Terrell's Betty Brown Goes Coast to Coast

If nothing else, State Rep. Betty Brown has kept the Internets busy. Hours after the Terrell Republican suggested that it might "behoove" Asians "to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here," the Asian American Democrats of Texas popped up a petition demanding a public apology, as...

By Robert Wilonsky

April 10, 2009

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If nothing else, State Rep. Betty Brown has kept the Internets busy. Hours after the Terrell Republican suggested that it might "behoove" Asians "to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here," the Asian American Democrats of Texas popped up a petition demanding a public apology, as "State Representative Betty Brown's racially insensitive remarks have no place in America." New York City councilman John C. Liu's also demanding an apology, while California State Senator Leland Yee referred to Brown's remarks as "Neanderthal borderline racist comments."

There's also a Down with Betty Brown Facebook page -- and, courtesy the Angry Asian Man blog, we find the rudimentary Betty Brown Name Generator, where, apparently, a certain Lithuanian-Hebrew-American moniker translates as "Forrest 'Lynard Skynard' Brown." Meanwhile, last night Brown tried to clarify her remarks: "I never meant they should change their names."

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