UPDATED: “Hi! I’m Mark Tice, and a Xenophobic Jerk.”
UPDATED: Mark Tice, Chambers County commissioner, insulted Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo for speaking Spanish at a press conference about the aftermath of the ITC terminal fire that blackened our skies for several days last week. On the live feed comment thread of a press conference, Tice blurted out, “She’s a joke; English this is not Mexico.” When asked later by the Houston Chronicle about the comment, he confirmed saying it and added, “It’s real simple. This is the United States. Speak English.”
While shocking to normal people, this kind of language is common among Texas Teapublicans, who wear their xenophobia as a badge of honor. Most of these guys, though, keep their ranting to Facebook and in private circles. Some are blatantly offensive, like Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller who regularly spews bile on his social media pages. Welp, here’s another one from Chambers County. He’s a racist pig, and doesn’t care who knows it; he apparently thinks it’s fine to insult a colleague from a neighboring county government. It will be interesting what Ms Hidalgo’s response will be the next time Chambers County asks for emergency assistance after a storm and/or flood.
Maybe “Habla Español” would be a good answer.
UPDATE: Mark Tice apologized publicly to Hidalgo for showing her and the public that he’s a racist prick. When he spouted off to her on a public comment board to “speak English”, he was probably a little surprised that being a flaming asshole in public is generally not a good thing to do. He issued a full apology sometime late yesterday:
“In regards to the comments I issued on Judge Hidalgo’s press conference: From my understanding, there were reporters asking questions in Spanish and Judge Hildalgo responded to those questions in Spanish, with no translation given. If that is not the case, then I sincerely apologize. Like many citizens concerned about the ITC fires, I was very emotional about the effect it was having on everyone. I apologize to Judge Hidalgo, the citizens of my County, and most importantly the entire Hispanic community for hastily acting out with transgression on social media. I recognize how my response could have been interpreted in a derogatory manner and for that I am sorry. I immediately regretted my choice of words. I’m not proud of my behavior, that is not the example I wish to lead by. I can only hope, in time, that my actions can be forgiven. Having grown up in Galena Park, Texas— a place that is and has always been a very diverse community—I was raised with the ideology that you do not judge anyone by their ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Those values mean everything to me. It breaks my heart that I may have said anything that would lead anyone to believe otherwise. Those who know me well, know how deeply rooted I am within the Hispanic community. My sentiments on this issue were grounded in the passion and love that I have for the City of Houston and the surrounding areas. Again, I am truly sorry for for creating this unnecessary situation.”
When asked about his comments to the Chronicle, Tice wrote:
“My comments towards Judge Hidalgo today in the Chronicle were inappropriate. I apologize for that. I was very emotional, and said things that I regret. Again, I am truly sorry.”
“My response could have been interpreted in a derogatory manner.” Ya’ think? In what other way could that insult be taken other than derogatory? In what world does a guy like Tice live where being a caustic racist in public is OK? Chambers County, apparently. The good thing, though, is that occasionally, even mouthbreathers like this clown can be shamed into not acting like a complete prick to others 24/7.
Chambers county: where men are men and sheep are nervous
1¡ Tu posición en tu propia lengua, imbécil fascista!
Just checking my online translator. Now don’t everybody start emailing all at once.
https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/Your%20standing%20on%20your%20own%20tongue%2C%20you%20fascist%20asshole!
2If Tice is so concerned with the English language, he could have much more influence at a national level rather than at the county level.
Why doesn’t he correct Trump’s tweets into proper English? Trump’s speeches and interviews too.
3What a jack wagon! I spent a great deal of my formative years in an international port where you could hear every language in the world. I thought it was great! And living in Canada somewhat during my younger years was a hoot as well. Its a bilingual country and I loved that, too. Could never figure out why people would fear another language. Could be that they thought the speaker must be way smarter than they were. Hiding such a fear behind stupidity just doesn’t work but hey, if you are too stupid to realize that . . .
4he’s just intimidated by our Iron Lady
5Shouldn’t it be “It’s real simple. This is the United States. Speak Navajo.”? English is technically from England.
6He probably thought she was making fun of him, and doggone it, he couldn’t know for sure.
7There are lots of things unsaid, but implied by this kinda crap.
8Here goes.
English is the superior language. Why else would the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the King James Bible be written in it? (I know, I know) Therefore anyone who doesn’t speak the language is inferior. Less than. Not worthy of our concern. Much less representation. Especially representation. Therefore anyone who does represent inferior folks as if they were as deserving as true Americans are sullying the offices they’ve been elected to.
That’s just a sampling. Just the first things that come to mind, and I’m just as full of sh*t as anybody else. But make no mistake. There’s volumes of that kinda crap, instilled by Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Coulter, and so many others for decades,(he’ll, centuries) that form a steadily growing narrative in the minds of folks who lap it up.
Just a coupla sentences. A few words.
We hear repugnantly demeaning insults.
MAGAs hear dog whistles that reinforce a worldview.
I assume she was answering a question from a Spanish-language news outlet – pointless to answer in English….or “Amurikan”.
BTW – have y’all ever noticed that most of the folks who scream “Speak English!” at other people have a limited grasp of it themselves!
9The Party of Fear freedumb teabaggers fear everything they don’t understand, which means they’re fearful of everything. Education terrifies them. Facts stultify them. They disparage the arts, while under funding educational extras in favor of brain damaging football. While it has been scientifically proven that musical training improves the ability to comprehend mathematics and that learning second & third languages improves one’s facility with the first language, they prefer to remain ignorant and promote ignorance.
10Chambers County is not Harris County. That sort of thing goes over big over there, and he probably insured his reelection by saying that.
11The Ugly American is alive and well and making his intellectual deficiencies abundantly clear.
12Speak English because I don’t have the brains to learn more than maybe half of one language.
13I saw a sign at an anti-immigrant rally that said RESPECT ARE COUNTRY SPEAK ENGLISH.
Ironic? Or just dumb? Who even knows anymore?
14That press conference had an ASL interpreter for the deaf. I guess Tice would want him to speak English too instead of signing. You know, why don’t those people learn to talk like the rest of us?
15Cheryl you win!
16This is my grandfather. He hated all minorities, but he was not above having sex with them.
17