What Did Mr. Allen Mean?

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) claims that he did not know the meaning of "macaca" when he used the word twice during a campaign rally to single out and ridicule an American of Indian descent who works as a volunteer for his Democratic opponent, James Webb ["Allen Quip Provokes Outrage, Apology; Name Insults Webb Volunteer," front page, Aug. 15].

Perhaps those who actually believe that a senator would use language in public that he does not know the meaning of will conclude that the senator does not have the requisite intelligence to be returned to office.

JUDITH E. SCHAEFFER

Alexandria

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We would like to thank you for taking the right stand on the gaffe of Sen. George Allen ["George Allen's America," editorial, Aug. 15].

It is quite shocking for a person of Mr. Allen's caliber, who is running for a second Senate term and is a likely candidate for president in 2008, to point a finger at a young lad of 20, bullying our grandson, S.R. Sidarth, and calling him a derogatory and uncalled-for name. Sidarth was only videotaping the event.

In the 1930s Sidarth's great-grandfather accompanied Mohandas Gandhi to London as his secretary at the Round Table Conference on political reform in India. We come from a heritage of nationalists and seekers after truth. Hence these remarks hurt all the more, and we are personally affected by such an attack.

BOB NARASIMHAN

MANI NARASIMHAN

Bethesda

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Regarding the Aug. 16 front-page article "Allen on Damage Control After Remarks to Webb Aide":

I have known Sen. George Allen for more than six years. Mr. Allen is not "mean" and he is not a racist. He is a conservative who also happens to be compassionate on issues involving women and minorities. As a minority woman, I am proud that Mr. Allen has championed the cause of more minorities and women entering careers in the sciences and engineering. He is an ardent supporter of small and minority business in this region. He was also one of just two senators courageous enough to co-sponsor Senate Resolution 39, offering an official apology for instances of lynching in this nation dating back to the Jim Crow era.

Mr. Allen is a good man who made a mistake in rendering someone's name wrong. Let us show a little civility, allow him to apologize privately to the young man, and move on to discuss homeland security and terrorism, transportation, education, and other key issues facing Virginians. As a Virginia resident I would hope that both campaigns would talk about the issues that unite us and not those that divide us.

SOPHIA A. NELSON

Brambleton

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I am concerned that the articles about Sen. George Allen's verbal attack on a fellow Virginian are missing the point. The Aug. 15 front-page article seemed to emphasize Mr. Sidarth's feeling of being offended instead of Mr. Allen's objectionable behavior. If Mr. Sidarth had been African American and the senator had used a familiar racial slur, would the story be Mr. Sidarth's hurt feelings or Mr. Allen's choice of language?

It also seems worth mentioning that Mr. Allen's mother is a speaker of French and Arabic who came to this country from Tunisia. "Macaca" is a derogatory slur used by speakers of French in reference to blacks, Arabs and dark-skinned people.

Mr. Allen had reason to have knowledge of that particular slur based on his family background and his own knowledge of French. I don't understand how reporting the news can avoid mention of these facts.

KIM NAOROZ

Richmond

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Sen. George Allen's recent name-calling reminded me of a phone call I made in the past month to the senator's office. I'm a constituent who has lived and paid taxes in Virginia for more than 30 years, yet a staffer told me that I "did not sound like I grew up in Virginia." This ad hominem attack came after a long and detailed discussion about the senator's vote on legislation concerning stem cell research.

A letter sent to the senator suggesting that he had a staff problem when constituents are treated in such an inappropriate manner also received no response. Now it looks as if the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

MAGGIE RHEINSTEIN

McLean