A couple of days ago, a large haboob — the meteorological term of Arabic origin for a sand/dust storm — raced across the panhandle of Texas and provided numerous opportunities for residents to take beautiful pictures of the wall of sand against the blue sky.

On its face, nothing seems controversial about a simple dust storm, but this is 'Merica, dammit! Of course it's controversial among a certain subset of Texans when you use the correct term for something.

KCBD-TV out of Lubbock posted a picture of the haboob to their Facebook page, the Protecting the Ugly Texas Stereotype League™ swarmed.

Judy Sumpter since when do we need to apply Muslim vocabulary to a good ole AMERICAN dirt storm?? Did we move the country or what. I take great offence to such terminology! GO B ACK TO CALLNG THEM DIRT STORMS !!

Judy Sumpter Excuse me for using the wrong term, I should have said ARABIC, not Muslim. I do know the difference. Arabic means Arabs, and they are wanting to wipe America off the map. Therefore, I am still offended by the use of the term "haboob" Service men and women have paid the ultimate price fighting these people, and, in my opinion, it is a dishonor to them . I don't care what the word originated from, it's not what dust storms have been called for generations. I can almost hear the people who lived through the Dust Bowl laughing at those of us today trying to be politically correct. Dirt is dirt, no matter where one lives. But, since we live in America, shouldn't we use an American word to describe it. Not a word from a region intent on destroying us, our freedoms, our way of living. So, be I racist or whatever you wish to label, I am still offended!

Randi Rivers Carnley TEXAS DOES NOT HAVE HABOOBS!!! Texas has SANDSTORMS or DUST STORMS. Haboobs come with rain, usually, and everyone knows it NEVER rains in TEXAS.

Hewitt Ray Yes , Thank You Debbie & Jennifer — if the shoe fits ! ok people it is a DUST STORM . we do not live in Iraq or wear rags on our heads & in the U.S.A what we had is a Dust Storm NOT a Haboob... it is Even in our History books . you bleeding hearts wanna change that Too ? there has NEVER been a Haboob in Texas. Much less in America !

The liberal political website "Americans Against the Tea Party" originally caught onto this stunning display of stupid (h/t to them for this post), and it gets even better. The author of the post claims that Mr. Stapleton, the author of that last comment, emailed them saying that posting a screenshot of his comment "somehow constitutes libel." Many of the more vile comments have disappeared, but some were preserved via screenshots by the author.

A quick check of other local news Facebook pages in Lubbock and Amarillo revealed that the "haboob" controversy was limited to KCBD.

And that's the weather, y'all.

[Image via NWS Lubbock]