Boko Haram, Boca Raton, Same Thing, Really

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Arizona
had a little trouble recently
with the difference between Boko Haram
the terrorists and Boca Raton,
the Florida city.  

Congressman Paul Gosar, R-Arizona is concerned about terrorism, as are many leaders around the world today.

During an appearance on CNN, he said if the United States paid ransom to terrorists to free kidnapped Americans, then "every American citizen traveling abroad becomes a subject in regard for kidnapping and then the plight of how much money has been captivated by the Boca Raton group.

Huh? Are the fine citizens of Boca Raton, Florida terrorists?

He meant Boko Haram, a bunch of horrible Islamic terrorists in Africa.

Boca Raton, Boko Haram, what's the difference, right?

Boca Raton Mary Susan Haynie said she does't think the terrorist group is in her fine city, reports Anne Geggis in the Sun-Sentinel down in Florida.

"While I'm pleased that the congressman from Arizona would hav the name of Boca Raton on his lips, i am disappointed that he would confuse our vibrant, beautiful city with a movement promoting Islamis insurgency in Nigeria," she said.

(Note: Geggis is a former reporting colleague of mine in Vermont, now working at the Sun-Sentinel. She gets all the fun stories, doesn't she?)

Actually,  I'm not going to bash Gosar. Everybody stumbles over their words and makes goofy errors.

It's embarrassing to appear on CNN and seem like you're confusing a nice, quiet midsize Florida city with wild eyed, deluded, scary and murderous terrorists.

These things happen, though.

A tongue in cheek press release issued by Paul
Gosar's spokespeople after the gaffe. Click on it
to make it bigger and easier to read.  

Why I like about this is the response from his press office.

Gosar's spokesman issued a press release with a great tongue in cheek response to the gaffe.

"Today, U.S. Representative Paul A. Gosar is pleased to announce that the Boko Haram terrorist group has been routed from Boca Raton, Florida and the residents are free to celebrate.

I am pleased this was a short dispute and the good people of Boca Raton can go back to tehir lives of leisure, fun and sun.....

.....Mayor Susan Haynie must have rounded up a solid group of citizen defenders who courageously protected their homeland. I look forward to visiting Boca Raton in the near future and I promise never to confuse it with the group Boko Haram ever again."

OK, we'll take that. Though next time, I'm afraid Gosar or somebody else might end up confusing Boca Raton, or Boko Haram and end up referring to Procol Harum.

I've got an idea: I bet we could rout the terrorist group Boko Harum by getting the fine citizens of Boca Raton to sing and record the Procol Harum classic "Whiter Shade of Pale" to drive those awful terrorists out of Nigeria, and maybe inspire them to just quit.

Here's "Whiter Shade of Pale" so you can start practicing: