now usually i just write bout shit im thinkin bout and aint relly important aka sports and rap but check this out and sign it man...
Dear Friend,
Yesterday, the day after President Obama signed his stimulus bill into
law, the NY Post ran a cartoon depicting the bill's "author" as a dead
monkey, covered in blood after being shot by police. You can see the
image by clicking on the link below.
In the face of intense criticism, the Post's editor is standing by the
cartoon, claiming that it's not about Obama, has no racial undertones,
and that it was simply referencing a recent incident when police
shot a pet chimpanzee. But it's impossible to believe that any
newspaper editor could be ignorant enough to not understand how this
cartoon evokes a history of racist symbolism, or how frightening this
image feels at a time when death threats against President Obama have
been on the rise.
Please join me and other ColorOfChange.org members in demanding that
the Post apologize publicly and fire the editor who allowed this
cartoon to go to print:
http://www.colorofchange.org/nypost/?id=2261-868764
The Post would have us believe that the cartoon is not about Obama.
But on the page just before the cartoon appears, there's a big picture
of Obama signing the stimulus bill. A reader paging through the Post
would see Obama putting pen to paper, then turn the page to see this
violent cartoon. The imagery is chilling.
There is a clear history in our country of racist symbolism that
depicts Black people as apes or monkeys, and it came up multiple times
during the presidential campaign.
We're also in a time of increased race-based violence. In the months
following President Obama's election there has been a nationwide surge
in hate crimes ranging from vandalism to assaults to arson on Black
churches. There has been an unprecedented number of threats against
President Obama since he was elected, with hate-based groups
fantasizing about the killing of the president. Just a week ago, a
man drove from Louisiana to the Capitol with a rifle, telling the
police who stopped him that he had a "delivery" for the president.
There is no excuse for the Post to have allowed this cartoon to be
printed, and even less for Editor Col Allan's outright dismissal of
legitimate concerns.
But let's be clear who's behind the Post: Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch, the
Post's owner, is the man behind FOX News Channel. FOX has continually
attacked and denigrated Black people, politicians, institutions at
every opportunity, and ColorOfChange has run several campaigns to make
clear how FOX poisons public debate.
I don't expect much from Murdoch. However, with enough public pressure,
we can set the stage for advertisers and subscribers to think long and
hard before patronizing outlets like the Post that refuse to be held
accountable.
You can help, by making clear that the Post's behavior is
unacceptable, and by asking your friends and family to do the same.
Please join me:
http://www.colorofchange.org/nypost/?id=2261-868764
Thanks.
