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Lake Havasu City, AZ - Councilman Under Fire After Insensitive Remarks to Jews |
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News Source: AP
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Councilman Lee Barnes making his remark Photo Credit: VIN News
Councilman Lee Barnes referred to himself as "just a little Jewish" when it comes to finances while discussing the contract of the ousted city manager during a special meeting Tuesday.
Mayor Mark Nexsen referred to Barnes' statement as "inappropriate." Nexsen said he plans to talk to Barnes about his poor choice of words. The mayor added that Barnes owes the community an apology.
Barnes later said he understood his words could be seen as derogatory and stereotypical. “Excuse my action but I’m just a little Jewish to be able to do this,” Barnes told the council, causing an uproar among the standing-room only crowd.
According to News Herald 
Barnes later said he understood that his words associating a religion with finances could be seen as derogatory and stereotypical.
“What I meant there is Jewish people are pretty good with their money,” he said. “I think a lot of Jewish families teach generation after generation very well on how to handle their money.”
Barnes then acknowledged that his apology could also seem insensitive.
“It wasn’t meant to be inappropriate, and I meant that we should handle our money very carefully,” he said. “I hope this doesn’t turn into a big deal, and I apologize to those people who found it offensive.”
The city council voted 4-3 Tuesday evening to fire city manager Richard Kaffenberger with a year left on his contract amid a controversy of a contract for the city's wastewater system.
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Read Comments (9) — Post Yours »
1
Oct 21, 2009 at 01:39 PM Anonymous Says:
I actually see this remark as a compliment.
2
Oct 21, 2009 at 02:08 PM RBS Guy Says:
I sometimes am in awe at what people consider anti-Semitic. The guy made a comment, he obviously respects Jewish financial acumen, is that so wrong? There are worse stereotypes out there, I for one am proud to be associated with good financial sense.
3
Oct 21, 2009 at 02:08 PM Anonymous Says:
If some one spits on the posters who consider this as a compliment, they think it's raining.
4
Oct 21, 2009 at 02:03 PM Anonymous Says:
We can find some out of touch civil servant or politican making such dumb comments every day of the week if we wanted to but lets not get fixated on this stuff. After all, Arizona is not South Carolina. I'm certain, every time someone in WB, BP Monsey or EY makes a comment about "a goiyeshe cup" or uses some equally derogatory term it doesn't make the news. Grow up111
5
Oct 21, 2009 at 05:55 PM Satmar Man Says:
Whine, Whine, Whine, go the Yidden.
Whine, Whine, Whine, go the Jews.
I hate to say it,
For I am a Jew myself,
But, Whine, Whine, Whine, go the Jews.
Seriously.... What in the world was anti-semitic about that remark?
Are we not whining about anti-semitism a bit too frequently and too much lately.
A Jew commits a hideous crime, and when he is arrested and charged, we whine anti-semitism.
A rabbi with no consideration for the conditions, and ordinances of a town, opens a shul in his home in a quiet, residential block, in a town where the residents wanted strict zoning regulations to keep their neighborhood strictly residential. ...
They do not want another New York.
People come to daven, and park all over the place, making it look like trash.
The town issues warning after warning, and then finally closes the shul inside the home down. And we whine "Anti-Semitism!"
We scream, "People need to walk to shul. There are no proper properties for a shul within walking distance."
And, when we are asked, rightly, "Why did they all move to an area with no shul, then violate the law....????" We respond with "Anti-Semitism"
Then, every word or syllable which any gentile uses which can be bent to look bad, causes us to whine, whine, whine, "Anti-Semitism, Anti-Semitism, Anti-Semitism."
But.... then again.... how could it be different?
If we do not agree with everything one certain Jewish group does, we are labeled "Self-hating Jews."
If we don't like something else, we are called (said in a nasty tone) "SNAGS"
If we are "too religious" for you, we are "Ultra-Orthodox"... a term of ridicule meant to marginalize us.
When did we become so overly sensitive? Maybe when we started making it okay to hurt our fellow Jews with our loose and nasty speech.
Maybe if we can learn first to tolerate each other, and not criticize each and every group or individual who does things different from the way we do, we will learn to also tolerate a well-meaning gentile also.
Guys.... you all may not like this. But, I have lived in MANY different "goyishe" areas and states in the USA. I have seldom run into anti-semitism.
In fact, I find the goyim like us MUCH more than we like each other!
So, let us begin with practicing the Ahavas Yisroel which we all preach!
When we have eliminated sinas chinom, then I bet you will be able to look out and not see everyone being anti-semitic.
I am not saying there is no anti-semitism. I am only saying it is not under every rock and every leaf in the yard. But, more important than searching it out, we must go on a search and destroy mission to eliminate our internal bickering and strife.
Get to know your fellow Jew.... the one from "that other" group. You may actually like him!
6
Oct 21, 2009 at 06:06 PM Satmar Man Says:
“ We can find some out of touch civil servant or politican making such dumb comments every day of the week if we wanted to but lets not get fixated on this stuff. After all, Arizona is not South Carolina. I'm certain, every time someone in WB, BP Monsey or EY makes a comment about "a goiyeshe cup" or uses some equally derogatory term it doesn't make the news. Grow up111 ”
see #5
I have lived in South Carolina too. I found less anti-semitism there than in Brooklyn.
And, no, I am not a stupid tourist who does not know what is going on. I have been part of the real society of the Deep South. I really got to know people well.
They do have their prejudices. But, more against Catholics and Mormons, than against the Jews. The typical Southern Baptist would rather their son or daughter marry a Jew, than a Catholic or Mormon.
Sure, some of them feel uncomfortable around Jews... but that is from something most of you would just never understand. They really, really, honestly believe that anyone who does not believe in Yoshka will not have "salvation" ... in other words, they really believe if they can't convince us to believe in JC, we are going to Hell.
They don't mean to harm us. Their "intention" is to "Save" us from that awful end.
When they are around us, and they know we can't be converted, they are uncomfortable because they actually do care, and in their eyes they see us as people whom they were not able to save. Just like a doctor looks at a cancer patient who refuses chemo. He does not hate him. But he is not comfortable around him. The vast majority, though, just accept and leave it be.
I know I am not speaking for all. I know there are some exceptions. There are some who just like us anyway, and just put all the religious stuff on the side. There are also those who do hate. They are just like the anti-semites in Bay Ridge, South Bensonhurst, Sunset Park, etc., I would much rather break down in S Carolina than in Bensonhurst.
7
Oct 21, 2009 at 09:31 PM Shlomo Says:
“ I sometimes am in awe at what people consider anti-Semitic. The guy made a comment, he obviously respects Jewish financial acumen, is that so wrong? There are worse stereotypes out there, I for one am proud to be associated with good financial sense. ”
Because it is a stereotype. Because it is associated with rationales for attacking entire Jewish Communities. Because there are hundreds of years of history behind it.
However, not all antisemitism is the same: some forms are worse than others.
8
Oct 21, 2009 at 09:36 PM Milhouse Says:
What if he'd said he was part-Scottish; would people still think it some kind of offense? Are we supposed to pretend that all ethnic groups are exactly the same?
9
Oct 22, 2009 at 05:11 AM GOP sensitivty training Says:
Why in the world was it necessary for this individual to mention anything about any ethnic or religious group while he was making a public statement about finances?
"What I meant there is Jewish people are pretty good with their money,” he said. "
If what you state is true, Councilman Barnes, we'll just replace you with someone who actually is Jewish-if they're that good, why do we need you?