Sibby on Senator Dempster: Elitist

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Go over to Sibby on-line for a post explaining how he believes that Senator Dempster managed to insult a whole class of people by referring to them as ugly ducklings:
(Dempster said....)

And I would propose to you, that ultimately, that is what a pre-K program can do particularly with three to four year-old kids, who are living in poverty. Who are told everyday of their lives that they are Ugly Ducklings and have a tough time making it. In fact what pre-K does is gives the capacity to become themselves and gives them the capacity to grow.

I received this email by a Native American who took offense:

I have forwarded this message on to several Indian activists including Russell Means and asked them to respond by writing to all members of the HEC to vote no on SB115. I also asked that they forward the information on to others on their mailing lists asking them to follow suit. See what they think about us uneducated and poverty stricken ugly ducklings now!

Dempster showed the true elitism of these people.

Read it all here.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Get off it, people! I'm so sick of people nit-picking and twisting everything people say.

If they are going to take this so literally, I hope they also keep in mind the rest of the story. You know... the part where when it grows up, that "ugly duckling" turns into a beautiful swan. Or perhaps the critics haven't thought that far ahead.

You people really need to get a life.
8:37 AM
Anonymous said…
Nice to see Tom's relatives posting on here.

Twisting or not, that was a really stupid thing for Dempster to say, because he is calling those people "ugly ducklings". Even if he intended to mean they could become swans by going to school earlier(I didn't know they gave beauty tips in pre-school) you got to know better than to use that book as a reference.
8:57 AM
Anonymous said…
It's called an analogy. People often use analogies to get a point across in everyday communication. Makes a dull topic easier to listen to and infuses interest in a conversation. (said sarcastically for anyone who sees only literals).
9:07 AM
Anonymous said…
I guess I didn't interpret it at all as him calling a certain group of people ugly ducklings. In my understanding he was sticking up for the little guy who is treated this way by his peers. He was merely trying to use an example.

We need more people in this world to give confidence for the little guy who's bullied by peers!
9:47 AM
Anonymous said…
Sibby again proves that he is unable to pass a simple reading comprehension test.

Dempster didn't call anyone an ugly duckling. Anon 9:07 is right. Its an analogy, besides Dempster said others consider some kids "ugly ducklings". He sees the swan in these kids and so do I and alot of other people.

Sibby will not be happy until he realizes his goal of the complete elimination of the entire public school system.
10:23 AM
Anonymous said…
Nobody has more contempt for elitist liberals than I, but I think the indignation over this is kinda stretching it.
12:15 PM
Anonymous said…
What do we have here, voices of reason? 9:07, 9:47, 10:23, 12:15 - you all ought to be ashamed of yourselves. There is no room for a voice of reason when criticizing a GOP legislator who isn't far enough right.

PP, you should go back to campaign strategy if the best you can do for political commentary is repeat Sibby.
12:21 PM
Anonymous said…
Highly amusing.

First, there is a difference between being an 'elitist' and being 'elite'. Tom Dempster is not an elitist. He is a member of the elite. By its very definition, elitism is a belief that the elite shall rule and govern because they are special. An elitist does not promote pre-K education for poor kids because an elitist would not classify those children as special. (In reality, these folks found the comment 'condescending', but failed to recognize the difference between that and 'elitist'.)

Second, 9:07, it's not an analogy. It's a 'metaphor'. That's seventh-grade grammar.

But I agree, it's baffling to me that someone could take this literally. Tom Dempster is not calling anyone "ugly".
3:49 PM
Anonymous said…
I am disappointed in my fellow conservatives. Usually it is the liberals who are whining about political incorrectness and who get all indignant over nothing. I don't know anything about this Dempster guy but a reading of what he said didn't strike me as insulting to anybody. Please...let's not fall in the political-correctness trap where nobody can say anything without offending somebody. That's lefty/liberal territory.
6:13 PM
Anonymous said…
6:13 pm - Does this mean you are comparing Sibby to leftist/liberals? That should be worthy of a column or two from him.

I love it.
8:29 PM
Anonymous said…
To 8:29 from 6:13: I agree, that is pretty funny. Maybe being associated with an annoying characteristic of PC Liberals will stop Sibby and PP from whining about this. At least that is what I am hoping. :-)
8:57 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree with Sibby. Dempster has an ego problem.
10:57 PM
Anonymous said…
From what I read there is no reason to be offended by the "ugly ducklings" comment.

I don't know that children living in poverty "are told everyday of their lives that there are Ugly Ducklings and have a tough time making it" as Dempster seems to suggests.

It is nothing I will lose sleep over.

Bruce -
1:32 AM
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