Demanding an apology from Michael McGee Sr. for his joke about Mexicans is stupid and a waste of time. Surely, McGee understands that Mexicans are as sensitive about asinine remarks that have racial tones as Black people are.

WTMJ talk radio show host Charlie Sykes and company are as silly trying to categorize McGee’s remark as equal to those made by WISN talk show host Mark Belling. This is akin to President Bush‘s ludicrous attempt to tell Latinos in the United States that singing the national anthem in Spanish is out-of-line. Latinos will sing the anthem as we want, and we will interpret McGee’s comments as WE want too. Sykes and the other conservatives who support oppressive laws and Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner like reactions against the immigrant population of our community will not tell us how to interrupt such issues.

Charlie Sykes idea of a double standard is assumed to be valid only because white bigots have traditionally set the standards. As for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial, I have this to say. If this was such a serious matter for the editorial board to address, why then use the term “wetback” and then turn around and say that McGee used the “n-word.” Are these words not equally offensive? The editorial was in itself hypocritical.

Latinos will not be fooled into unnecessary confrontation with Black people because we have much in common with African-Americans. Moreover, an observant Latino leadership stands ready to correct misguided efforts by those among us who dare to create dissension and mistrust about our mutual efforts to fight racism in this city. It is true that in the Black community there are those in leadership ready and willing to do the same as we continue to build a solid force of solidarity based on human needs and mutual respect.

Sykes and his horde of anti-immigrant operatives trying to equate McGee’s comments to those made by Belling are elementary and lack substance. Sykes, Jessica Bucher and Belling are white conservatives who represent a political perspective of the right-wing movement in this country that has taken on the mantra of the conservative ultra-right-winger Lou Dobbs. These people also share the political belief, values and ideals of Wisconsin Congressman James Sensenbrenner.

Belling’s comments, unlike McGee’s, against the Mexican community in 2004 were intended to cast a political shadow of racism against people of Mexican decent. Mexicans planning to vote during the elections of that year were negatively affected by Belling’s comments. Are Mexicans being affected at Taco Bell by McGee’s joke?

Belling’s objective was to stir Anglo poll workers into challenging the Mexican voter into proving his or her citizenship status before voting. Belling’s political attack augmented by his use of the term “wetback” was intended to further dehumanize Mexicans as unpatriotic in the eyes of conservatives who follow his pandering rhetoric.

Are the right-wingers that sensitive that they are unable to decipher from what is a stupid joke from that which is a serious political attack against our community?

That said, Michael McGee Sr’s words are seen as being distasteful by many, I have to agree. Using the n-word has never been a word I allow anyone, including Blacks, to use around me. When I hear that word, I, as I hope many of you do as well, ask that the word not be used in my presence. I can remember once when the mere mention of this word called for an immediate beat down — how times have changed. It must be noted, however, McGee did not use the w-word when he made his joke about Mexicans unlike Belling who blurted the w-word in his political rant and rave. Belling was not joking when he said these words. He was dead serious when he lied about illegal Mexicans voting in our elections and he was indiscreet when he used the w-word.

Still, ethnic jokes are told on Comedy Central all the time and on the Laser 103 rock and roll show with Bob and Brian. These two morning jocks every now and then mimic Asian people’s speech with a heavy accent over the airwaves. Are these two Laser 103 morning jocks doing this offend the Asian community? Charlie Sykes and the conservative army that supports him have not condemned this local talent for doing these antics over our public airwaves. Sykes’ conservative army are too busy monitoring McGee’s radio show, waiting to come up with some simple statement to hold up as proof of a nefarious double standard on speech against conservatives.

Indeed, the antics that Laser’s Bob and Brian do in the morning and what the folks at Comedy Central broadcast on national television are not funny either.

What Charlie Sykes and everyone else who screamed double standard are only concerned about is politicizing the McGee issue and to create misdirection between hate speech and political pandering.

Their aim is to confuse the public between what is a political attack and what is just a tawdry joke.

In reality, the conservatives are not interested in eradicating politically motivated hate speech. If conservatives were truly concerned about eradicating hate speech from public airwaves, they would not have argued the case for free speech when Belling slurred the Latino community.

Double standard my foot! It’s only a double standard issue when a non-conservative is caught doing something stupid, but becomes a matter of free speech when a conservative like Belling is caught in a political attack campaign.

Hmmm….This McGee matter smacks of goofy political race baiting by conservative right-wingers to me.

Charlie Sykes, Jessica Bucher and the like trying to equate this incident to the Belling slur are wrong.

Belling’s slur was politically motivated and meant to stir hate against people of my “ethnicity.” McGee on the other hand followed a long line of jokers who have over the years used race for their distasteful jokes, and that is all it was, distasteful, nothing more.

Latinos will not be fooled into confrontation with Black leaders simply because Charlie Sykes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the conservatives of the Republican Party say this is hate speech. There are Latino leaders who know differently and will stand to inform our people that they should not be allowed to be played as pawns by the race baiters of the Anglo conservative community.