Diversity Thursday

In a similar way the climate change fanatics think that little changes in what the USA does with its hyper-modern coal plants will somehow make up for the rest of the planet's dirty coal, wood, fuel oil, and animal dung burning billions - and in doing so just advertise their ignorance as to the nature and scale of the rest of the planet - so do we find such blinkered localism among the American diversity industry's cadres.

Yes, as we are told over and over again; our racist, sexist, homophobic, and generally evil culture needs to be destroyed so it can be like the unicorn riding tolerance of the rest of the world ...

Ummmm ... yea.

How about that Latin American multi-culti glory?

Mexico coach Miguel Herrera downplayed a homophobic chant that Mexican fans hurl at opposing goalkeepers during matches, arguing that it’s just a “folksy” part of the game, and is not being used in discriminatory fashion.

Herrera told Mexico’s Radio Red on Friday that fans who chant the word “puto” during Mexico games are not attempting to offend homosexuals.

“This is something that’s used to pressure the opposing team’s goalie…it’s something that we’re not really worried about,” Herrera said from Mexico’s training camp in Brazil.

... but wait, that other evil of Amerikkka is coming ... cultural imperialism!

However some soccer commentators in Mexico have argued that the chant reflects discriminatory attitudes towards homosexuals which are prevalent in Mexican society. They have suggested that the Mexican Soccer Federation launch a campaign that would encourage fans to stop using the homophobic slur.

Mexico’s National Commission to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED) also weighed in on the debate earlier this week, issuing a scathing statement against the use of this chant, and urging FIFA to take actions to stop fans from using it.

OK, that machismo may be hard to work through - but it is good to see that nice Anglo-Saxon tradition of growing inclusiveness is getting some traction south of the border.

In living memory in my glorious South, we had a few not-so-nice "folksy" ways ... we modernized and made them no longer proper in polite company. I think this Latin "folksy" habit may need to go - though the 13-yr old Sal in my brain does think it is funny. 

At least they don't sound racist ... wait ...

When Sanchez started viewing the games on Univision he was surprised at what he heard from the Spanish-speaking commenters.

“Most recently was a characterization related to an Afro-Costa Rican player describing him not by his last name but by the color of skin, calling him ‘moreno,’” said Sanchez.

Sanchez noticed other charged words like "greña" being used by broadcasters.

“Greña really means messy hair but some individuals think of it as referring to African American hair and also describing it as ‘nappy’ hair,” said Sanchez.

Sanchez posted his linguistic concerns on Facebook and received many, many replies from other American Latinos like himself who were offended by the language being used by sportscasters.

“When English language leaning Latinos watch Spanish language programming there’s a culture clash that occurs because the kind of social progress that we live in, in our mainstream world doesn’t always seem to be reflected in programming that is not English language programming,” said Sanchez.

Outside of the US, these cultural slurs and epithets are not necessarily seen in the same light in other parts of the Spanish-speaking says Sanchez.

Yes, some heads are exploding. This is delicious to me;

That doesn’t mean that Sanchez wants to water down the commentary or make it bland. He tuned in to Univision for the Spanish language style of calling a game, a style that is evocative and full energy.

So, if I may roughly translate the Spanish in a rough way with words-that-should-not-be-put-down, any day now we can hear a shrug from the cultural commissariat as thousands of Philadelphia Eagle fans scream, "F@GGOT!" at every extra point,as the color commenters in the booth - no pun intended - talk about the nappy-haired darkies in the secondary? 

No.

Some in my ancestral lands in Mississippi had ways of speaking about their neighbors in, "... a style that is evocative and full energy." Would Sanchez defend them? I hope not.

Wrong is wrong. It doesn't matter if you roll your r's or not; its wrong.

Yea to USA - we have come a long way in the right direction. 

Of course, those who have travelled through the world with open ears and eyes have known for quite awhile what most of the world it like. Though we Americans still have work to do - next time some diversity bully starts to bleat about how difficult things are here - speak up for your nation. 

We're OK. They need to get out more.