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Hillary Disses Imus at Rutgers Without Mentioning His Name
By Jessica Durando
April 20, 2007
Sen. Clinton, the Democratic
frontrunner for the presidential nomination, spoke today at
Rutgers University, just a week after the infamous
Don Imus/Rutgers women's basketball team incident. She delved into the
basketball team handling the Imus controversy without one mention of Imus.
"For reasons of an entirely
different sort, Rutgers, too, was forced into the news this past month, not for
the great achievements of your students and faculty, not for their athletic
expertise, but because you became at the vortex of a debate about how we should
see one another, how we should listen to one another, how we should respect one
another," Clinton said.
After speaking privately with
Rutgers Coach C. Vivian Stringer and Coach Mary Ann Stanley earlier this
morning, she lauded the team and Stringer for their reaction to the derogatory
remarks.
"These players and their coach
have taken a really ugly moment and transformed it into a really transcendent
moment. That's real leadership," Clinton said. "They are living markers of
our progress in this country and how far we have come and how much farther we
have to go together."
She said they showed strength when
they could have easily walked away or refused to respond. They showed courage
"for saying enough is enough and turning a culture of degradation to a culture
of empowerment."
She continued her discussion of
the dangers of marginalizing groups, such as "when women and girls are
objectified and devalued in popular culture, when a young black man can't get a
cab at night, when a Muslim American is a victim of a hate crime in the
aftermath of 9/11, when a gay person is harassed at school or in the work
place."
She took it a step further and
talked about the broader context when people are silenced because of particular
ideology, religious beliefs, age, gender or race.
"When individuals or groups are
pushed to the margins socially, economically, or politically, it is as if their
actions, their accomplishments, their very lives become invisible as if they
just don't matter," Clinton said.
She spoke on issues any other
concerned citizen to date would voice loudly if given a microphone—eradicating
racism, sexism, inequality and violence. One of the major problems this country
faces is how we see one another, she said.
Between speaking on women's
position in politics and how to level the playing field so that everyone gets a
piece of the American pie, a moment of silence was given for the victims of the
Virginia Tech massacre.
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