Fri 27-Jul-2001 Oshkosh Northwestern Editorial
Owens statement doesn't say much
We called on State Rep. Carol Owens, R-town of Nekimi, on Wednesday to break her silence and apologize for inappropriate comments she made to a Madison radio station. She had refused all requests for interviews and comments since the controversy erupted last week.
Owens faxed a statement to The Northwesten Thursday:
"I welcome warmly any Republican who may want to serve in the legislature. My views and my votes stand on color of principle for all the people of this State, rather than against people of any color."
In a taped interview on WTDY-AM last week, Owens said most women representing the Milwaukee area are Democrats elected to protect social programs on which their constituents depend. She was discussing the Republican Party's desire to attract more women to run for office.
"There's a large colored population in Milwaukee, so we have pretty good colored representation," she said in a transcript of the interview. "And I don't want to take this down that road, but they seem to have the most serious problems. There's many, many families with no head of household."
Thirteen Democratic lawmakers called on Owens and the state Republican Party to retract the comments.
Although we don't think her comments were intentionally racist they were, however, clumsy, insensitive and inappropriate.
Anything short of an apology is unacceptable. And, unfortunately, this statement is full of empty political rhetoric.
Her statement does not say much substantive about the controversy and will not, justifiably, quiet her critics.
Owens' constituents, and the state, deserve a statement of contrition, certainly much more than her coy play on words.
A simple "I'm sorry" is painfully necessary.
An apology becomes all the more necessary because her sentiments do not reflect those of the greater Oshkosh community.