While the GOP holds America’s attention with inflated governmental “scandals” over the past few weeks, a true disgrace is brewing just outside the radar of the mainstream media. Last week, two U. S. Congressmen came forward to apologize for their son’s Twitter postings.
On June 12, Senator Jeff Flake’s (R-AZ) teenaged son Tanner used Twitter to threaten the “faggot” who stole his bike from the church parking lot. Young Tanner also taunted a classmate by implying the boy was stealing all of his best jokes because he is a Jew. Worse yet, his user name for an online game he frequents is, “n1ggerkiller.” Senator Flake issued a statement on behalf of his son stating, “I’m very disappointed in my teenage son’s words, and I sincerely apologize for the insensitivity. This language is unacceptable, anywhere”.
A second “language problem” came out less than a day later when Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV) issued a similar mea culpa in regards to his son’s Twitter posts. Joey Heck, age 16, repeatedly posted racial slurs and anti-gay comments. Among his ranting, he stated that he wanted to slap “this Indian Muslim, whatever she is…” girl in his class. When told that President Obama promotes sports he tweeted back, “Yeah, like spear chucking and rock skipping, the sports they do in his home country.” In response to his son’s disrespectful commentary Rep. Heck stated he was “extremely disappointed” about his son’s “offensive and inappropriate language.”
It certainly is good to know these young men do not suffer from racist ideations or beliefs, and that this is merely a “language problem.” If this was evidence of flaws in the boys’ upbringing, it might reflect poorly on the character of their fathers.