Big Deal over Monkey Cartoon

[AstusAleator]

I just learned about this whole kerfuffle today
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/1 ... 67841.html
Apparently there's a huge to-do over this cartoon depicting police shooting a chimp (which actually happened) and then one of the officers saying "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

Maybe I'm wearing rose-colored glasses - but it doesn't strike me as a racist cartoon at all. Perhaps poorly constructed/thought out - but not racist. I recall G.W. Bush being referred to as a chimp a LOT, and last time I checked he's white.

Some people, seeking out the moral high-ground of the oppressed, seem overly quick to cry injustice.

[alextemplet]

The oddest fact about that article is that it is careful to avoid mentioning who actually wrote the stimulus bill. I would like to know who did, and what that person's color is. That could be an important issue that seems to be getting ignored.

[AstusAleator]

You're right, that's a good point that seems to be ignored by many.

[alextemplet]

This is interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act_of_2009

The leading sponsors of the bill in both the House and Senate are white. Perhaps its racist to compare caucasian people to chimpanzees?

[AstusAleator]

I can't decide whether to be pleased or disappointed that someone hasn't jumped into this thread swinging the racism flag yet. I'm pleased because I think I'm right, and the fact that no one is disagreeing with me gives me hope that there are more people that can think sensibly out there than the media would have me think. I'm disappointed because I relish a good debate .

[MichaelXY]

I'm disappointed because I relish a good debate

Ok, I argue that you need a new hat

Actually I agreed with you, and had nothing else to debate...

[alextemplet]

As much as I love a good debate (my escapades in the evolution forum should make that obvious! ), I'm not sure I'd want to debate this one. When it comes to racism, too many people are too closed-minded, opinionated, and downright rude about it. The people complaining about this cartoon should make a perfect example.

[mcar]

Maybe it was just poorly understood. I don't know that even Caucasians are compared to chimps and as far as I know, Asians are more likely attacked by such comparison. Let's just forget about it. Wala 'yun!

[Linn]

I can't decide whether to be pleased or disappointed that someone hasn't jumped into this thread swinging the racism flag yet. I'm pleased because I think I'm right, and the fact that no one is disagreeing with me gives me hope that there are more people that can think sensibly out there than the media would have me think. I'm disappointed because I relish a good debate .

Perhaps it's hard to understand that point of view when one is not of african ancestry. Hurt from the past is hard to heal.

I just recently had a problem when my 8 year old grandaughter called her cousin (who is mixed race) a monkey because he was being silly, (which she would have called him no matter what race he was), and it cause a bit of a problem and hurt feelings with relatives about what she meant. We call each other monkeys all the time. The whole thing was blown out of proportion. I assured all that in no way would the thought ever even come in to her mind of calling him that because of color. I then had to have a talk with her and explain that in the past mean people used to call dark skinned people bad names etc...and we need to be carefull of that. It's too bad we need to always choose our words carefully.

BTW I just watched the movie: Lake View Terrace
On the line of this kind of thinking. Directed by Will Smith
~good movie

[Twila]

Ok I'll admit I'm as white and pale as it gets but some of my black friends were VERY upset about this and I can see why. Often times people who are racist relate black people to statements like "go back to africa" and what is in africa and mostly only africa? monkeys, chimps, apes... ect ect... So really this could reflect on black people if you think on it. and it was Obama who was pushing for the bill if I remember correctly.


just thought I'd throw that out there

[alextemplet]

So really this could reflect on black people if you think on it. and it was Obama who was pushing for the bill if I remember correctly.

Except the cartoon doesn't say who was pushing for the bill, it says who wrote the bill, and that man was white. I can almost understand where you're coming from, but this is a serious double-standard. If someone made a similar joke comparing caucasians to chimps, would there be anywhere near this sort of outrage? I highly doubt it. And that is why the real racists are the people who started this uproar to begin with.

As for Obama, he's half-white, so I could just as easily claim that any slant against him is also offensive to me, because I am also white, and Obama has just as much claim to be called white as he does to be anything else.