Can We All Get Along?

Insensitive or racist remarks by actor Marlon Brando and KFI radio host Bill Handel have sparked ill will in a diverse city that needs no more. Handel slurred Asian Americans, and Brando targeted Jews. Both later offered lame explanations.

Handel and Howard Neal, general manager of KFI-AM, are to meet today with representatives of Asian Pacific American community groups, including the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and Media Action Network for Asian Americans, to discuss Handel’s comments on his show late last month about figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan. In talking about whether the disgraced Tonya Harding should be given a chance to resume her career, Handel said: “I don’t want these Oriental people winning all the time. They’re not American! And Tonya’s an American. . . . When I look at a box of Wheaties . . . I don’t want to see eyes that are all slanted and Oriental and almond-shaped. I want to see American eyes looking at me!” Yamaguchi and Kwan are Americans, Yamaguchi of Japanese ancestry and Kwan of Chinese descent.

Handel claims he was being sarcastic and wasn’t making fun of people of Asian descent. If that was the case, why are he and his station refusing to apologize or express regrets for the hurt caused by the broadcast comments. On Tuesday Neal, who had said earlier that there would be no apology, said he would have no further comment until after today’s meeting.

Last Friday on television’s “Larry King Live,” Brando expressed anger at Jews. “Hollywood is run by Jews. It’s owned by Jews and they should have greater sensitivity about the issue of people who are suffering,” he said. But Brando later denied that his comments, which have been criticized by the Jewish Defense League, were meant to be anti-Semitic. He expressed remorse Monday to Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and is expected to make a public statement regarding the episode Friday on a visit to the Museum of Tolerance.

Apologies are in order. Remarks like these fray our social fabric.