Atwater is a small city of 26,000 people in central California. The mayor pro-tem is Gary Frago. Frago, a 63-year old Republican politician serving on the Atwater City Council since 2000, shows himself as another racist wingnut masquerading as a leader.
The local Atwater newspaper obtained seven emails that Frago sent to city staff and prominent citizens from October 2008 to February 2009 [NOTE: It's probably not a coincidence that Frago stopped sending the emails after seeing what happened to his crony, Dean Grose].
Frago focused his racist emails on President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Black folks in general. Some compared Obama to O.J. Simpson while o
thers suggested that "nigger rigs" should now be called "presidential solutions." Can any villager explain to me what a 'nigger rig' is? I've never heard the term until today.Another Frago email was sent right before the inauguration in January. It read:
"Breaking News Playboy just offered Sarah Palin $1 million to pose nude in the January issue. Michelle Obama got the same offer from National
Geographic."
I'm tired of white folks feeling entilted to compare the Obama family to animals.
Frago admitted sending the e-mails, but showed no regret.
"If they're from me, then I sent them," he said. "I have no disrespect for the president or anybody, they weren't meant in any bad way or harm."The list of people who either sent or received the e-mails reads like a who's who of Atwater community and political leadership, including a county supervisor, a former police chief, a city manager, a former city council member, a former president of a veterans group, a former grand knight of the Knights of Columbus, among others.
Some of these folks joined Frago in their ignorance of the racist nature of these email jokes. Personally, I think that Frago should lose his seat on the city council.
What say u?
8 comments:
What I am tired of is the same old explination for their actions!
They know that what is being said in print is racist but when it appears in public, then it is meant to be harmless...
In answer to your rigs-question. This is the definition..from the Urban Dictionary:
To fix something regardless of how it looks and the amount of time it lasts. Using any materials that are available to you in a creative way to make something work.
This same term is also known as ghetto rigging.
What a an racist A-Hole this man is.
I just don't even have words to express the depth of my sorrow and anger, Wow!
He should be fired. No question.
Karen and Anali - My thought is that this guy has the ideology of a roach. Now that the light of media and community scrutiny lands on him ... he will scurry away. I figure he will resign in short order.
Lady D - Thanx for the definition of 'ghetto rigs'. I truly had never heard of the term before yesterday...
Toni Morrison said that if all you have to feel good about yourself is that you're white, then that's sad (a paraphrase). Some whites hate Barack and Michelle Obama not only because they're black but because they're black and smart with Ivy league educations and now have power. Their very existence negates the myth of white superiority.
I first heard the term "nigger-rig" when I moved back to New Orleans. A cousin described the wiring in her old house that way. She said it and I stopped her and asked, "What did you say?"
When they began having electrical problems and broke the walls to take a look, the wiring was not to code and as MsLady D's definition suggests, had no method or sign that that person doing it had formal training, just his/her creative skill to make it work in the absence of money. Some people call that ingenuity.
Nordette - I appreciate your reference to Toni Morrison's comments. That seem to be right on time.
I wonder why any Black person would seek refuge in the Republican Party?
Is it OK for Chris Rock to use the "N" word? Is it OK for Ed McMahon (RIP) to talk about drunk Mic's? Aren't you guys creating a "separate but equal" double standard?
If you don't like the First Amendment, then change it. I'm curious to know how you would re-word it, or would you just delete the whole thing?
Reginald - I don't think it is good for Chris Rock or anyone else to use the N-word...
How does that relate to the racist emails sent my vice-mayor Gary Frago out in California?
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