As the Huffington Post says:
At its most benign, the cartoon suggests that the stimulus bill was so bad, monkeys may as well have written it. Others believe it compares the president to a rabid chimp. Either way, the incorporation of violence and (on a darker level) race into politics is bound to be controversial. Perhaps that's what (cartoonist Sean) Delonas wanted.
The racist nature of comparing African-Americans to monkeys or chimps is a well-known. The Reverend Al Sharpton chimed in on the New York Post cartoon controversy:
"The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual reference to this when in the cartoon they have police saying after shooting a chimpanzee that "Now they will have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill."
"Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama (the first African American president) and has become synonymous with him it is not a reach to wonder are they inferring that a monkey wrote the last bill?"
The New York Post took the pains to defend its cartoon, saying:
"The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."
It constantly amazes me how people who know the obvious truth will attempt to feign ignorance at something that's obviously racist in nature.
Posted February 18th, 2009 by Michael Santo
