such a remark against Muslims can have negative consequences.

And, finally, although Jews are not maligned and the joke would be understood in a different, innocent context; imagine the outcry if he stated "so-and-so was financial honest like any Jew would be." Jewish-Americans would strongly protest, and rightly so, and the Congressman would have to apologize. And may lose his reelection. Why are Muslims an exception to public standards of decency?

While I hope his end will not be so tragic, here's hoping the political career of Grayson will be as short if not shorter than his idol.