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David Brooks says there's no 'shame' in being called 'mutt
(Getty)

David Brooks says there's no 'shame' in being called 'mutt

New York Times columnist David Brooks is pushing back against those who took exception with his recent op-ed in which he said the U.S. would soon be "a nation of mutts."

Responding to a letter from an offended reader, Brooks wrote [via New York Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan's blog]:

[H]istory is filled with examples of groups who have taken derogatory terms and embraced them as sources of pride. To take the word “mutt” as a derogatory term, you have to believe that purebred things are superior to mixed-breed things, whether it is dogs or people. But if you don’t believe that, there is nothing to be ashamed of in the word mutt.

Brooks' original op-ed was a commentary on the changing demographics of the U.S., using the Senate's recently-passed immigration bill as a news hook.

He further defended himself, saying, "I was trying to embrace and celebrate a more ethnically intermingled America. I conclude with this sentence: 'On the whole, this future is exciting.' To read this column as racist requires either a misreading or a strong desire to be offended, no matter what is on the page."

@eScarry

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