The Story On Rep. Douglas Bruce
Colorado state Representative Douglas Bruce has done it again.
You may remember that the last time we checked in with Rep. Bruce in January, he was kicking a Rocky Mountain News photographer during morning prayers at the state capital. [CBS 4]
(He refused to apologize for kicking the guy and became the first lawmaker to be censured by the House in its 131-year history.)
This week he was kicked off of the podium after referring to Mexican farmworkers as �illiterate peasants.� [USA Today] [The Gazette]
See, Colorado is facing a serious shortage of people to work the state�s farms. Lawmakers want to try a new, innovative program to grant foreign workers temporary visas to come to work on Colorado farms. Once the growing season is over, the workers would return to their home countries.
But Bruce has a thing against immigrants. Afterwards, not only did Bruce refuse to apologize for the slur, he tried to explain it.
Bruce: �I looked up �illiterate� in the dictionary and it means somebody who is lacking in formal education or is unable to read and write. I don�t think these people who are planning to come over here and pick potatoes or peaches are likely to have much of a formal education. I looked up the word �peasant.� The word �peasant� means a person who works in agricultural fields.�
Bill sponsor Marsha Looper: �I truly believe he is a bigot, and his remark today very candidly explained his position again.�
The Audio
Rep. Marsha Looper: �This is to allow legal foreign, non-immigrant seasonal workers to come to Colorado then go back home. I would ask you to read the bill, Representative.� [Audio, :14]
Rep. Douglas Bruce: �Thank you, I have read the bill. Twice. The more I read it, the more I dislike it. I would like to have the opportunity to state at the microphone why I don�t think we need 5,000 more illiterate peasants in Colorado.�
Rep. Kathleen Curry: �Rep. Rep. Bruce, you are no longer recognized in the Well.� [Audio, :20]
Rep. Kathleen Curry: �How dare you.� [Audio, :04]
We like the statement from Republican floor leader Mike May: �You�d be hard-pressed to find an American citizen who isn�t the descendant of an illiterate peasant.�
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