The "G" Word?

In the July 4^th, 2008 issue of the “Belmar Summer Rental News,” published by the Borough of Belmar, NJ, several derogatory comments were included amidst the usual corny and cheeky jabs that the newsletter is known for. At least two articles used the slurs ‘guido’ and ‘guidette,’ and included offensive descriptions of summer renters.

The newsletter includes among its articles a list of houses that have received noise complaints or other “quality of life summonses” that week, and is decidedly a humor rag meant to entertain the year-round residents and those summer visitors with a sense of humor. However, the particular issue in question may have gone too far.

In distributing this newsletter, is Mayor Ken Pringle accidentally making a stupid mistake which will force down revenue due to a boycott? Probably not.

Belmar has become more well-known for its party-style atmosphere than some of its neighbors on the shoreline, such as the family-oriented Spring Lake. By attempting to offend, and thus drive out, the summer renters from Staten Island, the town of Belmar potentially has a lot to gain.

Wealthier vacationers, turned off by the partying in Belmar, may now consider the Borough when making their beach plans for the summer. Mayor Pringle may be thinking that wealthier vacationers will spend more money and be less abrasive. The mayor and other year-round residents may think this is a good thing, justifiable by any means.

However, the insults thrown by Pringle are reprehensible on two levels. First, there is the human level. Should a middle-aged white male, graduate of Georgetown Law School, be deriding a minority group (typically a ‘guido/ette’ is a lower- or middle-class person of Italian descent) from a position of power? Of course not. For a more in-depth look at the use of derogatory terms, see Watson’s post below.

Then, there is the political level. According to an NYTimes.com reader, Pringle is an investor in property along the Shark River Inlet in Belmar, and would reap substantial monetary gains should Belmar property values be driven up to meet demand from wealthier buyers. He title places him in a position to artificially raise property values by creating town laws and ordinances that serve his own purposes.

In short, the misguided use of derogatory words in a printed medium by a government official is bad. However, the intentional use of those same terms by a government official for potential personal gain is simply appalling. And I find it hard to believe that a man living on the Jersey Shore for at least 20 years does not know the derogatory meaning of the word ‘guido.’