The rumble is brewing in the wake of Rush Limbaugh's dumbass on-air mocking of the Chinese language. California state Senator Leland Yee is leading the charge in demand an apology from the controversial radio talk show host for his derogatory remarks: Asian-American lawmakers demand Limbaugh apology.
Yee is rallying a number of civil rights groups, including Chinese for Affirmative Action, Japanese American Citizens League and the California National Organization for Women, in a boycott of companies like Pro Flowers, Sleep Train and Domino's Pizza that advertise on Limbaugh's national talk show:
Yee has been joined by Asian-American state and federal lawmakers who say Limbaugh's comments are inciting hate and intolerance amid a polarized atmosphere. A number of civil rights groups, including Chinese for Affirmative Action, Japanese American Citizens League and the California National Organization for Women, have joined Yee in calling on sponsors to pull advertisements from Limbaugh's program.You've heard that Yee has received death threats for calling out Limbaugh. Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, New York State Assemblywoman Grace Meng has also received threatening phone calls and emails from members of Limbaugh's Ching Ching supporters: Assemblywoman Grace Meng: I Was Threatened After Calling For Rush Limbaugh Apology: Updated.
An online petition has been created on Yee's website.
"I want an apology at the very least," said New York Assemblywoman Grace Meng, a Queens Democrat. "Making fun of any country's leader is just very disrespectful for someone who says he is a proud American."
She added: "He was, in his own way, trying to attack the leader of another country, and that's his prerogative as well, but at the same time he offended 13 percent of New York City's population."
"Rush does not owe you or anyone else an apology. How about instead of thrying to grab headlines with crap you get out and actually do your job which is helping AMERICANS. Yeah did you forget we still live in this country and you work for us. Anyone who is Asian and has such thin skin when THEY are in OUR country should leave. So here is a suggestion for you. Either get a little thicker skin or take your a-- back to where it is you came from. Back to your ancestry that you think we are picking on.Ching chong,chang!"Of course, Limbaugh is absolutely unapologetic and perfectly pleased with his ridiculous approximation of the Chinese language, calling his imitation of Chinese president Hu Jintao "a remarkable job":
The next day, Limbaugh said he "did a remarkable job" of imitating China's president for someone who doesn't know a language spoken by more than 1 billion people.Want to join in on the boycott? For a list of Rush Limbaugh's advertisers, go to Senator Yee's website, where you can sign the online petition condemning Limbaugh's remarks: Help Stop the Hate from Rush Limbaugh. There's also an online petition (translated in Chinese) on Leland Yee's mayoral campaign website: Demand an Apology! Join the Rush Boycott!
"Back in the old days, Sid Caesar, for those of you old enough to remember, was called a comic genius for impersonating foreign languages that he couldn't speak," Limbaugh said. "But today the left says that was racism; it was bigotry; it was insulting. And it wasn't. It was a service."