71 Comments - Just Me - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:18 am: Censure? - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:20 am: A comment I made yesterday; Her complete lack of true remorse and race biting remarks make me not believe one single word. It now makes me think she may have meant what she said more, and feels less bad about it, until the Press quizzed her. She knows what she said, the video speaks volumes. She referred the a Colleague as a “half”. It’s quite disgusting. The spinning only needs the “some of my best friends…” to complete the sham. - PublicServant - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:23 am: If she wants to properly spin her comments, she needs to talk to the pros over at Rauner’s Campaign HQ. - PoolGuy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:24 am: wow, the Aurora Beacon News doesn’t have access to Cap Fax? - OneMan - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:26 am: Ok, I put this on the other thread but I am going to put it here as well (slightly modified) You know, this was dumb… But I have known Linda for a while and I have to say I am willing to give her a little bit of the benefit of the doubt that this was just a dumb few minutes on her part. Do I wish the apology was a lot more straight forward, hell yes. Do I think what she said in the Beacon makes sense, no. But I suspect (and hope), that is what she thinks she was thinking (I hope that makes sense) when she said what she said. If she doesn’t seem to represent all of her constituents or something along those lines, I have to say I have never seen that behavior having lived in her district until the last remap. I have interacted with a lot of times, not only down in Springfield but even when our daughters played against each other in volleyball and she has always been extremely helpful and polite. We had a school issue a while back in what could be described as an area of Aurora that has a low minority population compared to most of the city and she was BY FAR, the most helpful and involved of any elected official I dealt with during the whole thing. So does she deserve some flak for this, yeah. But I really think this was her having a bad few minutes and hopefully she learns from this. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:27 am: Linda Chapa La Via is not the Victim here, ok. You make the case her remarks are “misunderstood” attempts to make Linda Chapa La Via a Victim. She is not a Victim. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:28 am: ===But some of the calls here for her to resign are just a bit silly to me…= Exactly. That is insane. Not even close to force resignation. Period. Playing poker, playing golf, athletic competition, debate… those forums, and many like them give a better view of a person than in “non-pressure” situations. You see things come out that people prefer hidden. Linda Chapa La Via’ “half” will haunt her for quite some time. It should. By not owning it as bad speaks volumes to her character, or maybe in this instance lack thereof. It was pathetic. Linda Chapa La Via is not the victim here. - Chad - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:28 am: This latest quote shows she belongs to that club of champion race-baiters who offer sympathetic members of the press a rationale to ignore the matter, while cheerfully letting their supporters infer that what was said was indeed intended. I will never look at her the same way. - OneMan - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:33 am: Pool Guy… The Beacon News has not been exactly at the forefront of local political news gathering for a long time… Exhibit A) The did a story about 4 local attorneys disciplined and failed to notice a 5th local attorney on the list who was also the township clerk. http://htsblog.blogspot.mx/2006/09/ok-i-try-not-to-go-all-openline-on.html Here was me first noticing it before they did the attorney story in general… http://htsblog.blogspot.mx/2006/09/is-there-finally-resolution-in.html Then they did a story http://htsblog.blogspot.mx/2006/09/well-it-appears-that-beacon-perhaps.html Please note I also e-mailed them about it. So no, actually kind of surprised they picked it up at all.. - OneMan - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:34 am: I am not saying is the the victim here, I am just not saying I don’t think she is as bad as some are making her out to be. - A guy... - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:34 am: Terrible mistake. Resignation, uh no, go soak your head on that. This was not that kind of fatal. But embarrassing, foolish, absolutely. Why she didn’t head back to a private place with a few trusted folks and “pen” a real apology and call it a poor choice of words, spoken in the moment, and not at all reflective of who she is as a person. Then a personal apology to the Rep she inadvertently insulted. She just kept adding on; it’s about the kids, taken out of context, blah, blah, blah. She’s now the poster woman for intolerance. That’s worse than resigning in some ways. She may not be speaking for a while and her bills….um, what bills? - Judgment Day - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:39 am: Somebody close to her needs to tell her to “Just….. Stop Digging”. - Downstate dem - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:39 am: Personally. I offended at what was said on the floor, but appalled at her response to the questions. She’ll have this hanging around her for a long time. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:43 am: - OneMan -, Linda Chapa La Via’s own response, using… children … as a crutch to excuse a race biting remark, “misunderstood”, and Linda Chapa La Via puts herself out there as a victim, not as someone apologizing. I was referring to her specifically, not your Comment directly. - Wensicia - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:50 am: It’s a shame, really, that she doesn’t realize how self-destructive her comments were, with these weak attempts to explain away her insults. Guess there’s no live and learn here. - OneMan - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:51 am: OW Oh… In that case I agree with you. - PoolGuy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:52 am: OneMan - yes my sarcastic comment was to point out if someone at the Beacon watched the raw video Rich posted yesterday, I would think they would point out the glaring discrepancies. or maybe not. the media prints what they want. - Rod - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 9:53 am: I tried yesterday to explain the context of the floor debate where the “half” remark. I think this terrible comment was made because Representative Chapa LaVia did not speak to the bill as she was required to do. Trying to get the attention of minority members of the House about the impending vote was not her job but the chair’s job. She should have requested the chair to bring her members to order and follow the proceedings. A lot of us on this blog know the Representative and also know she has not run the Elementary Secondary committee in a highly partisan manner. She was clearly frustrated by the fact that what was supposed to be a bipartisan bill had been attacked by Republicans in a partisan manner. That is politics, I guess you have to live with it. - train111 - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:00 am: This git me thinking. I do not live in Aurora, but rather in a nearby district with a GOP rep. However, my community is majority Hispanic and the public school distict is about 2/3 Hispanic. So about a month ago, we get this flyer about a school district parents night. The speaker was Chapa La Via. If I were the local Rep (who is a food guy) , I’d be pretty ticked off that they passed me up for a rep in a neighboring district. I wonder if she feels that she is the voice for all minority residents out here? Nothing crazy, just my thoughts on something that seened odd at the time, and was brought back into ny thoughts by all of this. - OneMan - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:00 am: PoolGuy Realize you were being sarcastic more or less, more just wanted to point out how the paper of record in the second largest city in Illinois, is to some degree at this point, a joke. - PoolGuy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:01 am: OneMan - agreed - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:04 am: - Rod -, Either you didn’t see in person, or on the video, the exchange and Linda Chapa La Via’s race biting remark. That is me… giving you the benefit of the doubt. === I think this terrible comment was made because Representative Chapa LaVia did not speak to the bill as she was required to do. Trying to get the attention of minority members of the House about the impending vote was not her job but the chair’s job=== If you did see the remark in person or on video, and want to try to use the spin the Representative is trying to pass off as… “Honest”.., then you are an apologist for her, and ignoring the facts of what did happen. Then Linda Chapa La Via refused to own it, and graciously and honestly apologize. Nope. Linda Chapa La Via, she spun it. Bad form. - train111 - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:04 am: good guy not “food guy”–stupid keyboard! I also didn’t realize Chapa La Via is on the Elementary Secondary Committee in my original remarks. Perhaps that explains why she was invited. - ausintman - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:05 am: Rep is forgiven now lets move on - So. ILL - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:08 am: This will no doubt gain more attention in the blogosphere. She ought to take a page out of Harry Reid’s book here if she really wants it to go away. Say, “I apologized. I’m not talking about that any more.” and then only ever say that from now on and forever. And poof, it goes away. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:11 am: ===Rep is forgiven now lets move on=== Rich? Is that you? Forgiven for what? Linda Chapa La Via, in a race biting remark calling a Colleague a “half” gives token apology, hiding behind “children” and “if I offended..,” blather? I will move on when I want, or Rich asks, thanks. I bet Linda Chapa La Via wants this to “move on” too… It will be a part of her for quite some time. - Robo - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:11 am: Said it over on the other entry….This isn’t her first time castigating non-minorities or half minorities. She’s been doing it in the committee she chairs quite publicly this session and the recording is likely available. - Lurker - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:12 am: I noticed she was removed as a sponsor on her charter school bills. - Johnny Q. Suburban - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:16 am: i don’t know. Apology seems kind of half-hearted… - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:19 am: When you hide behind “Children” in referencing why you made your racially charged remarks, the “apology” has little heart, let alone a half-hearted attempt. - wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:21 am: Her explanation makes no sense. If that’s what she meant, what did she apologize for? - Pensioner - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:31 am: Weary of race politics regardless of party. - Walker - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:34 am: Chapa has put boot in mouth before. She is sometimes uncomfortably crude for almost any audience. I heard her once say to a large group of school board superintendents that if they had trouble making their budgets, she and her husband had turned around many small businesses, and would be happy to consult with them for free. Not ready for prime time, and isn’t improving. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:39 am: ===I noticed she was removed as a sponsor on her charter school bills.=== That might be “half” true… But I though nothing was wrong, is it something she said? - DuPage - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:41 am: I don’t know, people sometimes say all kinds of things that varies with who they are saying it to, if they are in mixed company, and what their own racial background is. I have heard minorities calling each other names I do not and would not use. African-Americans use the “N-Word” a lot, some Hispanics call each other W_____K, and other things in Spanish. They usually are not being racist and seem to joke around using such words back and forth in their conversations. While I don’t condone any racism or her using such terms as she did, I think people are making more of it then it deserves. I wonder what the charter school proponents call her? - cicero - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:42 am: == By not owning it as bad speaks volumes to her character, or maybe in this instance lack thereof. == We all say some things we wish we could take back. She should have given an unqualified apology. I’m disappointed that she didn’t. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:49 am: ===I don’t know, people sometimes say all kinds of things that varies with who they are saying it to, if they are in mixed company, and what their own racial background is.=== The Lower Chamber of the Legislature of any state seem to you to be a “swell” place to use racially charged language? ===They usually are not being racist and seem to joke around using such words back and forth in their conversations=== I want to be clear, your “defense” of calling a Colleague a “half” is that it was in…jest? ===While I don’t condone any racism or her using such terms as she did, I think people are making more of it then it deserves.=== Calling a Colleague a “half” is so wrong on so many levels; professionally, personally, ethically, racially… Then add the disappointing spin, not owning her racially biting remarks, in a terrible apology, with a lack of heart, “from the bottom of my heart”…nope, not one bit. ===I wonder what the charter school proponents call her=== Congratulations. It took over 30 comments, but you came out and try to “sell” she is a Victim in this. Good in you. Dope. - Wumpus - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:56 am: Others resigned for similar offenses. She should follow suit. - A guy... - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:58 am: === ausintman - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 10:05 am: Rep is forgiven now lets move on==== This COULD have and SHOULD have been the case. It’s not because of her continued actions. Now she’s lost her opportunity to end it unilaterally. It’s not the end of this, but the beginning of a long remembered action. Nobody moves on because you just tell them to. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 11:02 am: - Wumpus -… ===Others resigned for similar offenses. She should follow suit.=== With respect, and honestly not recalling one off the top of my head, “example?”. I am not seeking her resignation. I want Linda Chapa La Via seated in that Chamber, and understand how she is looked at now. I want her to know “half” is unacceptable, and apologies minimizing and shifting and hiding behind children makes her race biting remarks stain her for quite some time. - MrJM - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 11:11 am: Half-Gaff, Day 1: Half-wit comment. Half-Gaff, Day 2: Half-___ apology. Half-Gaff, Day 3: ??? –MrJM - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 11:16 am: I found this interesting as Linda Chapa La Via called a Colleague a “half”… State Representative Linda Chapa La Via quote on SSM; http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/23585031-418/fox-valley-lawmakers-vote-in-favor-of-gay-marriage-bill.html “I represent all people,” she said. “All”? I dunno now, does she really want to represent “all”? After hearing that apology, or lack thereof, do I? - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 11:33 am: I love the way Leader Durkin goes about his business. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 11:57 am: To the Update, The Illinois General Assembly is a place, so special, bringing together people, from all walks of life, all with different backgrounds and history, and they all meld together, giving both chambers a personality, a tone, a uniqueness that can’t be duplicated in its next session. The members are colleagues. As on Body, they are all experiencing that session’s House or Senate, and while politics and governing and issues drive the agenda, it’s the people in the seats that shape how we citizens in Illinois see them. I respect the ideal of the Legislative Body. I miss the more overt manner of collegial ways that both chambers relished in. It’s still around, that collegial way, but as both parties make the aisle wider by political ideology going farther to extremes at times, it was and is better government when colleagues recognize each other as another person, like themselves, wanting to do good. Leader Durkin’s acceptance of the apology hit a very string conciliatory tone. You battle, you debate, you argue, and you do it in the appropriateness of the Chamber. When you hear about the Dem Chairman sharing dinner and drinks with the GOP Spokesman, that is what makes the experience whole. The acceptance of the apology put into context what I know I want to see; people, at their best, representing Illinois, and representing themselves in the best way possible. Good on all today, bringing it back to where it should be. - Stones - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 12:00 pm: Just for context, I did not realize until reading the Trib editorial on this that the colleague she was referring to is bi-racial. Her comments were reprehensible and just plain stupid. - PoolGuy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 12:02 pm: that was impressive by all 3 of them. wish people out in D.C. could watch that video like 20 times over. - Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 12:31 pm: === not recalling one off the top of my head, “example?” === One recent example would be the Montgomery County chairman who sent an email saying some very ugly things diminishing Erika Harold. He apologized and was forced to resign within 24 hours. As my comments earlier in this thread make clear, Chapa La Via’s comments are ugly. And it is disappointing that it took her so long to either understand or have explained to her why they are so hurtful. But I do not think she should resign in the middle of her term. While I do not think she should resign, I also do not think she should run again or deserves to be reelected after this. This is not the sort of person you want publicly representing your caucus. She should be allowed to finish out her term with some dignity and then move on to other things, possibly working on behalf of children, minority groups or local initiatives in Aurora. - Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 12:35 pm: As to the apology, good on all parties involved for conducting themselves in the manner our legislature and our state deserves. - Walter Mitty - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 12:50 pm: It was what she thought she should not have apologized. The coordinated effort by Rep. Ford to minimize and cheerlead to keep on fighting did her zero favors… Durkin looked like the adult, but like a child that recieves no consequences, watch her in committee meetings rolling her eyes and having no consideration for anything than her opinion… As I said yesterday, it is no surprise to me she sent letters to a neighboring area, SHE is the only expert in her own mind. - Toure's Latte - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 12:51 pm: She apologized to her side of the aisle for her personality meltdown, the words she used, her tongue, so please accept that as her apology. That is not an apology, that is an excuse masquerading as an explanation. Where was the “Rep. Anthony, I apologize: that was uncalled for” apology straight to Anthony being put into the record from the floor? She did not even acknowledge he existed in the clip, and neither did Durkin. Nor Ford, for that matter. Water over the dam now. She can say she apologized from this point on. - Walter Mitty - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 12:55 pm: Toure…Uh… Well played. Way to boil down the obvious…. It’s her. - from aurora - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 12:57 pm: seriously this not a news store get over yourselves - feldco - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 1:00 pm: I dont think she should resign, for a slip of the tongue. - OneMan - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 1:01 pm: from aurora The news store closed in Aurora a long time ago…. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 1:04 pm: When Linda Chapa La Via finally apologized, honestly, for calling a colleague a “half”, up to that point, it was news. If you want to stir the pot, you will not be helping Linda Chapa La Via. - Jake From Elwood - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 1:54 pm: Folks, LCV will not resign, so resign yourselves to that fate. Let us all hope she will be smarter about her flippant comments in the future. A second such remark would effectively end her political career IMHO. - Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 1:57 pm: === seriously this not a news store get over yourselves === Good to see the 1950’s, in terms of regard for news sources and approach towards race relations, stopping by today. News comes in different formats since the Internet. And people of all races deserve mutual respect since, ummm, forever. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 2:07 pm: - FKA -, Thanks. That is a party position, a political position, and I am not quibbling, though it sounds like it, I was trying to recall an elected government official, or appointed paid government official who spoke in derogatory terms and resigned, and to the specifics of Illinois would even be better. Thanks, much respect. - DuPage - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 2:48 pm: @OW10:49 I was preaching tolerance. I have never known anyone who is perfect, and she is not, I am not, you are not. We all need to have some tolerance for others, and their imperfections. If she considers herself to be in the same group as the term she used (for bi-racial), while inappropriate, it might not have been meant to be deliberately offensive. Also, she claims she was referring to something entirely different. I would give her the benefit of the doubt this time. If it happens again, I would change my opinion. No, I did not mean to imply it was in jest, I was explaining that some people use a very offensive word to each other a lot,(Colleagues using the n-word). They have told me that they are allowed to use it, I am not allowed to use it, and I am not allowed to be offended if I hear them using it. I don’t agree with Linda’s opinion, but I would fight to preserve her right to have it. If she were to call me “gringo”, I wouldn’t like it, but I wouldn’t go into a meltdown over it. I have talked to and heard what politicians say in private and when microphones are not on, you might be surprised the bad language, disrespect and name-calling that goes on. Much worse. My apologies for offending you. - Keyser Soze - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 3:01 pm: Hispanic isn’t a race. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 3:05 pm: - DuPage -, Maybe you need to hear Leader Durkin accepting the apology to understand what happened to begin with, the first apology, and then the second, and needed, honest apology. I am not perfect, but when I am wrong, and it’s pointed out I am wrong, I like to apologize once, and go it meaningfully. While everyone says things behind closed doors, in private, whatever, the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives ain’t closed door discussion turf. === I have talked to and heard what politicians say in private and when microphones are not on, you might be surprised the bad language, disrespect and name-calling that goes on. Much worse.=== If I ever get the chance to ever get “that close” to politicians, I will give you my report on it. I won’t be as condescending, knowing you have been “that close” but I bet I will learn a thing or two. - A guy... - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 3:27 pm: The third (or maybe 4th time) was a charm. This was very clearly a sincere apology after sprinting down the wrong road first. Of course Jim Durkin was gracious. Because he is gracious. His old man raised him to be. Episode is really over now. Forgiven, yes. Forgotten, not in the age of the internet. Keep working Ms. Chapa La Via. Only one way to atone for sure. Cancel this one out with a lot of goodness going forward. - The End Is Near - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 3:46 pm: She could have gone the “wet mayor” route by insisting that she actually said, “We have a hat. We have a hat.” - Bars - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 4:51 pm: And her apology to the groups she lied about? - cicero - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 6:06 pm: Good for Durkin for moving away from the polarized past. Instead of trying to milk her mistake for all the political gain he could, Durkin accepts the apology. - Commonsense in Illinois - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 6:21 pm: She said it…she apologized twice for it….let’s move on to something more important. If Rep Chapa LaVia repeats the behavior, then the harsher rhetoric is appropriate. But for now, let it lie. - estubborn - Thursday, Apr 10, 14 @ 7:23 pm: Leader Durkin was very humble on this floor in accepting Rep. Chapa La’Via’s apology. His comments on heated rhetoric were right on the target. It’s good to see the Illinois GA isn’t as polarized and gridlocked like in DC. LCV is a bright and passionate lawmaker. I’m glad she came back to her chamber the next day and answered for her remarks. I can only assume she learned her lesson and won’t allow her legislative priorities and relationships with her colleagues to be derailed by divisive remarks. ===The acceptance of the apology put into context what I know I want to see; people, at their best, representing Illinois, and representing themselves in the best way possible.=== Well put OW. - VanillaMan - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 8:10 am: Stop Please stop now She exposed herself as a partisan extremist No apology will cover that up Ignore her forever and lets move on - Jeff Ward - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:10 am: First, I have to give an immense amount of credit to all the folks who bravely comment under aliases here. And second, this is what Mr. Miller really should’ve written: http://thefirstward.net/2014/04/11/it-aint-easy-being-white/ - Rich Miller - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:13 am: ===Miller really should’ve written=== You have your blog, I have mine. Let’s keep it that way. - Jeff Ward - Friday, Apr 11, 14 @ 11:18 am: Fair enough. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.