[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 17 (Friday, January 27, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AN UNINTENTIONAL MISPRONUNCIATION OF MY FRIEND'S NAME
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goss). Under a previous order of the
House, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Armey] is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, this morning I mispronounced the name of my
friend and colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank], in
a way that sounds like a slur. Let me make this absolutely clear. The
media and others are reporting this as if it were intentional, and it
was not.
I repeat. This was nothing more than the unintentional
mispronunciation of another person's name that sounded like something
it was not.
Mr. Speaker, there is no room in public discourse for such hateful
language, and I condemn the use of such slurs.
After I heard about how the story was being covered, I called the
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank], and I told him of my
stumbling over his name, and I apologized for the perception created by
the press that I would even think of such terms.
It was not an attack. It was not even a Freudian slip.
I have worked with the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank] in
the past. I consider him a friend. I am disappointed that the media and
others would take this incident and turn it into a firestorm, a
firestorm. I take strong exception to the airing of the tape and even
the transcribing of a stumbled word as if it were an intentional
personal attack.
{time} 1510
I take strong exception to the airing of the tape, and even the
transcribing of a stumbled word, as if it were an intentional, personal
attack.
I take strong exception to the airing of the tape, and even the
transcribing of a stumbled word, as if it were an intentional, personal
attack, and I take this exception especially in light of the fact that
I went to the press who had the tape and explained to them in the best
humor I could that I had simply mispronounced a name, and did not need
any psychoanalysis about my subliminals or about my Freudian
predilections, especially from people who are obviously not trained in
psychological analysis.
With all of the issues the new Republican majority are bridging to
the floor of this House, it is regrettable that a unintentional
mispronunciation of a name in a way that would be clearly offensive had
it been intentional should shift the public debate away from issues
like balancing the budget, cutting taxes, and reforming our failed
welfare system.
Can we not get back to real issues? Cannot the press report real
events?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to for a moment thank my friend and
colleague from California, Mr. Bilbray, for allowing me to proceed
ahead of him in this order. I would like to thank the indulgence of
this body for allowing me these moments. I would like to thank my
diligent, fair, responsible friends in the press for 10 years of what I
believe to have been a good relationship with decent people doing their
job.
Mr. Speaker, I have a family. I have raised five children. I spent a
lifetime telling my children the rules of decent discourse, teaching
them how to be respectful of other people. We have a long list of words
we don't use, of names we don't call, of sentiments we don't express.
We have another long list that comes under the general rule of my
mother and father's precious teaching about good manners, decent
discourse, real respect for other people. And to have my five children,
or anybody else's five children, turn on their TV today and see a
transcript of a mispronunciation on the air, as if I had no sense of
decency, cordiality, respect, or even good manners, is unacceptable. It
is an act in itself that is indecent. It is an act that is unkind, at
least to myself, hurtful to my children, and clearly indifferent to the
feelings of my friend, Barney Frank. And, yes, I have a word for that
act. You will find that word in the singular word to the song ``Cotton-
Eyed Joe.''
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