Enda Kenny and that racial slur

UglyBolloxFace

You may or may not be aware of this story from a few years back - http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/sep/15/world.race

It's doing the rounds on Facebook. I wonder why this is? Do you think it is being done in order to discredit him before the election?

To be honest I wasn't aware of this incident at all. When I first read it I thought it was it was recent, but it's from 2002.

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Fury at Kenny 'joke' spreads

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Nicola Byrne and Martin Bright, home affairs editor
The Observer, Sunday 15 September 2002
Article history
The familiy of Patrice Lumumba, the assassinated first Prime Minister of Congo, have demanded an apology from the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who called the revered African liberation hero a '******' in a racist joke.
Disgust at Kenny's recent remarks spread last night to Britain, where he was condemned by race campaigners, including the powerful Commission for Racial Equality watchdog and British political parties.

In a remarkable twist, The Observer has discovered that members of Lumumba's family - including one of his six sons and seven of his grandchildren - are living in Tallaght in west Dublin, after fleeing political persecution in the former Zaire in 1997.

Kongole Lumumba, son of the murdered leader, told The Observer of his hurt and embarrassment on learning of Kenny's remarks from his 15-year-old son, who was told of them at school last week.

He now wants the Fine Gael leader to explain his actions. 'Mr Kenny made a public apology, but he didn't apologise to me.' He added: 'It is very sad to hear of my father, who was a great man, being spoken about in this way. I would like to call that man [Kenny] and ask him exactly what he was talking about. I still can't believe that a man in his position would make such a remark. He has made a spectacle of himself.'

Anti-racist groups in Ireland and Britain are dismayed that Kenny has been able to keep his job after his comments about Lumumba, the first leader of an independent Congo, who was assassinated by opponents in 1961.

Fine Gael officials in Dublin have attempted to dismiss the issue as 'dead', but critics have been dismayed by the party's attitude and the lack of public debate about the issue. Prominent supporters, including Lord Henry Mountcharles, have also expressed their anger.

Campaigners in Britain said such words would result in instant dismissal. The Conservative Party leader, Iain Duncan Smith, sacked front-bench agriculture spokeswoman Ann Winterton earlier this year after she told a racist joke at a function.

A Tory spokesman said: 'It happened in the Tory party to a lesser degree and it's quite clear how we dealt with it. I don't understand why Fine Gael have not done the same. Politicians need to be careful about what they say.'

Kenny made the remarks at a private function in Dublin during a speech to party workers and journalists earlier this month. During an anecdote about a holiday in Portugal, he said a Moroccan barman 'with shiny teeth' had been asked why a cocktail was called a 'Lumumba' and replied it was named after 'some ****** who died dans la guerre'.

Kenny initially asked reporters at the function not to report his remarks and, to the astonishment of some commentators, a number of newspapers agreed. The Irish Sunday Independent, however, reported the story, and last week Kenny admitted he was wrong to have used the words and claimed his party was 'committed to diversity'.

In London, a spokesman for the Commission for Racial Equality said it was 'inconceivable' that a prominent politician in Britain would use such language and keep his or her job. 'Over the last two years there has been an enormous amount of concern about racist attacks in Ireland, and the government has enacted far-reaching legislation on equality and racial hatred. Clearly public opinion and the Fine Gael leader have some catching up to do.'

In a statement, Kenny told The Observer last night: 'The fact is that I used the word, and no context can excuse it. I failed to exemplify my own standards and those of my party. I apologise for any offence this may have caused, particularly to the Lumumba family.'

Lumumba's 15-year-old grandson, Joseph, said he first heard of the controversy when his teacher pulled him aside last Monday morning. 'I just couldn't believe it. You expect to hear that word on the streets, but you wouldn't expect it of someone of his stature.'

The London-based Refugee Council joined its Irish counterpart in condemning the remarks, saying they could damage race relations in a country where attacks on asylum seekers are on the increase: 'Politicians have a duty to set an example to the public. They must ensure that the tone and language they use when talking about sensitive issues enhances and fuels the debate,' a spokesman said.

easyeason3

I don't like Enda but this is obviously resurfacing in order to damage his campaign.

It was a bad joke. Get over it.

Ronin247

Old news is old.

Of course its trotted out to smear Kenny as the election draws close and you are doing the same.

Pauleta

I will admit. I laughed :pac:

milehip1

wow stop press!

Hazys

What an asshole and retard.

I cant imagine this is the guy who'll represent Ireland when he meets Obama in the White House for Paddy's Day.

imo he should have been sacked over this.

galwayrush

Hazys wrote: »

What an asshole and retard.

I cant imagine this is the guy who'll represent Ireland when he meets Obama in the White House for Paddy's Day.

imo he should be sacked over this.

Sacked from what?:pac::pac:

galwayrush

Just noticed it's from 2002, way past time to get over it. A worse joke was the fools who had to get the IMF in. Now that was a very damaging joke on us all.

OPENROAD

galwayrush wrote: »

Just noticed it's from 2002, way past time to get over it. A worse joke was the fools who had to get the IMF in. Now that was a very damaging joke on us all.

In fairness if it was a foreign leader who made the comment about ourselves, we certainly wouldn't get over it

easyeason3

Hazys wrote: »

What an asshole and retard.

I cant imagine this is the guy who'll represent Ireland when he meets Obama in the White House for Paddy's Day.

imo he should have been sacked over this.

And sacked for what?
It was a stupid joke that was said because of bad judgement on his part.

Show me a person who hasn't said something offensive or stupid in their lives.

There's plenty of other things people can pick on instead of a ridiculous joke that was said years ago.

super_furry

Nearly nine years ago.

Shryke

I'd rather Enda to the rest and that doesn't mean I like Enda. He's coming out as the best choice of a truly deplorable lot. He is still in that lot.
What can be said? I'll vote more for competency than corruption, if I vote.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

He was re-telling a story he heard from a bar man

Topper Harley01

A nine year old story? Piss poor attempt at trolling, OP.

galwayrush

OPENROAD wrote: »

In fairness if it was a foreign leader who made the comment about ourselves, we certainly wouldn't get over it

I expect a lot of foreign leaders had worse to say about our lot in recent years.....

bradlente

ohhhhhh its a joke?hehe,i get jokes.....

OPENROAD

galwayrush wrote: »

I expect a lot of foreign leaders had worse to say about our lot in recent years.....

You know we do though, if its a comment about someone from a different country the PC argument is thrown out, if it is against us, it is racist. Just look at how illegal immigrants are classified, our own in the US are "the undocumented"

WindSock

Not the smartest story to retell as a public figure but ffs. Seriously ffs. Is it really that bad? He said a naughty word, 8 years ago.......weeeehhhhh.

Cathaoirleach

Fine Gael want to demote the Irish Language and eventually eradicate it from schools, and make Ireland a utopian English region.

Good news for the vast majority of you here.

I will never vote Fine Gael again because of this.

http://i.imgur.com/pMpoi.jpg

Haters gonna hate.

freyners

the same as martins chinese impression, stupid thing to say, but doesnt equal him being a racist

RichieC

easyeason3 wrote: »

I don't like Enda but this is obviously resurfacing in order to damage his campaign.

It was a bad joke. Get over it.

Seems like a pattern to me, wouldnt vote for the piece of sh*t or his party in a million years anyway, though. no harm, no foul.

Saviola

If i was fine gael i'd probably publicise this story just to show he's not a socially inept alien.

galwayrush

Cathaoirleach wrote: »

Fine Gael want to demote the Irish Language and eventually eradicate it from schools, and make Ireland a utopian English region.

Good news for the vast majority of you here.

I will never vote Fine Gael again because of this.

http://i.imgur.com/pMpoi.jpg

Haters gonna hate.

LOL, you are very misinformed, they merely propose making it optional for the Leaving Cert, optional This will not an attempt to eradicate it , and what is this utopian english region you speak of?
You should be more worried about voting or not voting for any particular party over something more important, not something that is best described as trivial and imo practical.:)

Logical Fallacy

easyeason3 wrote: »

And sacked for what?
It was a stupid joke that was said because of bad judgement on his part.

Show me a person who hasn't said something offensive or stupid in their lives.

There's plenty of other things people can pick on instead of a ridiculous joke that was said years ago.

He wants to run the country, he is not allowed to make "bad judgments".

mconigol

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

You may or may not be aware of this story from a few years back - http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/sep/15/world.race

It's doing the rounds on Facebook. I wonder why this is? Do you think it is being done in order to discredit him before the election?

To be honest I wasn't aware of this incident at all. When I first read it I thought it was it was recent, but it's from 2002.

For mobile users:

Then why exactly are you bringing it back up. Someone tried to do this in AH not too long ago if I remember correctly.

Give us a break.

squod

He should team up with what's his name from the English royal family.

UglyBolloxFace

Never before have I used the phrase "lol"...but....lol at the ad in the corner of this page...attached!

UglyBolloxFace

mconigol wrote: »

Then why exactly are you bringing it back up. Someone tried to do this in AH not too long ago if I remember correctly.

Give us a break.

Because I asked a simple question - "were people aware of this?".
Because I was not aware of it, and correct me if I'm wrong but haven't there been worse threads posted in AH?

Take your cries of "it's a conspiracy!" somewhere else!:pac::P

breadandjam

Poor judgement? Nearly nine years ago?

Do we think Enda has changed since then?

RGDATA!

It was serious error of judgement, and it was a cringeworthy incident which he's lucky he survived politically.

But one thing I've noticed when its been brought up again lately - all that's remembered is he said the N word.

The context was a story that supposedly happened him on holiday and the punchline is him quoting an african barman, it wasn't Enda using the word himself.
Totally inappropriate for where he said it but most people would probably tell friends that story if it happened to them.

Michael Martin's more public cartoon Chinese impression was probably just as disturbing but generates less anxiety because of lack of the N bomb.

starbelgrade

This is actually more likely to win him votes than lose him votes.

It will appeal to the racists.

And to everyone else who is normal, they'll see it for what it is - just a rather daft thing to have said in public.