Politically Correct Apology – Brokaw Sorry For Suggesting Assimilation

Politically Correct Apology – Brokaw Sorry For Suggesting Assimilation

D Dipasupil

There I was, Sunday morning, minding my own business, watching Meet The Press and then, in the middle of a panel discussion on immigration-border wall- diversity, etc  it happened.  Right there, in front of my ears, former NBC Nightly News anchorman Tom I-should-know-better- Brokaw committed the unthinkable faux pas.   He actually said something that made sense to someone like me.  (like you?)

I couldn't believe my ears.  But it didn't last long.
Politico has the story and this is the quote.  “I also happen to believe that the Hispanics should work harder at assimilation. That’s one of the things I’ve been saying for a long time. You know, they ought not to be just codified in their communities but make sure that all their kids are learning to speak English, and that they feel comfortable in the communities. And that’s going to take outreach on both sides, frankly.”
I thought,"that makes sense, at last, something that I can agree with!"   In fact, I decided right then and there to bring it up as a topic on the Monday Morning News as    " a moment of truth from the left" type of revelation.
But as I reviewed our show preparation material Monday morning it became apparent that Tom turned tail and ran as I read,  "The comments from the former host of "NBC Nightly News" sparked a quick backlash both on social media and on set from PBS "NewsHour" White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, who also appeared on the same "Meet the Press" panel.
The Hill on line has Alcindor's response, “I would just say that we also need to adjust what we think of as America. You’re talking about assimilation. I grew up in Miami, where people speak Spanish, but their kids speak English,” the PBS correspondent told Brokaw. “And the idea that we think Americans can only speak English, as if Spanish and other languages wasn’t always part of America, is, in some ways, troubling.”
Hours after his comments aired, Brokaw apologized online.

WOW, it didn't last long.  Way to reverse field Brokaw!  Seahawk's running back Chris Carson doesn't even have that kind of cutback capability

Another Brokaw brow-beater is Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-Texas), whose twin brother Julián Castro is running for president.

“.@tombrokaw, for a celebrated @NBCNews journalist who spent years chronicling American society you seem stunningly ignorant of the Hispanic community in this country. Unfortunate to see xenophobia pass for elevated political commentary @MeetThePress,” he wrote on Twitter.

Tom Brokaw was right about language and its importance to a nation. (He's from the heartland and common sense South Dakota so he really should know better)  But in my opinion, too many hours in New York City, Washington, D.C. and under the hot lights of network news has made him forget what the Pew Research Center reminded us all in a study of Global Attitudes & Trends.

The Pew study reports, "More than eight-in-ten Americans also think that it is very important (45%) or somewhat important (39%) to share U.S. customs and traditions to be truly American."

So for one brief Sunday moment, Tom Brokaw spoke his truth and was once again in touch with a measured majority of the American people.  It didn't last long.  He felt the heat, he quickly apologized, and he didn't just walk it back, he sprinted it back!   And now he is back, back in the fold with the political left, back in the good graces of the journalistic elites.   Whew, that was a close one.

Nice try Tom.  Woonsocket, South Dakota  was almost proud of you...but it didn't last long.

 

 

 

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