Arizona state senator Linda Gray Insults Student via Email

Arizona state senator Linda Gray really put her foot in it when she emailed a high-school freshman about her poor writing skills, and said the girl would have trouble passing the AIMS language test and is a poor learner.

According to a story on AZCentral.com, Gray received an error-filled email from an unnamed girl at Sunnyslope High School in the Phoenix area.

The student wanted to know why lawmakers cut the state's education budget, but not any of their own. The story said it was "an unbroken string of sentences with no punctuation.

So Gray, helping to underscore why they should have raised the education budget rather than cut it, wrote to the student: "I have grave concerns on your ability to pass the AIMS language test," she wrote.

"Why didn't you take to (sic) time to write an e-mail with the proper punctuation? By your poorly written e-mail, your example tells me that all the money we have spent on your education shows a lack of learning on your part."

SNAP! That'll show all you young punks why you need to pay attention to class, and why you don't deserve the money we're spending on your education.

Right? Uhh, right?

I'll take "I Really Put My Foot In It" for $200, Alex.

Gray's errant "to" notwithstanding, her snotty email response ended up not only making the rounds at Sunnyslope High School, but it was picked up by a local TV station and the Daily Kos blog.

I'll take "I Really Put My Foot In It" to finish it out, Alex.

Turns out the girl whose intelligence Gray insulted has special needs, which was brought to Gray's attention by the girl's PE teacher.

Way to stay classy, Arizona state senator Linda Gray (R-Phoenix). Always nice to see someone like Senator Gray exemplifying the honor and concern for one's constituents that we have come to expect from most politicians.

Gray did email an apology back to the student, and invited her to shadow her at the Arizona state legislature. The student then asked Gray to accompany her for a day at Sunnyslope, which Gray has agreed to do.

Personally, I think the student has shown more class and honor than the politician who claims to represent her. I hope Senator Gray will learn a few things from her new young friend.

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