[Toronto] Mayor Mel Lastman was accused yesterday of making racist jokes about Africans, jeopardizing Toronto's bid for the 2008 Olympics. Lastman issued a written apology after remarks he made prior to his recent trip to Kenya to promote the city's 2008 Olympic bid were published yesterday in a Toronto newspaper. [...] "What the hell would I want to go to a place like Mombassa ... I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me," he said. In his apology, Lastman said, "This comment was made off the cuff and was never intended to offend anyone. I should not have made this comment."
Lastman was sent to Europe and Africa to talk up the media and raise the city's profile.
Well, I dare say he succeeded in that latter goal, didn't he?
I can't imagine what would make any politician with a quarter of a functioning brain cell say such a thing. I should think it would jeopardize Toronto's bid -- it certainly should, in any event. About the only way I can see that his remark wouldn't guarantee an automatic 16-0 African block vote against Toronto is if they were planning to vote against Toronto en bloc in any event. I should also think that it made governing his city just ever so much more difficult. (And don't you just love the one councillor's knack for understatement? "Not helpful", indeed.) And coming just when the mayor is acquiring such a reputation as a "family values" man ...
Copyright © 2001, Iain Jackson, after-words.org
[Archives: 2001 and after]
Archives before February 5, 2001
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12/19/2001: vive la france
12/19/2001: princess, redux
12/19/2001: yemen and rumsfeld
12/18/2001: you're NOT in the army now
12/18/2001: interesting donation
12/18/2001: shame on winn dixie, indeed
12/18/2001: saudi princess
12/17/2001: new resolve
12/17/2001: a victim of the attack ... yeah, right
12/17/2001: polluters ho!