He was laughing hysterically right after he said it. It was quite obvious that he enjoyed his nasty joke at the National Press Club the other day. The funny man was no less that the vice president of the
United States, feeling real good after putting down the people of West Virginia.
“I am Cheney on both sides of the family, dating back to the 1600s, and we don’t even live in West Virginia,” the vice president said.
As is now customary, he later apologized for his “inappropriate remark.” Inappropriate? It was quite insulting, actually. Some might say that it was a slip of the tongue, but people usually say what is in
their hearts.
The vice president implied that people in West Virginia have no morals and no religion, that they marry inside the family, insinuating that cousins marry cousins. Such marriages have occurred more often
among royalty than in any other group.
West Virginia is an “All American” state. A state that has historically shed more blood while fighting for this country that many other states. And it has produced its share of heroes too, including young
women who have distinguished themselves most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.
West Virginia is a poor state. Many people still live in substandard housing because they heroically dedicated themselves to extracting coal from the ground, benefiting many an industry but leaving them
poor and sick from ‘black lung’ and other maladies.
West Virginians are God-fearing and law-abiding people. They are family oriented and believe in helping one another. They are charitable and share what little they have with their neighbors and strangers.
West Virginians are a proud people and they have every reason to be; they live in a wild and wonderful environment with beautiful mountains and nice people around them. They have talents and skills that
produce the best hand-made art and craft products in the country, and they have a distinguished university among other assets.
Dick Cheney should consider keeping his mouth shut instead of making speeches laced with jokes that insult Americans.
LOUIS G. DOMINGUEZ
Gainesville
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement