Is the term "anchor baby" really offensive? Fox News had a story speaking of Penelope Cruz's desire to have her baby in the US as an "anchor baby".
A Republican Hispanic group, Somos Republicans, objected, saying, in part:
Penelope Cruz is admired world-wide, and comparing her unborn child to an inanimate object is demeaning.
"Comparing her unborn child to an inanimate object"? I think this may be a bit of PC run amok. Does anyone get upset when Walter Cronkite or Dan Rather was referred to as an "Anchorman ? When someone calls Katy Couric a "News Anchor", are they comparing her to an inanimate object, or describing her position in a news organization?
"Anchor baby" describes the role that an infant, born in the US to non US citizens, can play in establishing US residence and citizenship, and the possibility of additional "chain migration" of relatives. Now, those relatives are no more "chains" than the infant is an "anchor" as far as inanimate objects go, but it is descriptive of the relationship.
Now if Somos Republicans want to object to the characterizations of her motives, that's fair game. But to object to the comparison of "her unborn child to an inanimate object" is simply abusing the language.
* FYI, I am not comparing Penelope Cruz to an inanimate object. It's an analogy.
H/T News Real blog
Cross posted at LCR.
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Taking noisy offense has become a cottage industry in this country.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, critical thinking is no longer being taught, so celebrities making emotional appeals hold sway.
"Taking noisy offense has become a cottage industry in this country" Yes. We seem to have a class of people who are perpetually and professionally offended.
ReplyDeleteI think either Thomas Sowell or Walter Williams coined the term "poverty pimps". Maybe we could call them "PC Pimps"?
"Is the term "anchor baby" really offensive?"
ReplyDeleteI would say no since the left gets to determine what terms are offensive and have no defining Michelle Malkin as one. If the shoe fits...
Just got home about 2 hours ago after spending the long weekend on Paradise Island, Bahamas. Gotta lotta catching up to do before back to work in the a.m.
spartacus: Bahamas, eh? Sounds nice!
ReplyDeleteNice, yes. But I don't recommend doing it for just 3 nights, I won't do it again. I seem to be getting too old to recover from 6 or 7 hours of dealing with the "amenities" of air travel these days. 10 years ago this was a breeze, these days, after an early flight Friday morning I was beat most of Saturday, laid around on the beach blinding people most of the day, felt great Sunday, had bloody marys for breakfast at a casino this morning then got back on a plane around 10, I'm beat again. Will be glad to go back to work in the a.m. and get some rest!
ReplyDeleteNSA had reports of something blindingly white bouncing back to our recon satellites. I'm with you though, you need at least a week to decompress.
ReplyDelete2 weeks, count 'em TWO weeks next year...First of the year I pick up another week of vacation time and the last time I checked 365 divided by seven( 3/4 of the time) holidays advance 1 day of the week per year. Given that and I work for a company with a union shop and we get the same as the union plus perks for putting up with their B.S., that means I still get two 4 day weekends at the end of next , thus I only need to hold back the extra week plus 1 day to do this. I've always wanted to go to Australia. I hear they have a stick you can't throw away!
ReplyDeleteAustralia? Very, very nice! Make sure you take a good book with you. I hear it's about 16 hours on the plane!
ReplyDeleteYeah, been advised. Sister got married in Fiji, step mom is Thai, real moms ankles swelled on a flight to Hawaii. I'll take 2 blood pressure cuffs and wrap around ankles. Kind of like a G-suite, not to be confused with a G string. I'm not a guitarist but from what I hear the confusion can lead to embarrassment.
ReplyDeleteJust join the Mile High Club...there won't be enough blood in your ankles to bother with! Or, so I've heard!
ReplyDeleteOr take the "vomit comet", of which I'd have a better chance of living up to the reputation...You're dealing with John Candy's body double, before he went on a diet!!!
ReplyDeleterest his soul.