Rodeo Announcer's joke not funny

[pam]

I'm so glad I wasn't there to hear this in person. I don't tolerate this kind of thing at all.

ksl.com - Lehi rodeo announcer joke isn't funny to Hispanic family

LEHI — A Utah County woman is reaching out to Lehi city leaders after a discriminatory experience at the Lehi Round-Up rodeo.

The woman, who didn't want to be identified, took her family to the rodeo last Thursday because her son loves horses. Things started innocently enough. The public announcer asked how many people in the crowd were from Idaho, who was from surrounding states, and people were raising their hands.

He went on to ask people who were born outside the United States to raise their hands. Then he asked if there were any illegals at the rodeo. At that moment, a train went by, and he said, “Let’s round them up and put them on the train.”

[applepansy]

I have mixed feelings. I agree that the venue was not the right place.

However.....

What is wrong with wanting people to be here in this country legally?

What is wrong with expecting the Hispanic community to obey the laws of this land they want to live in?

It has become politically incorrect to say anything or expect immigrants to do it the right way. I don't see any discrimination in his remarks. Illegals are breaking the laws of this land and that's why they are called illegals. Rounding them up and shipping them out...well, why isn't immigration officials doing just that?

My husband works with a few Hispanics. It is nice to know that those he works with are here legally and they even get angry and disgusted with the illegals. In the case of illegal immigration the many are making the few look bad.

Its not discrimination. Instead of being offended she should be teaching her children that many Hispanics are making is harder for the few here legally. She should be teaching them that its not ok to break laws and when some do then others suffer and not just the legal Hispanics.

[Bini]

I'm with Applepansy.

But really it's only offensive to those that are in that category (the illegals). I wouldn't be offended if someone said, "Let's round-up all those illegal Filipinos and ship them back to the islands," because I know I'm here legally and therefore not apart of that category.

[pam]

My disgust of the comment was more in relationship to the venue. I've been in a situation where a comment such as this was thrown out and then barbs and jabs were instantly made to anyone of that background. Even when they were there legally. It becomes a mob mentality.

[Backroads]

I'm with pam on this. Yes, I'm a big fan of legal immigration and I don't care how you view the law.

How the man said it was rude and uncalled for. It's not funny. It wasn't about the law, it was about violently grabbing people and making a spectacle of them. Applepansy, bini, would you mind on telling me how the joke was funny?

[Just_A_Guy]

It wasn't "nice", to be sure. But--for cripe's sake--half the people there had paid good money in the unspoken hopes of seeing a human get seriously gored by a bull--the desperate thrashing of which, I understand, is often explained by a clamp deliberately placed on the testicles.

I'm no PETA flunkie, but it strikes me that if you're looking for "niceness" (or extremely erudite humor) at a rodeo, you may well be disappointed.

[PrinceofLight2000]

Applepansy, bini, would you mind on telling me how the joke was funny?

Where did either of them say anything of the sort?

[Backroads]

Where did either of them say anything of the sort?

They implied it by jumping to the legal/illegal situation instead of discussing pam's original post.

If they felt it wasn't funny, I believe they would have mentioned it rather than suggesting it's okay to make fun of people.

[Backroads]

Instead of being offended she should be teaching her children that many Hispanics are making is harder for the few here legally. She should be teaching them that its not ok to break laws and when some do then others suffer and not just the legal Hispanics.

How about teaching her children that roping up people violently and throwing them on a train and making fun of human suffering is not okay? Is she allowed to do that?

Chances are, I bet there were some illegal aliens helping with that rodeo.

[Bini]

He went on to ask people who were born outside the United States to raise their hands. Then he asked if there were any illegals at the rodeo. At that moment, a train went by, and he said, “Let’s round them up and put them on the train.”

I wouldn't necessarily say that his joke was funny but it was definitely witty, especially, if you consider the timing of when he said it (ie. the train passing). But I wanted to bold and make note that he didn't segregate any particular group of people. He asked if there were "any" illegals at the rodeo. I may come across as insensitive on this subject but I'm just not an illegal sympathiser.

[Just_A_Guy]

They implied it by jumping to the legal/illegal situation instead of discussing pam's original post.

If they felt it wasn't funny, I believe they would have mentioned it rather than suggesting it's okay to make fun of people.

Yowza, Backroads, I don't think there's enough bandwidth on the internet for a full-fledged discussion and round condemnation of every unfunny joke ever told over a microphone!

How about teaching her children that roping up people violently and throwing them on a train and making fun of human suffering is not okay? Is she allowed to do that?

I didn't know we were talking about a train of 1940s-era cattle cars. Although, in retrospect, perhaps it makes a difference if the passing train was a passenger versus a freight train. I had just assumed the former--but really, you don't see passenger trains very often in Lehi.

Edited July 3, 2011 by Just_A_Guy

[applepansy]

Applepansy, bini, would you mind on telling me how the joke was funny?

I didn't say it was funny. I said it wasn't discriminatory.

[Backroads]

I wouldn't necessarily say that his joke was funny but it was definitely witty, especially, if you consider the timing of when he said it (ie. the train passing). But I wanted to bold and make note that he didn't segregate any particular group of people. He asked if there were "any" illegals at the rodeo. I may come across as insensitive on this subject but I'm just not an illegal sympathiser.

I don't think I ever thought you were segregating any race. My point is that the phrasing, while conveniently witty, did speak to me of inhuman treatment.

[applepansy]

How about teaching her children that roping up people violently and throwing them on a train and making fun of human suffering is not okay? Is she allowed to do that?

Chances are, I bet there were some illegal aliens helping with that rodeo.

Wow! I really pushed your buttons.

[Backroads]

I didn't say it was funny. I said it wasn't discriminatory.

And where did discrimination come in?

[applepansy]

And where did discrimination come in?

Did you read the article?

[pam]

Did you read the article?

The woman said she was shocked. "I felt people's stares, or their look, upon my family."

She said that really bothered her because she doesn’t want them to feel inferior just because they are Hispanic. She said she's lived there for years; her family members are citizens.

This is what I was referring to as mob mentality. Having grown up in an area with a huge diversity of cultural backgrounds..I've seen this on too many occasions. It had gone to more than just stares and looks.

There are just some places that subjects needs to be kept out of the equation. This subject is a hot button subject and it gets people going very easily.

[applepansy]

A Utah County woman is reaching out to Lehi city leaders after a discriminatory experience at the Lehi Round-Up rodeo.

This is what I'm referring to.

[applepansy]

This is what I was referring to as mob mentality. Having grown up in an area with a huge diversity of cultural backgrounds..I've seen this on too many occasions. It had gone to more than just stares and looks.

There are just some places that subjects needs to be kept out of the equation. This subject is a hot button subject and it gets people going very easily.

Pam, I agree. I said that in my first post. The venue for his remark was wrong.

[pam]

I just didn't mean for this to go off on a whole illegal alien thing. It was about the rodeo and what happened there.

I questioned myself on whether I should even post it. This subject is too close to my heart and too sensitive for me. I really should stay out of these conversations. lol

[applepansy]

I just didn't mean for this to go off on a whole illegal alien thing. It was about the rodeo and what happened there.

I questioned myself on whether I should even post it. This subject is too close to my heart and too sensitive for me. I really should stay out of these conversations. lol

Pam, for you I'm sorry I took it there. But really that's what the article is about. The bad joke was just the starting point.

[pam]

It's okay apple..this is a forum. We all have the right to post our thoughts and feelings. You did exactly that. There will always be disagreements on hot button topics. Until it degenerates to mud slinging and personal attacks which this has not.

We're cool. :)

Edited July 3, 2011 by pam

[PrinceofLight2000]

They implied it by jumping to the legal/illegal situation instead of discussing pam's original post.

Silence does not imply anything.

[Just_A_Guy]

Silence does not imply anything.

Clearly, you never did high school debate. Silence = consent.

Or something.

[Suzie]

But really it's only offensive to those that are in that category (the illegals). I wouldn't be offended if someone said, "Let's round-up all those illegal Filipinos and ship them back to the islands," because I know I'm here legally and therefore not apart of that category.

Bini, you don't carry a sign in your forehead that states you're legal right? The reason I say this is because if indeed the announcer states that, guess who is the audience going to stare and gossip about? You! Maybe you don't care and it's fine...but not everyone feels the same way and it's quite sad that some people who ARE legal have to put up with the poor treatment, stereotypes and bad jokes.