Can’t Quite Get That Monkey Off Our Backs
Race Merchants Perpetuate Racism
Black Leaders Need To Start Accepting Apoligies
This last week the New York Post ran a cartoon that really caused an uproar. Personally, when I saw it, I thought perhaps there was a point; perhaps there should have been a little more sensitivity. After all, we did just elect and inaugurate our first black President. Well, half black anyway.
I decided to just ignore the whole issue, mostly, because I felt it was just another one of those quick back and forth’s where mostly idiots would quickly wring their hands over it, call each other names, and prove nothing, let alone solve anything.
I was wrong to assume that those who in fact focus their energies on perpetuating racial division would see this for what it was- an unfortunately choice symbolically, but, one that could be justified by the actual facts surrounding the news as it happened those days before the cartoon ran.
For any of you that may not have seen it, here is the cartoon:
As most of you are aware, there is a great deal of justification for this cartoon.
- A woman had just been mauled by a chimpanzee, and the chimp had been shot dead by the police.
- We had just passed what many would consider one of the most rushed, partisan, damaging bills in our history through congress. Many considered the bill to be a poorly written partisan power grab- myself included.
It’s pretty clear to me that this cartoon pointed to the tabloid-esque story of this chimp gone mad, and out of the blue nearly killing a woman, while at the same time it was attempting to tie the recently passed stimulus bill to idiots- as in, “A monkey could write a similar or better bill.”
That is enough justification right there for the existence of the cartoon. Was it wise to run it as such, and did the editors chuckle, bemusing at the fact that there was some underhanded swipe at Obama? I think not, as Obama clearly did not WRITE the bill, the Pelosi camp did, as well as Reid, Collins, Snowe, and Specter (with Senator Ben Nelson).
So why am I writing this story now, days after the fact?
Just yesterday Todd Jealous, the head of the NAACP, called for a boycott of the New York Post. OK so far with me- feel free. He then went on to say editor in chief Col Allan and cartoonist Sean Delonas be fired. OK, now we’re stretching… After all, they DID apologize for the potential offense.
Julian Bond, Chairman of the NAACP, stated this was “thoughtlessness taken to the extreme. … Anyone who is not offended by it does not have any sensitivity.” Thoughtlessness? Wait a minute. If this was thoughtlessness, how does it rise to the level of being racist? Isn’t racism an overt act, undertaken with cognizance? I would also add, Mr. Bond, that anyone who is as offended by it as some of you that are black are offended, that you are viewing the world through a residual prism of fear and hate. And I think you do so for your own self preservation of position.
Assassination?
Jealous went on to say something far more ridiculous: that the cartoon was an “invitation to assassination”.
Excuse me? What?
This kind of radical racial hypersensitivity to such a faux pas illustrates one thing- some people are so affected by the potentiality of racism that they manufacture it where it does not even exist.
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Julian Bond, Kweisi Mfume- all have used their influence to affect the racial discussions in this country in both a positive AND negative manner. From my perspective, I find them radical and overreaching enough in their approach as to come to the conclusion that they are as detrimental to race relations as they are benficial- sometimes more detrimental.
Observing this kind of fist slamming, “I demand JUSTICE NOW!” where there hardly is even some kind of crime, even a crime against one’s sensibilities, is just more racially motivated race peddling. Jealous’s comments represent the hard shove that whites feel everytime something like this happens. Don Imus, Rush Limbaugh, and others have felt this backlash, and to a small degree, they deserved it. But it is hard for me to have any sympathy whatsoever when I have witnessed in my life, through various cities, black men happy calling each other “nigguh!” and their women “Ho’s” and “bitches”.
We have a man in the White House that represents that this Country has gone through a lot of positive change, when it comes to racism. A tongue in cheek inference in a cartoon that a monkey could write a better stimulus bill than the idiots in Washington who actually DID write it is hardly a lynching, a seat in the back of a bus, the inability to vote, forced servitude, or separate water fountains. Especially taking into account Obama did not write the bill, and a monkey did, in fact, just make the news and wound up being shot dead.
I only hope the race merchants find themselves irrelevant, soon. There are no higher offices to achieve, and Obama’s ascension to said office should have the calming effect of shrinking the soapboxes of those merchants…
That is MY dream.
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Although Jaime Foxx’s comments directed to and about Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) may not be considered racially motivated they were certainly rude, offensive and laid on a 16-year-old white girl by an adult black man under the excuse of being “comedic.” It was not unlike the Imus mistake but without the circus Al Sharpton created.
Today comedy is an excuse for being cruel and profane. Most comedy routines don’t go without a basket of four-letter-words and attacks on real people in the news. The under 30’s crowd band together in some post-high school right of insult and rage where they feel comfortable in numbers in a dark room with a drink in their hands. After all, if the guy next to you is laughing it must be all right. Most of these so-called grown-ups are still suffering from pimples and peer pressure.
In this time of ultra-race sensitivity with lopsided rules as to what color can say what words and every race finds something to be offended at it’s no wonder that the monkey cartoon was added to the list, malicious intent or not.
Today I’m offended that Al Sharpton didn’t drag his large butt over to Foxx’s house to stoke the fire of race, to create a media circus, and to offer to act as a negotiator to get his face on the TV.
C’mon Reverend Al — what Foxx said was bad, bad, bad and deserved your wise elucidation. How are we ever going to know what words whites can use and what words are reserved for blacks and browns. Has it really gotten to that point?
I didn’t and wouldn’t vote for B.O. but first impressions are potent and I must say that as this is the first time I have seen this cartoon and with myself being a Swedish, Irish, Scotch and English American, Pentacostal Christian born in Elmira N.Y. and raised in Miami Fl. that my first impression based on the caption is offense to the suggestion of killing a president not a runaway chimp.
We can try to read all kinds of subtlety into it to lessen the obvious but the caption defines the meaning outright and if I were Secret Service I would be finding out who’s responsible.
Just my opinion, could be wrong, wouldn’t be the first time.
I thought this blog article was a very useful expression of our first-amendment rights, in all respects.
And to Inkognegro: As far as spelling, I have learned that when suggesting spelling and grammatical errors for people it is usually respectful to offer what was appreciated of their work and then offer your criticism; it is called commenting and critiquing (C&C). And it can go a LONG way towards a having a clear and respected voice in a persuasive argument or any kind of conversation, really. However, it IS important to ensure that our spelling is to the best of our ability in order to offer our readers the BEST and most reliable information possible, and so I understand the one simple point you make about spelling, for it is vital. On that note, I would like to add that your first sentence in your critique of COasis (when made most grammatically correct) should most aptly have been, “My suggestion to you is to work on your use of homophones and the spelling of people’s names.” I realize that you were probably utilizing capitalization for emphasis; however, I thought to add “the” and the appropriate use of the plural function in the word “name,” as well. And this should help with the grammatical flow of that sentence some.
And then my own personal opinion: If there was such offense taken that said persons were fired due to the expressions from this cartoon, what WERE the underlying issues that were taken offense to? I thought we are all taking a higher road here and moving above racism (at least the majority), so why the need to fire someone over a joke? In the end, I really felt like it boiled down to fear. They seem to alleviate their fears by eliminating WHO they think provoked that fear that is really in them. That fear that is manifested right now (however, was manifested from long ago) due to this upsurge from all of the publicity over this little cartoon. That fear is REALLY everything they can’t face within themselves. In order to maintain composure, order, the calm of the people, and continue to suppress their own fears, they maneuver within that webbed road of simplistic deceit and fire away (no pun intended).
But…what do I know?????????
Simple and unassuming, yet direct and to the point…or not.
~Audrey
New York Governor David Paterson disagrees with you. He said the apology was “very honorable” and “an act of sensitivity.”
Paterson is black. Good enough for the Gov., good enough for me.
That’s the difference between a leader, and a race merchant.
Here is the Post’s apology. They are very clear what their meaning was. If it is not good enough for you, I suggest you are one of the race perpetuators.
(Thanks for the tip on Mfume. Makes such a difference in the story.)
***************************************************************************************
Wednesday’s Page Six cartoon – caricaturing Monday’s police shooting of a chimpanzee in Connecticut – has created considerable controversy.
It shows two police officers standing over the chimp’s body: “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill,” one officer says.
It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill.
Period.
But it has been taken as something else – as a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism.
This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize.
However, there are some in the media and in public life who have had differences with The Post in the past – and they see the incident as an opportunity for payback.
To them, no apology is due.
Sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon – even as the opportunists seek to make it something else.
My suggestion to you is to work on your use of Homophones and spelling of people’s name.
Todd Jealous= Benjamin Todd Jealous
Kweisi Mfume
You should also be mindful of the fact that while Allan and Delonas apologized to those who were offended, they made a point of NOT apologizing to those who actually protested in front of the NY Post Building.
Non-apologetic apologies aren’t apologies.