Remark revealed Mel's private face

Remark revealed Mel's private face
Re Mayor malaprop, Editorial, June 27.

It seems you have either misused the word malaprop or used the word in a lighter vein.

Malapropism means, as per the Oxford Dictionary, comical misuse of a word in mistake for one sounding similar.

Mel's remarks were not comical or the twist of a tongue. Even if he was joking, as you said in your editorial, "Joking doesn't make a racist comment any less racist or any less hurtful."

You are not "demanding his resignation" as you are convinced that Lastman's statement does not reflect "his true feelings." I disagree with you on this.

You had previously said, "Some days, it seems, he isn't thinking at all." Royson James said that Mel "says what he thinks." (Lastman `native' joke sparks fury, June 21). That is true indeed. As Grace Galabuzi is reported to have said, "The mayor's anti-black racist comments demonstrate his frame of mind."

In public life, it is important to talk the politically correct talk and leave the grumbling for private occasions away from the public life. It is this "private" face that has come out in the open with Mel's off-the-cuff remarks, which were likely meant off the record.

While apologizing, Mel said, " I have made mistakes in the past. I will make mistakes in the future ... I am not perfect." His gaffes and mistakes in the past have nothing to do with his remarks this time.

What was required was a sincere apology and not saying "I am sorry" in answer to all the questions as he went on and on when grilled by the reporters.

Unfortunately, most North Americans have a very limited knowledge of the rest of the world. For example, Kuwait and Iraq were unknown countries until the Gulf War. For North Americans, in general, Africa is a dark continent full of incompetent and primitive people. They ignore that it is the same continent that was exploited over the centuries by the European colonial powers. The tribal conflicts have not helped change the picture.

It is this view that was behind the "joke" that Lastman made.

Whether we get the Olympics or not, it is imperative that he put an end to this either by resigning or being sincere in his apology.

Suresh Jaura