Less
More
-
Posts: 11858
-
Thank you received: 20
-
-
05 Apr 2012 19:10 #82779
by The Captain
WASHINGTON (AP) — Just after yet another decisive electoral victory, D.C. Councilman Marion Barry is once again embroiled in controversy, this time for remarks disparaging Asian-owned businesses in his poor, majority-black ward.
At his primary election victory party Tuesday, Barry said: "We got to do something about these Asians coming in and opening up businesses and dirty shops. ... They ought to go. I'm going to say that right now. But we need African-American businesspeople to be able to take their places, too." His comments were first reported by WRC-TV. Barry apologized Thursday for the comments.
"I want to express my deep apology for offending some members of the Asian community and the D.C. community," Barry said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I have a solid record of relationships with the Asian community."
The former mayor won the Democratic primary for his Ward 8 council seat with 73 percent of the vote, all but assuring him of another four-year term.
Mayor Vincent Gray, Council Chairman Kwame Brown and some of Barry's council colleagues criticized the longtime D.C. politician Thursday. A group of Asian-American lawmakers in Maryland also condemned Barry's remarks.
"I am deeply disappointed by Councilmember Barry's comment," Gray said in a statement. "There is no room in this wonderfully diverse city for comments that disparage anyone on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability or sexual orientation."
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Less
More
-
Posts: 64283
-
Thank you received: 38
-
-
Less
More
-
Posts: 9582
-
Thank you received: 1
-
-
-
Forum
-
Political Opinions, Commentaries on Current Issues
-
THE CONVERSATION TREE
-
Barry Asians must go
Time to create page: 0.182 seconds