McCain’s anti-Asian slur
October 7, 2008 – 11:06 am
“I hate the g**ks,” McCain said in response to a question from reporters aboard his campaign bus. “I will hate them as long as I live.”
Let me replace the cuss word in this sentence so it’s not as harsh. “I hate the Asians. I will hate them as long as I live.”
He said this February 17th, 2000, and 8 years later, has yet to apologize. In fact, he refuses to apologize, for this slur.
Contrary to belief, this slur didn’t originally refer to the Vietnamies. Korea is traditionally called Han-gook, much like Germany is called Deutschland to native speakers. Therefore, calling a Korean a “g**k” is like calling an Hispanic person a “sp*k” or a person from Nigeria a…you get the idea.
The slur took on a much more powerful meaning when the U.S. Military applied it to the Vietnamese in 1967, thereby also implying that there is no heritage importance to Asia, or any discernable difference between any Asian. 30 years later it is universally accepted to be a derogatory term towards Asians.
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Source (yeah I cited Google, what of it)
Note: Last year, a bunch of conservatives got together and flagged this website as spam on Digg. Because of that, this article cannot be submitted to Digg.
76 Responses to “McCain’s anti-Asian slur”
It’s a slur against the vietnamese.
By Sean on Oct 7, 2008
This quote is taken out of context. While he did you use the word ‘gooks’, it wasn’t in reference to ‘Asians’ as a people but rather his Vietcong captors. When taken in context it should instead be read “I hate the gooks who captured my ass and tortured me and my friends mercilessly so that now I cant use my arms.” In this sense saying I hate those ‘gooks’ sounds pretty damn appropriate.
By Haden on Oct 7, 2008
you mean “gooks”
By sili on Oct 7, 2008
“This quote is taken out of context. While he did you use the word ‘gooks’, it wasn’t in reference to ‘Asians’ as a people but rather his Vietcong captors.”
So by that logic, I could say “I hate those niggers” not in reference to African Americans as a whole, but to those few bad apples of course.
Also, “I hate those sand-niggers” in reference to the few Muslims who are terrorists. Everyone knows that I mean that all African Americans and all Muslims are good people.
By JackJohnson on Oct 7, 2008
No, it isn’t appropriate, no matter what. It’s a racial slur you idiot. It doesn’t matter to which five asian’s he’s referring. That’s like saying “I hate niggers and always will. But by that I mean the five blacks who beat me up in high school.”
By racismisracism on Oct 7, 2008
i’m no fan of john mccain, but i’m effing sure that I’d hate my captors if i was a pow, too.
By jeremiah on Oct 7, 2008
sean,
replace “vietcong captors” with “somali captors,” and see if mccain’s racial slur would remain as benign as you think.
By jae on Oct 7, 2008
To Haden:
Replace “Vietcong captors” with kidnappers and “gooks” with . Do you think that’s pretty damn appropriate? If a politician were taken captive in somalia and used the N-word when recounting the ordeal, would that be ok in your mind?
By Nan on Oct 7, 2008
Haden, it doesn’t matter if the quote is taken out of context. Regardless of his experiences in the POW camp, which I’m sure were difficult, I don’t want a president representing me or my country to have any sort of deeply instilled hate of another people. Also, regardless of context, racial slurs still aren’t ok. If anything he could have said he hates the Viet Cong, which would refer directly to the people who captured him.
By matt on Oct 7, 2008
No, it is not “damn appropriate.” If some Saudi Arabian guy got held in Guantanamo, and upon his release he said “I hate the Americans, I will hate them for as long as I live.” You think it would be ok to vote that guy into office?
By Gongmyung on Oct 7, 2008
According to your reasoning, I guess it’s ok to say, “I hate the niggers/crackers/spics(fill in any racial slur) that slept with my wife” because you are not talking about all of them, but only the select few that brought pain to you. It’s that dumbass logic that is wrong with this world. It’s not ok to say that and the fact that a presidential candidate as yet to apologize for it is appalling.
By Jason on Oct 7, 2008
@ Haden: So then if he had been terrorized by people that were African-American, it would be okay for him to refer to them as “niggers” right? If I follow your logic, it is perfectly acceptable to use racial slurs against people that you do not like for some reason. Isn’t that the definition of bigotry? You wouldn’t happen to be from the South or Midwest would you? Cause those rednecks tend to think like that. Of course, I’m only referring to those rednecks that I don’t like for some reason.
By Sean C. on Oct 7, 2008
Haden, here’s the hard truth. No matter how you use the term, or your friends use the term, or McCain uses the term, it’s racist.
By Chuck on Oct 7, 2008
Haden,
That may be. However, I would expect anyone looking to be the leader of the most powerful (for now) country to demonstrate a little grace and forgiveness. Especially if he wants the support of “Religious Right”. What about “Forgive our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”?
I mean, if we have Iraqi fathers sitting down with the leaders of US forces who have just accidentally bombed their family out of existence, I think Mr. McCain should show a little restraint and know that his words are going to be taken as they have been. At least put on a little political theater.
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By joel on Oct 7, 2008
Haden: So you’re saying that racist epithets are appropriate if the people you’re referring to are really really terrible? Even if their monsterous acts have nothing to do with the color of their skin. Interesting.
By nubbs on Oct 7, 2008
it only sounds ‘appropriate’ to a racist.
By notAracist on Oct 7, 2008
Someone at some point must’ve informed him that ‘gook’ is an offensive word like ‘nigger’ or ’spic’. He doesn’t care, he hates them and wants to call them something hateful, even if he unintentionally offends a broader range of people.
Thing is, if he were captured by Africans and beat up and tortured, would it be fine for him to get by saying he hates the niggers and he always will?
By ken on Oct 7, 2008
Politicians running for office loose the right of context. The same way average citizens loose context when they utter any kind of racial slur. Read the public records of the ACLU for plenty of examples where citizens are fined or punished for out of context racial slurs.
Torture does not justify being ignorant in public, or else the nightly news should be full of innocent people who were tortured at the hands of our government within the past 10 years. Yet McCain stands firm on his right to torture people he thinks are terrorists, even after they have been proven innocent. Just like the Vietcong did to him. Hypocrisy is a cruel mistress.
By Grant on Oct 7, 2008
It’s actually originally a slur against the Koreans, not the Vietnamese. It comes from the Korean word for foreigner, “Mi-Guk” which Koreans called the American soldiers. They interpreted it as saying “Me, g–k” and that’s the origin of the term.
As an aside, the word by which the Koreans refer to themselves is Hanguk.
By BC on Oct 7, 2008
So if he was captured somewhere in Africa it would have been okay and appropriate to say “i hate those niggers”
By andj on Oct 7, 2008
seriously… I don’t even like the guy and I can see how he was talking about the North Vietnamese. I am voting Obama and I think that there are a lot of terrible things about McCain but lets keep the mud slinging to a minimum.
It is clear that he was not talking about all Asians and in spinning it you just make it look like his opponent’s supporters are malicious and ignorant. Do us a favor and stay off of our side please.
By Demosthenes2010 on Oct 7, 2008
@Haden You’re wrong. It’s not appropriate for the same reason nigger, kike, chink etc. is not appropriate. It’s called racism.
By Paul McClean on Oct 7, 2008
So if McCain was fighting a war in Africa and had African captors, it would be fair for him to call them ‘Nigers’
By Haden on Oct 7, 2008
WE HATE YOU TOO!!! DOUCHEBAG!
By HEMAN on Oct 7, 2008
No dice, Haden.
The only way this statement–in the year 2000–could be taken out of context is if he had said, “Man, I’d have to be out of my f’n mind to still say, ‘I hate the gooks.’”
Qualifying the use of an offensive, racist slur by saying he was only referring to his captors shows an insensitivity and disconnect from millions of people he hopes to one day call his constituents.
By bobcat on Oct 7, 2008
Whoever wrote “McCain’s Anti-Asian Sentiment” is a GEEK!
By WOW on Oct 7, 2008
So if a bunch of African Americans came and beat me up, I’d use the N-word and that’d be okay?
I still find that usage questionable. You can call people names based on what they did, however their race or ethnicity shouldn’t necessarily have to be a part of it.
By Billy on Oct 7, 2008
I’m voting for Obama. Nonetheless, given what McCain went through, I find it difficult to begrudge him the use of that particular word when it comes to those he had to deal with.
By bib on Oct 7, 2008
McCain is an idiot, and anyone who votes for him as an idiot as well. Can’t believe he even has a chance to be president, pathetic.
By blah on Oct 7, 2008
@Haden:
Has Senator McCain provided you with this specific insight?
By Derek on Oct 7, 2008
So if I got assaulted by a bunch of black men on the street I would be completely in the right to say “I will hate those niggers as long as I live.”? I think not.
By Christian on Oct 7, 2008
I am opposed to McCain and I fully support Obama for the Presidency. McCain’s policies will further lead America to failure.
This quote, however, is a non-issue. After a bit of research, I agree with Sean that it is taken out of context. The man was tortured for, what, 5 years? His hatred for his captors is understandable.
The point is that I do not believe he hates all Asians just because he used a racial slur to describe his captors. If he did hate all Asians, then there might be an issue. If you believe he does hate all Asians, I invite you to provide evidence beyond this simple quote. What policy decisions has he made that support an accusation of complete racism against Asians?
If you’re gonna hate on McCain (and by all means I invite you to), stick to the real issues.
Luke
By Luke on Oct 7, 2008
This quote is taken out of context. McCain is hardly “alive”.
By Hillary C. on Oct 7, 2008
Haden:
Taking “gooks” out of context is like taking the n-word out of context. It may be true that he was specifically talking about his captors and calling them gooks. If one says “I hate the n*****s”, it’s inappropriate whether or not one is talking about a specific group of people.
By Matt on Oct 7, 2008
Haden, are you saying the word is ok if used in the right context? You are as ignorant and as racist as McCain.
By Asian on Oct 7, 2008
in context its just like all the ignorant people who say they should drop a bomb on iran and kill all the muslims .
By nyrckr on Oct 7, 2008
Also if McCain was treated so bad, why would this guy claim that they were friends in Vietnam. In fact, it is well known that he was treated like royalty in Hanoi in return for information and most country would consider that treason. How would I know about this? I’ve lived there and you can ask anybody from there. Of course why would you believe them, since they are nothing but freedom hating terrorists too right? Sheeples…
By Asian on Oct 7, 2008
Before anyone twists my words around, by royalty, I mean that he was treated as though he came from a royal family. Royal families usually are not submitted to the same interrogations as normal soldiers.
Here is a Cnn article about his friend aka “gook enemy”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7459946.stm
By Asian on Oct 7, 2008
LOL @ Hayden
“I hate those n*****s who rioted during Katrina.”
No, that really doesn’t make it work. It’s still racism.
By Redzan on Oct 7, 2008
Haden;
apologetic jerk,you don’t have the faintest idea what your talking about !
By Uberto on Oct 7, 2008
Lol wow there goes your asian supporters mccain!!!
By Daniel Brian on Oct 7, 2008
Let’s say McCain had been tortured by a small group of Africans. If he then said “I hate the n—–s [who captured my ass and tortured me...]” he would not have made it past the primaries, sorry. In this sense, saying “I hate those n—–s” sounds pretty damn inappropriate, as is his use of “g–ks.” It scares me that he doesn’t appreciate the impact of racially charged words in a country with a racially tumultuous past.
By D on Oct 7, 2008
Actually, it’s a slur against Koreans. The word “me-gook” in Korean means “American”. While Korean people starved during the Korean war, they were overjoyed to see American troops enter their village and would greet them yelling “Me-gook, Me-gook”, as these men represented salvation to them.
By Gabe on Oct 7, 2008
McCain hates his captors – the ones that he was BOMBING from 30,000 feet from the comfort of a million dollar aircraft. When are people going to get it? We were the BAD guys in the Vietnam war. We bombed, napalmed, murdered and generally tortured an entire foreign country. McCain and his fellows were relentlessly bombing civilians as well as military targets. I’m amazed they didn’t run him through a meat grinder. Enough of this war hero crap! And besides that, no tortured veteran can be trusted to hold high public office because of their emotional scars – as is demonstrated by McCains “gook” remarks.
By Pax on Oct 7, 2008
Context is irrelevant in this matter. Racial slurs are inherently directed toward the entire group, not just the small subset of that group that caused harm. If your house is robbed by black people, its not OK to say that you “hate those N—ers.” You may hate those black people, but the N-word describes the larger group, not just THOSE individuals you hate. He is an undisputed war hero who did his duty as a military officer with distinction and earned the respect of his fellow prisoners. He is entitled to his feelings more than anyone but he understandably has some strong, dark feelings that I don’t think I want at the negotiating table when history-altering talks are underway. That may just be too big a personal filter to put aside when Kim Jong-Il is across the table and the topic of discussion is nuclear proliferation. Yes, I know Kim Jong-Il is the leader of North Korea, not Vietnam but I’m not convinced he’ll make the distinction deep down inside on an emotional level even if he can on a conscious, intellectual level. I’m not sure how much conscious, intellectual power he has either, but that’s another issue.
By Evan on Oct 7, 2008
@Haden:
“I hate the niggers. I will hate them as long as I live.”
How does that sound? And is it justifiable in any context?
McCain could have used a word like “bastard,” but by using this racially derogative term, openly in front of the media no less, he reveals his deep-rooted negative bias towards Asians in general.
http://www.amazon.com/Gook-John-McCains-Racism-Matters/dp/0967943345
By Tian on Oct 7, 2008
Sorry Haden, but if he were captured in Africa, would it be ok to go around saying “I hate the n—ers?”
How about if he were captured in the middle east, could he spend his time on the campaign trail saying “I hate the towelheads?”
Not very Presidential.
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By Jayson on Oct 7, 2008
It takes no greater effort to say, “I hate my captors,” than it does to use the words McCain used in their place. If he doesn’t mean he “hate[s[ gooks” then why say it? Had he done so, he wouldn’t then have to explain what he supposedly meant(nor would anyone else), and he wouldn’t sound generically hateful (merely unforgiving, a separate but perhaps equally significant problem for a man who wishes to be President). Anyone who needs to indulge himself in such expressions has no business being in politics at all, and certainly cannot be called “Presidential.”
By Awi on Oct 7, 2008
Would it be appropriate if I was kidnapped by a couple of black guys to say “I hate the n-ggers who tortured me”?
By Jason on Oct 7, 2008
Considering what he went through I find it very, very hard to fault him for the way he feels. My father-in-law fought in the south pacific in WWII and he has essentially the same feelings about Japanese.
Very few of us have ever faced that kind of thing, and I pray that we never do, but PC attitudes go out the window when they plop you on a patch of dirt and people attempt to kill you repeatedly, or to destroy your body and your mind. I feel fairly certain that I’d feel about the same way given similar circumstances, and I think anyone believing otherwise is likely lying to themselves.
For this I cut him a lot of slack; he deserves it.
jim frost
jimf@frostbytes.com
By Jim Frost on Oct 7, 2008
I still don’t think its proper for a political figure to use derogatory language. Imagine how crazy people would get if Mccain, Palin, or Barack used the word nigger in public.
By Alex on Oct 7, 2008
So then Haden it would be okay for me to say “I hate those niggers” as long as I explained that it was “those niggers that beat me and hurt my family during a home invasion”. Or “I hate those spics that stole my job” or “I hate those sand niggers that killed my brother in Somalia!” or to say “I hate them dirty red ingines what killed my pa!”
Sure it’s all perfectly acceptable and appropriate in context. Hate and racial slurs are perfectly fine as long as you use them in context.
The only problem is that McCain, as far as I’ve found has never come out and clarified that context or dissuaded anyone from understanding that he hates all “gooks”.
By Bunzyaga on Oct 7, 2008
@ Haden:
yes indeed. Just as it is appropriate for the friend I went to university with, who lost half his family when americans strolled through his village indiscriminantly tossing grenades into huts, to continue to hate THOSE americans. Just those ones.
And it will be appropriate for all the teenagers who have been released from guatanamo bay to hate all the americans who work at guatanamo bay. No other americans of course, it will only be appropriate for them to hate THOSE ones. And the families of those who’ve been shot at random in iraq (don’t even try to tell me this isn’t happening, I’ve watched dozen’s of videotapes of it happening) will be allowed to hate those american mercenaries who come over to iraq to shoot towelheads and make danger pay. But only those americans. They shouldn’t hate the ones who voted for it or tacitly supported it.
You leave an increasingly bad taste in the mouth, america. And I’m not even a brown person.
By non-american on Oct 7, 2008
Despite the ‘context’, hes a politician talking in public. I’d hope a man of his stature could resist using a racial slur. If he were to actually say that word out loud in front of the press, imagine what he really thinks of minorities.
No matter the context, hateful speech should never be tolerated.
By Joey Jojo on Oct 7, 2008
He’s had plenty of time to clarify if that is what he meant!
By Laura on Oct 7, 2008
It doesn’t matter if he’s referring to the people who captured him. He’s using derogatory language to refer to people. I would not be happy if he said he “hated the kykes who captured him when he was in Israel.” As a Jew, I would be FURIOUS to see a candidate use that kind of language even if he was referring to someone who had done something wrong.
These words are hurtful and terrible and cannot be tolerated, even if he’s not talking about specific people.
By Alex Levin on Oct 7, 2008
sorry, I meant even if he IS only speaking about specific people
By Alex Levin on Oct 7, 2008
While I’m not a McCain supporter, I had to admit we need to keep the quote in context. He was speaking specifically about his captors, and for that, I’ll give him some leeway in his choice of words on the matter. I can’t say that I wouldn’t also use a racial slur when specifically speaking about the heartless torturers if I were in his shoes.
Hear me, I’m an Obama supporter; but McCain *should* clarify this statement if he wants to keep on the friendly side of particular minorities.
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By Tommy Gober on Oct 7, 2008
Haden: He may very well have meant it only in that context, but if he is honestly refusing to apologize for what he said (or at least re-iterate the meaning to be something along the lines of what you said), and he’s going to be president, there’s something wrong here.
I’m a Canadian, so this is just my 2 cents, but what is it with Americans and their not insisting on electing someone far more intelligent than themselves? My leaders aren’t the greatest right now, but at least we didn’t elect a “good ‘ol boy” from the neighbourhood.
By Brian on Oct 7, 2008
If someone was captured in Africa and said “I hate the n—–s,” would that be okay too?
By robert on Oct 7, 2008
The context makes no difference, its the words used. He uses gook to demean all Asians. If you replace gooks with niggers, that would definately be racist right? Like saying “I hate those niggers what done stole my car!” Because they stole it doesn’t make them niggers, it makes them theives. I wonder what other race of people McCain hates?
By Chris on Oct 7, 2008
It still doesn’t excuse his word choice, Haden. That’s like saying “I hate those niggas who jumped me and took my watch.” Even in context, you’re still using a word that is racially derogatory to an entire group of people.
By Chris on Oct 7, 2008
Haden has it right. Take a little deeper look into how McCain has dealt with Vietnam since that time. He’s been responsible for opening trade and healing the past.
By Rascal Peters on Oct 7, 2008
Even though i hate mccain, this is taken out of context. In no way does he say “asians,” he means vietnamese specifically, and his captors are implied. “Gook” is apparently now the new “retard,” censored by the ultra-politically correct.
By JOHNMAN on Oct 8, 2008
You mean that “gooks” is a term for the Vietnamese, right?
You forgot that slopes, yellows, nips, japs, and slanteyes refer to other types of Asians.
I don’t like McCain any more than the next guy, but if you’re going to try and degrade the guy based on a racial slur, at least try and be accurate.
By Obsidian on Oct 8, 2008
Call me old fashioned, but if I was from Vietnam, I wouldn’t mind being called a gook so much having 8 million tons of bombs dropped on my country, including sufficient chemical weapons to still be causing illness and birth-defects decades later. Millions of people have been killed, and it’s still happening today, in Iraq and elsewhere.
And in the debate today, McCain said “…we are peacemakers and we’re peacekeepers”
… to the sound of the world throwing up. Maybe some perspective is in order.
By Nick Taylor on Oct 8, 2008
Sean, the slur gook refers to more than just Vietnamese, in fact in originated in the Korean War when Korean soldiers would shout “miguk” which means “American.” American soldiers thought they were saying “me gook” and the term stuck and was later used in the Vietnam War.
And Haden, if you think that it’s OK for McCain to use the term in reference to his captors, then consider this. What if McCain was captured and tortured by soldiers in an African country. Do you think that people would still think it was OK if McCain said “I hate the niggers. I will hate them as long as I live.” No, people would riot and he wouldn’t have a chance at running for president. But since he directed it at Asians there’s a double standard and people don’t care. It’s really sad that you think his comments are appropriate even when taken in context.
By Matt on Oct 8, 2008
Haden,
So lets say McCain said “I hate those niggers who robbed my house”. Do you think that’s alright? Even though he was talking about a specific few? No. Obviously not, because the mere fact that he would be so insensitive and crass to use such language is outrageous.
By Marc on Oct 8, 2008
> In this sense saying I hate those ‘gooks’ sounds pretty damn appropriate.
I wonder what kind of mercy would be extended to someone caught dropping bombs over the US, participating in the killing of hundreds of thousands of people? In this case, a few years of harsh imprisonment seems relatively merciful to me. Unless, of course, you consider killing the “gooks” not such a big deal.
By Dumob on Oct 8, 2008
According to the article he said this in 2000 which is more recent than 1967 when he captured.
By Jim on Oct 8, 2008
Racism is never appropriate Hayden. If it’s a small group of people he hates, then what race those people are is irrelevant and shouldn’t be mentioned. He’s a racist old man, plain and simple.
By emily on Oct 8, 2008
you are an idiot.
gook means – vietcong who tortured me in prison.
i’m voting for obama and i still think the author of this article is a dipshit.
By jackson on Oct 8, 2008
After reading all these posts, it seems many people really feel that having been a Prisoner of War entitles McCain to say whatever he wants–he suffered, therefore he’s earned the right. Well, when one goes to fight a war, one knows and expects that the price of that may be injury, death, or capture. I never heard my father rant about those who so seriously injured him in WWII, in any terms, let alone viciously racist ones. In any case, we should all, regardless of political affiliation, hold our representatives and leaders to the highest standards of conduct–it is generally understood that decent people do not speak derogatorily about anyone, whatever the “justification.”
And by the way, John McCain was NOT held captive by the Viet Cong. He was held in Hanoi by the North Vietnamese Army. The NVA was a formal instrument of war against the South Vietnamese Government and Army (and then, once we put ourselves into the mix, the US Army), while the Viet Cong were a mostly civilian guerrila force made up of men, women, and even children living in South Vietnam. The VC rose up spontaneously in the years after the country was partitioned at the unsatisfactory end of the war between the French and the Communist Vietnimh (mid-1950’s). They fought against the corrupt South Vietnamese Government (which we later propped up and used as an anti-communist puppet regime). The US never formally declared war, but instead sent in CIA and military “advisors,” then gradually began landing troops and sending in fighter pilots like McCain to carpet bomb the country. Like all fighter/bomber pilots, John McCain knew the risk he took. He knew he was in an undeclared, therefore illegal, war, and that the Americans were interlopers in a civil conflict. I am close to many Vietnam Vets, and none are filled with hatred regardless of their experiences, in fact, several have vacationed in Vietnam recently out of a longing for the beauty of that country and a genuine love of its people. I’ve never heard the words “gook” or “dink” from even one of them. And none of them admire what they consider whining on McCain’s part, nor his parleying of real horror into political hay.
A final note: Ironically, from the point of view of the NVA, the Americans were engaged in terrorist activties against them, and the Hanoi prison (dubbed the Hanoi Hilton by its American inmates) was as necessary to them as the Guantanamo Bay prison is to the current administration. One difference, though–those held in Hanoi had actually bombed or otherwise attacked their captors–those in Guantanamo have done–well, does anyone know?
By Awi on Oct 8, 2008
I find it insane that some responses paralel someone breaking into your house to that of being held captive tortured and have your freinds tortured and killed. I would certainly have a hard time forgiving my captors.
On a similar note I also find it funny that the n word would come up here, all blacks are not african by a long shot, even though there roots are from somewhere in that region. Aside from all that I think most people agree that the n-word has been for some reason blown way out of proportion, especially considering the main users of the word are the same people protesting its use. I am a jewish american(I prefer just american, hehe) and I in my entire life have never been amongst a group of jews and had someone in that group refer to another as a kike etc. and while it’s not great when I’m refered to in a dirogatory(sp) manner because of my religion or heritage I most likely would not respond, or respond with a positive comment like yeah I’m a kike and proud to be one. It’s a shame that these words have become so powerfull in the media yet behind closed doors most poeple use them freely and without malice.
By Jay on Oct 8, 2008
You’re all going overboard digging up something said from 2000.
Gook’s are the Vietnamese communist, particularly the leaders. And in McCain’s case, his Gook’s are specifically the ones that captured, tortured and brutalized him for 5 years. If you were tortured you’d have some hatred in you as well.
I completely understand and accept his statement. He would not call me a Gook, he would not call my father or anyone in my family or the South Vietnamese Government or citizens Gook’s, because they’re not.
To this day, he has a South Vietnamese flag hanging on the wall of his office.
He has the utmost respect for the Vietnamese, Viet Nam, and especially for the south Vietnamese military. He does not respect nor like the Gook’s and neither do I.
You can debate many things about McCain, he has his flaws, but this is not one of them. No matter what, he is a patriot and he truly loves this country, and he has the utmost respect for Viet Nam and the south Vietnamese Army and Government.
Why do you think Vietnamese-Americans are supporting McCain over Obama by nearly 2 to 1 while the rest of the Asians are insulted and living in a fantasy world?
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By tracy on Oct 21, 2008
Everyone can go round and round about this but the thing that keeps getting missed is that “gook” was a term used in the late 60’s and early 70’s to reference communist north veitcong. NOT Asians. It was an accepted term even used in military reports and breifings. It is NOT a slur in the sense of saying spic or nigger or cracker. It is WAS more a term used to describe a military force or a para-military group. So the phrase is more in line with saying “I hate the KKK, or Nazis or Terrorists” I will The term gook only took on a sense of being a racial slur later when it was being mis-applied to other Asians. Not all “rednecks” are KKK, not all Germans are Nazi’s, and not all Muslims are Terrorists.
By Jordan on Oct 30, 2008