By Jueseppi B.
Heidi Anne Wys, an adviser to Puerto Rico House Speaker Jenniffer González, has tweeted racist things about President Barack Obama over the course of the last month or two, and Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito is just not going to take it anymore.
“Wah! Wah! I feel like vomiting! Dinner with a guy borned in Kenya and claims he was borned in Hawaii!” Ms. Wys tweeted at the President offering contributors the chance of dining with him back in June, for example.
Another time, Mr. Obama tweeted a reference of his wife’s birthday, causing Ms. Wys to lash out with, “Who cares? Take her to Burger King, buy her a sundae with double banana, take her to your homeland, Kenya!”
Understandably, a number of folks found these comments offensive, including Ms. Mark-Viverito, who sent out the following press release earlier this afternoon condemning the tweets as “vile and disgusting, and represent the height of ignorance”:
NYC COUNCIL MEMBER MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO DENOUNCES RACIST ANTI-OBAMA TWEETS BY ADVISOR TO SPEAKER OF PUERTO RICO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
New York, NY – New York City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito has denounced racist tweets sent to President Obama by an advisor to the Speaker of Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives named Heidi Wys (@HeidiWys) on July 26, 2012. In response to a photo of Barack and Michelle Obama holding a birthday cake, which was tweeted with the message “Someone has a birthday coming up,” Ms. Wys replied “Who cares? Take her to Burger King, buy her a sundae with double banana, take her to your homeland, Kenya.” Last month, Ms. Wys replied to a tweet regarding an Obama fundraiser saying, “Wah! Wah! I feel like vomiting! Dinner with a guy borned in Kenya and claims he was borned in Hawaii!”
She has sought to “defend” her comments by saying that she is not a racist since “mis sobrinas más queridas son prietas” (“my dearest nieces are dark skinned”) and that she is just anti-Obama. She tweeted yesterday, “Combato a Obama con todas las fuerzas de mi corazon y pasion como descendiente de alemanes!!” (“I am fighting Obama with all my heard and passion, as a descendent of Germans!!”). These tweets come just a few months after another set of racist Twitter attacks by Zaida “Cucusa” Hernández, a former Speaker of Puerto Rico’s House, against Rafael Cox-Alomar, a Democratic candidate for Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner in the U.S. Congress.
“Heidi Wys’ comments against the President are vile and disgusting, and represent the height of ignorance,” said Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito. “I am sickened by the continued racist attacks from prominent political figures in Puerto Rico. Instead of setting a civil tone and engaging in a responsible debate, Ms. Wys has stuck by comments that are inflammatory, highly offensive and continue to demonstrate the deep-seated racism that abounds in Puerto Rican political and social discourse. I call on Ms. Wys to retract her comments and issue a real apology. If she continues to spew this kind of hateful and ignorant diatribe, she should be fired. I also call on all Puerto Rican elected officials to denounce these racist statements.”
As her adviser (and Chief of Staff) continues to face a controversy for racist tweets she made about President Obama, Puerto Rico’s Speaker of the House Jenniffer González issued a statement suggesting that comments such as the ones Heidi Wys Toro’s made were “unacceptable.”
he statement does not specifically call out Wys Toro for the tweets, nor does it mention that Wys Toro will face any disciplinary action for what she tweeted. Here are are two screen captures of what Wys Toro has tweeted:
González says that people need to be careful on social media, and she can’t be overseeing the comments of others and how they behave on social media. Here is a of what González issued (with our English translation included):
Las expresiones que se difunden no son aceptables, no representan mi sentir y son responsabilidad exclusiva de quien las escribió. Esta Cámara y esta Presidenta no se solidarizan para nada con las mismas. Si alguien ha sido víctima de la burla he sido yo, si alguien ha tomado con mucha madurez y tolerancia el ataque bajo hacia mi persona he sido yo, si alguien ha tenido el aguante para llenarse de paz con una combinación de sentido del humor ante el ataque bajo de muchos y muchas, he sido yo. Jamás favorecería este u otro tipo de expresión que se aleja de mi estilo.
El pueblo sabe que no soy partidaria de este tipo de burla como tampoco la patrocino. Quien me conoce bien, sabe que no es mi forma de pensar.
Aprovecho la oportunidad para hacer un llamado a todos y a todas los empleados y contratistas de la Cámara de Representantes a ser prudentes en el uso de las redes sociales, lamentablemente, esto dejó de ser algo de uso personal y todos y todas nos exponemos al rebote de las mismas. Es imposible y no me corresponde monitorear las cuentas de cada contratista o empleado de la Cámara de Representantes, sea del partido que sea, porque algunos pudieran cuestionar su derecho a la libre expresión.
No obstante, es responsabilidad de cada cual medir su expresión respetando siempre los derechos que también sabemos exigir. Reitero mi pedido para modificar este tipo de expresión en beneficio de todos y todas.
Here is our English translation:
The opinions and expressions being shared in public are not acceptable. They do not represent my opinion and are the sole responsibility of the person who wrote them. This House and this President will not sympathize at all with them. If anyone has been the victim of jokes, it has been me, if someone has approached such attacks taken with great maturity and tolerance, it has been me, if anyone has had the stamina for peace filled with a combination of humor to the under attack from many and many, it has been me. Never would I favor this or any other type of expression. That is just not my style
The people know that I am not in favor of this type of ridicule nor do I sponsor it. Anyone who knows me knows that’s not my way of thinking.
I take this opportunity to appeal to each and all employees and contractors of the House of Representatives to be prudent in the use of social networks. Unfortunately, this was no longer something personal and everyone we expose ourselves to will come back to us. It is impossible for me to monitor the accounts of each contractor or employee of the House of Representatives, nor matter what party they belong to, because some might question his or her right to free expression.
However, it is the responsibility of each person to monitor their opinions while respecting the rights that we know we should all adhere to. I reiterate my request to modify this type of opinion for the benefit of all.
“BARACK” The Vote
Filed under: 2012 Election, Causes, Democrats/Democratic, Michelle Obama, News, Politics, POTUS Obama, Race, Racism, The White House Tagged: | Barack Obama, Heidi Anne Wys, Jenniffer González, Kenya, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Michelle Obama, New York City, Obama, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico's Speaker of the House, Twitter
Jueseppi B.
This offensive expressions against the president is another proof that puertoricans don’t deserve to be part of the US. I’m a puertorican that lives in this f…… island, that once was called “The enchanted island”, but in recent years it has become “The horror island” because of this type of “human beings”. Did the US wants Puerto Rico to be a state?
I think it would be an error to do so:
1. We speak spanish
2. We are almost a narcstate
3. Of 4 million of habitants only 600,000 declare taxes the others lives of US welfare.
Does americans wants to continue paying taxes to maintain this parasites?
My puertorrican fellows (theres always exceptions) specially the ones who makes this type of comments makes me fell ashamed, even when i believe that P.R. should be independent. This is a shame for all the descent puertorricans that believes in democracy and has learned to respect their neighbors. We are not all garbage like this woman Heidi anne wys.
Here the majority that wants the statehood don’t even know to speak english (thats a shame).
I want the independence for my country but i will never do a comment like this of the US president even when we are occupied by them since 1898.
The “woman” that makes the comments its a racist descendant of germans, just look at her name. She is not a true puertorrican.
The Potus has endured racist attacks long before he became President and has with grace had his status as President disrespected at every turn…from the moment he took the oath of office and it was given wrong, he had to correct the words given to him, and then the following day he had to retake the oath. He was called a liar during his address to congress, had a finger wagged beneath his nose by a piece of shit…he has continously faced ridicule in an attempt to demean him and all the republicans have accomplished is the degrading the discourse that we have enjoyed previously in this country and have demeaned themselves and our democracy
My only consolation is that the Bush shrub had a shoe thrown at him, LOL!
Wow! If an advisor can be rude and disrespectful to the President of the United States just imagine the kind of offensive and racist things ordinary African Americans women and men have to put up with on a daily basis. Both subtle and direct rudeness. And for the person who was shocked that people of color can discriminate or be racist to one another. Its not uncommon as it may seem. It sucks and its really discouraging that some people of color treat their countrymen or another person of color as though they are lower or some how inferior to them. And being from a country where everyone is mixed of every ethnic group does not mean racism goes away it just means its hidden. The same goes for the U.S.
Racism was never hidden, just quiet until POTUS Obama was elected.
This is an embarrassment. An embarrassment to Hispanics everywhere. This woman has every right not to like our president, even I grant her the right to criticize him but, when her criticism is disrespectful full of lies and misconceptions towards the leader of the “free world” she loses credibility and, her remarks have nothing to do with the first amendment, that amendment does not protect hateful speech. She should lose her job in the government, after all the “top dog” is President Obama; if she were to say those things about the CEO of a private company, she would be out without unemployment benefits before the door hits her in the ass!
When I was in the service, and still in my teens, I encountered a Black guy from New York that was several years older. He became a mentor to me in the ways and weirdness of human beings, and one day he told me a story about how, while in high school, he and a friend went to a party in the “wrong neighborhood.” The upshot was, that after attracting some female attention, they became aware that the males were glaring at them, and it was time to leave. He said as they started down the street, the males starting filing out of the house to follow them. He said he and his friend took a corner, kicked in the after-burners, and ran like hell. We were both quiet for a time, and finally I said: “That must have really pissed you off about White People.” He smiled at me and said… “That’s the point of why I’m telling you this. They were not White. They were Black. We were just in the wrong neighborhood.”
That story always stuck with me.
A Puerto Rican trying hard to fit in eh! Come to the real USA and see how they’ll treat you. Ignorant so and so!!! By the way, many Puerto Ricans are known for their bigoted ways too especially towards Blacks but they can’t take it!!!!
Mmmmm…..I just don’t get how any people of color can hate another people of color, when we all have been discriminated against by caucasians at one time or another for one reason or another. This would include Irish, Italians, Asians, Spanish, etc. If you actually think about it, or the 3 races on earth, Asian, African and Caucasian, the caucasians are the minority.
This globe amazes me to no end.
I REALLY hate to admit it, but her right to free speech is as inviolate as ours is. We need our free speech to spread the truth, so she has a right to spread her filth. Hopefully, she is being so blatant that anyone who is undecided will be repulsed and move away from her camp.
As long as she is not directly threatening the President’s life, like that artwork that you showed with a noose around his neck, the other day, it is protected by free speech. But, we need to denounce her inaccurate, racist filth, for sure! Just not her right to spew it. Ugh!
hate speech is NOT covered under the 1st amendment. A court should judge what is considered hate speech and treason is not covered under any section of the U.S. Constitution.
Oran’s Dictionary of the Law (1983) defines treason as “…[a]…citizen’s actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation].” In many nations, it is also often considered treason to attempt or conspire to overthrow the government, even if no foreign country is aided or involved by such an endeavour.
Outside legal spheres, the word “traitor” may also be used to describe a person who betrays (or is accused of betraying) their own political party, nation, family, friends, ethnic group, team, religion, social class, or other group to which they may belong.
I rest my case.
Hope you’re enjoying a peaceful Wednesday.
Reblogged this on therealwithdarylanddevon@.wordpress.com and commented:
Thanks to Jueseppi B. for the great post!!!
Thank you Barack2012 for reblogging this, I am honored. We have so much work to do.
Just more proof of the real reason the Obama haters continue to hate=It has little to do with policy vs. simple prejudice and hate. Some people are still shaking their heads in disgust that a black man is running their “American Dream” and this is a fact. Thanks J.B. for keeping the facts in front of the bullshit regarding the ignorance aimed at The POTUS.
We are all fighting to keep the truth & facts out there. Thank you Barack2012 for all you do.