Obama Delegate Quits After Campaign Finds Remarks to Neighbor Kids to be ‘Unacceptable’
Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski (Photo Courtesy of: Daily Herald)
A Barack Obama supporter has given up her role as a pledged delegate after the campaign found “unacceptable” her description of her neighbor’s children as “monkeys,” which she says she called them because they were climbing in trees.
Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski, an a Hispanic trustee for the Village of Carpentersville, Ill., was accused of racism following the interaction with her African-American neighbors.
“Given the incident, she is stepping down and will be replaced as delegate,” Ben Labolt, a spokesman for the Obama campaign told FOXNews.com, calling Sliwinski’s remarks “unacceptable.”
The campaign discussed the incident with Ramirez-Sliwinski, who decided to step aside as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in August, Labolt said.
Police issued a $75 citation for disorderly conduct on Saturday to Ramirez-Sliwinski , Carpentersville Police Cmdr. Michael Kilbourne told FOXNews.com.
“This is like a parking ticket,” Kilbourne said. “She was not arrested, she was not fingerprinted.”
Police officers were dispatched to Sparrow Road for a neighbor dispute, Kilbourne said.
Ramirez-Sliwinski told the kids to stop playing in her next-door neighbor’s tree because she was worried they would fall out of the tree and hurt themselves, Kilbourne said.
Dametta Stewart, a parent of one of the kids, alleges that Ramirez-Sliwinski came outside and told the kids to “quit playing in the tree like monkeys,” according to the police report. Stewart told police she was upset and felt the comment was racist since her children are African-American, Kilbourne said.
Ramirez-Sliwinski told officers that she didn’t believe the comment was racist and that she calls her own grandkids monkeys.
Ramirez-Sliwinski told the local Daily Herald, based in Arlington Heights, Ill., that her remarks were not racist despite ill feelings between the neighbors.
“Technically, I don’t consider it a mistake because that’s not what I meant,” Ramirez-Sliwinski told the newspaper. “They’re children. They’re climbing in a tree. What would you think?”
Ramirez-Sliwinski said she likely won’t run for re-election as a trustee after her term expires in April 2009.
Obama denounced that white woman quick. This is pathetic. I bet Obama doesn’t write a another speech saying he had a black grandfather who said things he didn’t agree with about white people. He couldn’t throw a black man under the bus because it he might be “like an uncle” and a spiritual mentor.
Good thing this is a front page headline.
I mean this is very serious, and everyone in the country should know that someone who support Obama is concerned about kids falling out of a tree.
Clinton nor anyone who supports or even thinks she would be a good commander and chief would never be concern about kids falling from trees.
And McCain supporters would encourage kids playing in trees and going to war in a foreign country.
this is very important news.
How horrible that Ramirez-Sliwinski’s statement was so misunderstood. Many, many parents and adults have told their children they were being Little Monkeys when they saw them climbing in trees or being overly active. This is NOT a racial slur and it is not abuse in any form. My neighbor’s children once stood in front of my house and shouted obscenities of all types to me. I called the police and was told there was nothing that could be done unless they stepped into my yard. I objected to the foul language but had to put up with it. Then this lady says something totally innocent and gets a fine and loses her status as a super delagate? Since I’m not an Obama supporter, I should be happy that he’s lost a vote and I am, but I don’t like the fact that an innocent woman was punished.
How different The Obama Camp reacts to anybody that may say something, even if misunderstood, about someone of his race, but I don’t see the same reaction to his race and outlandish statements they make! It took twenty years to say something about his pastor. SHOCKING!
If he can’t handle matters of race/racism properly in our country. I can’t begin to imagine him handling our foreign policies. The more he talks and attempts to show leadership the less capable he seems to even be in congress!
So.Cal
28
I’m a little confused. I thought only Republicans and Concervatives were racists.
You have to be kidding me. What Obama camp should have said is “they could no more disown her than we could the black or white community” since her picture looks like she is neither. I can see where this going. Most absurd thing I have heard. I can’t believe that anyone would be affended by that. Now people are just digging.
A lot of people in other countries call kids monkeys. It can mean cute, naughty and playful. I just do not believe this is happening.
Obama was quick to drop her. I wonder if she would have made as many Anti-American statement as his spirtiual advisor if he would have done so. There is such a double standard it makes me sick. People wake up! This man is as racist as they come.
hahahahahahahahhahahahahahaha
This is really sad! I call my grandson a monkey because he likes to climb trees! This is really sad! I guess if a certain person gets to be President we are going to have to watch what we say around certain people! I’m going to feel like I’m back in the 60’s.