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.
If a race feels a certain name is offensive and degrading to them.., why not stop calling them that name. Black footballers in Europe are having to put up with this kind of racial slur for some time now. Why must people complain when black ask not to be racially insulted. If the pastor comment again against then they would accuse him of race division. I saw recently how latino kids beat up a white kid for speaking/writing against immigration. So why must same latino call black monkey and expect it to be business as usual. We all know what is offensive so we should stop doing or saying the wrong things. I want one world, Respect for all race.
obama is a racist as they come.he drop mrs.ramirez sliwinski over the word monkey!!!but would not drop his pastor wright.what guy!!!! time to wake up amercian.hello!!!!!!
I suppose, if they had been white kids, and she said something like..”you gringos get down from that tree” that would have been OK?
I have called my own caucasian kids monkeys when they were doing things like climbing all over the place … once again “political correctness” is being taken to the ridiculous level.
Mrs Ramirez-Sliniski should be rewarded for being a good neighbor …. not punished !
You’ve got to be kidding me! Tolerance has taken on a whole new meaning. It doesn’t matter what you think, do or say. When it comes to “political correctness” we have thrown out the baby with the bath water. Oops! Can I still say that? You’re not going to come over to my house and take away my birthday are you?
FOXNEWS…..THANKS SO MUCH FOR PUBLISHING THIS… THIS IS WHY I AM NO LONGER A DEMOCRAT!!!!!!!…
They have no problem bashing latinos (and I am one).. and women….but take everything to the nth degree when it comes to AA…
SO IF OBAMA RUNNING TO BE PRESIDENT OF ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES… OR WILL HE LOOKING OUT MAINLY FOR AA???
I WAS SO SICK OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY I CHANGED MY AFFILIATION LAST MONTH
Oh for Pete’s sake! Has this country lost its mind? Ridiculous!
Oh for god sakes,Is this the way it’s going to be?
Why even bother to talk to anyone,especially if they are black,they will accuse you of being racist if you utter the wrong word or speak out of context.Unite the country obama,yeah right,when pigs fly.
This is absolutely nuts , completely over the top Political Correctness at its very worst. Every child in America has been fondly called a “little monkey” at one time or another. It seems that some people are completely devoted to finding racism in every remark and a racist behind every tree. The officer who wrote this ticket should hang his head in shame.
When my children were young, they climbed over everything (as kids do). I called them little “monkeys” all the time. All kids act like monkeys. Crazy. It is interesting to watch the “PC” folks feed on each other like this though.