Before heading to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Mark and Irene Harris decided to stop in Orlando to visit Epcot at Walt Disney World. While in the World Showcase area of the Disney park, the Harrises were absolutely outraged to find a person of Mexican descent working at the American pavilion and decided to take to their personal blog to vent their rage. Of course, this has lead to a major embarrassment for Republicans.
Mark was a delegate from Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district at the Convention, and had also served as a Pennsylvania Republican State Committee member. Both Harrises have been active in conservative grassroots and electoral efforts.
On their blog, Rock Star GOP, the pair shared their outrage over finding a Mexican working at the American pavilion at Epcot. The park's World Showcase section features 11 pavilions showcasing the cultures of different countries, and are staffed by citizens of those countries.
Here's what they wrote:
"It was neat seeing each country and the employees were from that individual country," Irene wrote. "Then we visited America ... one would think you would find American employees. We were offended to find a person from Mexico working in America. Mark spoke up and told them he was highly offended after visiting the other countries and seeing employees from that country and then come to America and find a Mexican. He was very civil but his point was well made."
Apparently, Irene was not aware that Mexicans are now the third-largest ethnic group in America, behind only Germans and the Irish.
Local Republican officials in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, were quick to distance themselves from the remarks.
"What would the Harrises say to someone working at Epcot if they had been a white male who descended from Italy but spoke perfect English?" Joe Kantz, chairman of the Snyder County Republican Committee, told The Daily Item. "Making assumptions about people by the way they look or the way they talk is irresponsible and has no place in America."
"This is getting taken out of context," Mark Harris himself told The Item. "What we said is that in Epcot we saw a man that had a name tag that said 'Eddie, from Mexico,' and we felt that in the America section of the park, there should have been Americans."
First of all, it's a theme park. Chill out. Second off, is finding a Mexican working in America nothing if not accurate anyway?
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