T-shirts for sale in Georgia compare Obama to ‘Curious George.’
By on May 14th, 2008 at 9:45 am
T-shirts for sale in Georgia compare Obama to ‘Curious George.’
Mike Norman, a bar owner in Marietta, GA, who is peddling t-shirts that feature “a look-a-like of cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana, with ‘Obama in ‘08′ underneath” claims that the shirts are “not meant to offend,” despite his acknowledgment of “the imagery’s Jim Crow roots“:
Norman acknowledged the imagery’s Jim Crow roots but said he sees nothing wrong with depicting a prominent African-American as a monkey.
“We’re not living in the (19)40’s,” he said. “Look at him…the hairline, the ears — he looks just like Curious George.”
Radar notes that Norman could have been inspired by listening to Rush Limbaugh, who apologized on-air earlier this year after laughing at a caller’s suggestion that Obama “looks like Curious George.”
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He probably sees nothing wrong with a lynching party too!
May 14th, 2008 at 9:47 amI am so often ashamed of the Neanderthals that live in my home state…
I can only say to myself: at least I don’t live in Texas…
May 14th, 2008 at 9:49 amConsidering we’ve had a chimp on office for 8 years… people should be used to it. I’m wondering what curious george will do now when he’s indicted for war-crimes…
May 14th, 2008 at 9:52 amGet used to it folks. This guy isn’t an aberration, he is the face of the republican party.
May 14th, 2008 at 9:53 amWell, after eight years of INcurious George, even a demeaning, racially-charged boorish slur like this looks appealing in comparison.
May 14th, 2008 at 9:55 amIs Norman having a ‘macaca’ moment?
What does he do for an encore… sing “mammy’ in black-face?
Is he going to show up at an Obama rally in a KKK Hollo-weenie costume?
What a scumbag!
May 14th, 2008 at 9:56 amHe represents Exhibit A in any campaign for mandatory sterilization. Please, tell me he is not watering down the gene pool. I hope his bar goes bankrupt, but the sad thing is that this publicity likely will make it more popular. Beam me up Scottie. I cannot handle the stupidity of the human race any longer.
May 14th, 2008 at 9:57 amThe George in office is still tryin’ to figure out how to get to the banana.
What a miserable path this is likely to begin.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:04 amNow Curious George will be remembered as a figure for racism? Rush didn’t earlier but this idiot did?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:06 amThe bar owner states, “this isn’t the 1940’s”…yet he does something that would be right at home in the 1940’s.
Anyway, the best way to get guys like this is to hit ‘em in th epockets…I smell a lawsuit on the way!
May 14th, 2008 at 10:07 amFritz Says
May 14th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I am so often ashamed of the Neanderthals that live in my home state…
I can only say to myself: at least I don’t live in Texas…
____________________________________________
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Even though Georgia gave us this clown with the monkey shirts as well as Lester Maddox and his axe handles, it gave us Jimmy Carter. And it also gave us Ted Turner and CNN, even though CNN veered off to the right after Ted left.
And don’t forget that Georgia also gave us Martin Luther King, Jr.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:10 amFollow the link to write a review of Mulligan’s Tap and Lynchery.
http://atlanta.citysearch.com/review/2901696
May 14th, 2008 at 10:11 am“…but said he sees nothing wrong with depicting a prominent African-American as a monkey.”
_______________________________________
Where does one even begin with somebody so clueless?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:12 amPerhaps Houghton Mifflin should be made aware of this violation of their IP. Of course, with the new “Orphan Works” legislation currently being rammed through Congrss, it’ll be a lot easier for bozos like this to steal other people’s copyrights.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:13 amWatch, this pig, who thinks that his bar is a refuge from political correctness will start whining about how he’s being stereotyped when he gets flooded with complaints about what a bunch of ignorant racists he and his patrons are.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:15 amThe movie Deliverance was not fiction.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:16 amThis racist is only playing the card that his racist party plays when they run against an African American. Why do you think there are NO black Republicans serving in Congress? They had one token black, former Rep. J.C. Watts and he retired. No wonder Republicans can’t get blacks to vote for them with people like this man speaking for them. I can’t believe that any fair minded person would be a Republican. My two brothers in law are Republican and both are racist. The sad part is one of them is a doctor who uses all of the negative sterotypes to describe black people. Whats worst than that is my sons are black, but he claims to love them.
When I called him out on his racist views he was at a loss for words. Now I just tolerate him, but I don’t need his approval to know that I’m better than him. What I explained to both of them is, I served 11 years in the United States Army defending their right to be ignorant, and neither of them has ever serve a second. All they have done is take advantage of the blanket of freedom that I and thousands of other black soldiers provided. They wouldn’t be free to be racist if it weren’t for the blood and guts of thousand of proud current and former black men who fought in wars since the very beginning of this country. That is not to say that many many white soldiers haven’t fought and died as well. I honor them for their service, but I hate the racists who sit on the side lines, then wave a flag in my face and tell me I’m somehow less than them. Like Sen. Obama I don’t need to wear a flag pin in my lapel to show my patriotism, I carry it in my heart always.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:17 amBy the way, Mike Norman better become familiar with copyright infringement laws pretty dang quick, y’all.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:18 amDaryll: The shirt was a meaningless joke.
– - Much like this poster.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:19 amHere’s the cracker’s address and phone number.
Mulligans
May 14th, 2008 at 10:20 am698 Roswell St SE
Marietta, GA 30060-2149
Phone: (770) 499-1137
Not sure i understand. He appears to be an Obama supporter – It says Obama ‘08 on the T-shirt. Yet he also appears to be an unwaivering racist in the mould of Glenn Beck, Hannity or Limbaugh. Perhaps he’s bi-polar also?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:22 amI don’t know what’s sadder… that this bozo comes out with this T-shirt, or we have people who know how to use computers defending him….
May 14th, 2008 at 10:22 amObama should take the midnight train to Georgia and give this moron a piece of his mind.
Again, the right resorts to knocking on the candidate’s physical appearance because they’re jealous of the skills and competencies he’ll bring to the presidency. He’ll be the first people-person president since…??
May 14th, 2008 at 10:24 amDaryll Says:
How can you consider this guy a racist when you do not know his actual intentions on the creation of this shirt?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:21 am
______
Either he’s racist or an ignorant moron oblivious to the history of racial symbolism in this country. Which is it?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:25 amDaryll, how funny would you find a t-shirt depicting Jesus dressed in a pinstripe suit standing in front of a bank called “Jesus’ Savings and Loans”?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:26 amDaryll Says:
How can you consider this guy a racist when you do not know his actual intentions on the creation of this shirt?
Because it is a racist image you idiot. Doesn’t the bible say something like “by his acts you shall know him”? Or does that only count for people you disagree with you racist fraud.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:28 amMcWars, I disagree. I think Obama would do better if he went to the bar and ordered both a beer and a t-shirt for himself, then offer to autograph several for the guy to sell. The publicity of Obama’s classiness and non-elitism would be fantastic.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:29 am“Sir, your comment has truly shown that you are racist towards whites. You should be removed this blog for your appalling comment.”
And you, sport, should be removed this blog because you are an appalling moron.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:30 amDaryll Says
May 14th, 2008 at 10:21 am
How can you consider this guy a racist when you do not know his actual intentions on the creation of this shirt?
_____________________________________________
Ah, Daryll — it’s interesting to see your brand of performance art on a thread having absolutely nothing to do with religion or sex.
That said, you know very well that the “intentions” of this shirt are as clear as if they showed a picture of Obama with the N-word superimposed across his face.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:30 amDaryll Says:
Neither. It is true that Obama looks like a tall chimp. I see nothing wrong with the shirt. This comment is coming from a dark skin toned person.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:28 am
_____
Well, then I suggest you put your money where your mouth is. You should buy one of those T-shirts and wear it around town as much as possible. Preferably in some African-American neighborhoods. I’m sure they’ll find it quite a hoot!
May 14th, 2008 at 10:32 amDaryll Says:
Bobwurst Says:
——————————————————————————–
Here’s the cracker’s address and phone number.
Mulligans
698 Roswell St SE
Marietta, GA 30060-2149
Phone: (770) 499-1137
May 14th, 2008 at 10:20 am Recommend (0) | Report Abuse
Sir, your comment has truly shown that you are racist towards whites. You should be removed this blog for your appalling comment.
Ohh, I get it, it’s ok to compare African Americans to monkeys, that’s edgy and funny, and anyone who is offended is just to PC, but when the table is turned, suddenly the right wing PC police come out in force. You’re an idiot drywall.
And cracker isn’t racist. It comes from the sound a bullwhip makes and is applied to southern whites who want to keep black folk in line by force. idiot.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:32 amDaryll Says:
This comment is coming from a dark skin toned person.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:28 am
..in other words, a sh*thead.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:34 amDaryll Says:
So, If I create shirt of Al Sharpton as a fat gorilla, am I a racist, even though I am a dark skin toned person?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:31 am
______
Again, I recommend you try it. Make a T-shirt depicting Al Sharpton as a fat gorilla and wear it around New York City. We New Yorkers have a great sense of humor – I’m sure they’ll love it!
May 14th, 2008 at 10:34 amSounds great, PLC.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:35 amDaryll, so, if I create the “Jesus’ Savings and Loans” t-shirt I described, am I anti-Christian, even though I am a Christian tuned person?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:35 amanymouse20 Says:
Bobwurst: “Cracker” is considered by many to be a racist term, some would say as bad as the “N” word. I personally disagree, but racism now days appears to be measured in the eyes of the offended. Thus, you might want to reconsider your use of the term, although it is obviously up to you.
Too bad. your kind finds the term racist offensive too. Your kind has been accommodated way to much lately, but those times are over. Go sit with your fat toothless friends in Mulligans and drink your cheap beer and whine about the libs who will come in and clean up the mess you inbreds have left the country in.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:36 amThis is the shirt that I am having made for myself:
White shirt, the text is in black and criss-crossing the text, is a pair of red devil pitch forks.
Heh, that should piss some people off.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:36 amIt is clear from this incident that the Republican party and conservative ideology are essentially racist. This is the dirty secret that underlies their belief system.
How racist do you have to be to see nothing wrong with equating an African American with a monkey?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:40 amDrywall, Jesus hates you.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:40 amThe new face of the republican party , a patriotic fascist with a strong streak of bigotry . You Daryl like the racist bar owner are doing a fine job of educating the American public on the depths of your perspective.Obama should hire you both , by parading your ignorance you are doing an incalculable good for an end to race as a factor in the daily life of ALL AMericans .
May 14th, 2008 at 10:42 amDaryll, I did not mock Jesus. I’m mocking YOU, if you can’t see the parallel between the Obama t-shirt and my hypothetical t-shirt. I have to wonder how you could begin to understand the metaphors and parables of the Bible with your lack of abstract thinking. Oh, wait, you don’t understand!
May 14th, 2008 at 10:43 amFact is that curious George is smarter than Bush & McIIIrd put together. That notwithstanding, expect to see blatant, overt, as well as subtle, covert racism come to the surface in the next six months.
They’ll throw the entire James Crow arsenal at Obama, and he’ll call it out for what it is. Let’s hope the American people are ready for the dirtiest, cheapest crap they’ve ever seen, and are wise enough to see it for what it is.
Desperation.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:43 amDid they mention this t-shirt also comes with its own white hood?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:43 amDid they mention this t-shirt also comes with its own white hood?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:43 amA lot of people thought Darryl was just doing satire.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:44 amAfter his comments here, I don’t think so.
How about:
-bigot
-arrogant
-fool
-pain in the ass
In other words, anything but funny. And if you don’t understand the racism in this t-shirt you’re either stupid or lying.
take care
tony and guidedog Lido
“…a dark skin toned person.”
mmmmmm… not much sexier than a well tanned, firm body…
May 14th, 2008 at 10:45 am…
Sorry for the double post. I appear to be an attention seeking pluralizer. My sincere apologies. I can only find solace in the fact that at least i’m not Darryl.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:45 amSo what’s your point anymouse? I’m using a derogatory name for people who fit that name. Are you saying that Obama looks like curious george?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:46 amReally? This is the only coverage of the democratic nomination contest you’ll offer?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:47 amDaryll: The shirt was a meaningless joke.
Badmoodman: – - Much like this poster.
I was referring to Darryl. His subsequent posts are testimony to that fact.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:48 amIt’s ok roberto, sometimes you have to say it twice for the slow ones…
May 14th, 2008 at 10:49 amApparently there are Clinton leanings behind the scenes. I would argue however, in ThinkPro’s defence, that there are plenty of other websites where you can discuss the election and impending arrival of President Obama at the Whitehouse.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:50 amRather than risk offending anyone, I will desist from using the term cracker, and refer to those persons as lowlife redneck bigots from now on.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:50 amI figured as soon as I saw this article that our “christian” buddy Daryll would be all over this. Daryll may be the best advertisement for what is truly wrong with the republic party and it’s (declining) membership since Tricky Dick Nixon and David KKK Duke.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:50 amThis story is now on cnn.com.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:52 amDaryll Says:
Hilarious. Libs, stop exaggerating. The shirt was a meaningless joke.
——
Hey Daryll! What’s happening. The crucifix in piss was art! Don’t sweat it
May 14th, 2008 at 10:53 amthe darryll is very much a parodyll…
a -bigot
-arrogant
-fool
-pain in the ass
parodyll…
…
funny, but i would think the racists would not be so overt when it comes to OBAMA… after all, he IS half WHITE, and that other half is not african-american…
May 14th, 2008 at 10:53 amyou know, the lazy welfare cheats that repugs are so quick to hate and blame…
and yet anymouse sees nothing wrong with the teeshirt. it’s ignorance is stunning. republicans are racists. period.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:55 amstewarjt @ 10:40am, I agree, when I ask people who say they will vote for McCain why not Obama and they answer that America is not ready for a black man to be president they are showing their latent racism in my opinion. The same goes for those who say that America is not ready for a woman president and their sexist bias against women.
One funny situation I encountered was a man in his 80’s who doesn’t like McCain, Obama or Clinton and is waiting to see who the Vice President choices will be. He believes whoever is elected will not live out their term and thus he will vote based on who will take over!
May 14th, 2008 at 10:55 amDaryll, I just thought of something else. The use of a monkey as a derogatory symbol for blacks comes from the idea that the black race has not yet evolved from the monkeys as the white race has. Are you still thinking it’s just “hilarious”?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:56 amanymouse20 Says:
“Redneck” is also widely considered a racist term. Are you going to go the “white trash” route next?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Perhaps it’s considered racist, but only by white trash rednecks who don’t know a thing about racism.
Speaking of racism, watch this Fox reporter get PWNED by a priest while trying to libel Jeremiah Wright:
May 14th, 2008 at 10:56 amhttp://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2008/05/14/gifted-priest/
Daryll of parodyll, I’m starting to have serious doubts that your skin is dark, as you so proudly have claimed.
You find the term “blacks” offensive, but then state that Obama does look like a chimp?
I, sir, find that offensive!
What’s next? Tar baby t-shirts? ‘Coon hats? A cartoon of a kneeling Barack, arms spread, yelling “Mammie! Mammie!”?
(Did you find the above examples offensive? Good! Then so should the Curious George example.)
May 14th, 2008 at 10:58 amYou can’t portray black people as monkeys. It’s obviously racist.
Stop with the shirts. They’re inflamatory.
This issue is, however, making me glad Obama is running and competitive.
We still have a lot of racial issues to resolve. I believe Obama is/will be the catalyst to address many of them.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:59 amDarryl, i honestly don’t know you and should not have used you as an example like that. However, your calling this t-shirt a meaningless joke offended me. I understand that you may be dark skinned. Well let me tell you that as a light-skinned football (soccer) fan who has been to games all over Europe i’ve heard monkey noises from the crowd when a black player recieves the ball and i’ve seen the look on his face when this happens. This t-shirt might have been a joke. Comparing black people to monkeys is not.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:01 amAnymouse,
May 14th, 2008 at 11:01 amAs a white am I permitted to use the white trash ? Perhaps you are correct and I should use a less divisive metaphor in describing the most rascist and un educated of my countrymen .I will do my best to elevate the level of discourse beyond gutter speak in the future.
Good Advise ,thanx.
Forget what i just said Darryl. You are either a moron, a troll or both.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:02 amBigots suck. Period.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:02 amDaryll, You’re losing me a bit. Sociality and reliance on the group is considered one of the indications of high evolutionary status in primates? What is your point?
May 14th, 2008 at 11:06 amFolks, just flag drywall at post 78. That is beyond the pale.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:07 amPLC states that the depiction of monkeys is derogatory towards blacks.
Daryll of parodyll Says:
I will tell you one thing. They have not evolved from their ignorance and reliance on others.
Further proof that you are definitely not darker skinned, unless you’re still tan from the Brazil vacation.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:08 amDaryll Says:
I will tell you one thing. They have not evolved from their ignorance and reliance on others.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:00 am
____
Don’t you mean “they have not intelligently designed from their ignorance and reliance on others?”
May 14th, 2008 at 11:11 amAlso, when discussing race, you don’t refer to yours as “they”, Daryll of parodyll.
Just some advice for your future misleading posts.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:11 amDaryll, the “dark toned one” says about blacks: “I will tell you one thing. They have not evolved from their ignorance and reliance on others.”
Daryll, just because YOU are ignorant and rely on the authoritarian voice of your pastor and the neocon political leaders DOES NOT mean that other “dark toned” people are. If you are indeed of the black, negroid, dark-toned, or otherwise labeled race then you are a disgrace to them. This fair-toned American finds your attitude to be as bigoted and unChristian as any found in the slave-owners in the worst plantations of the Old South.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:12 amrobertoroberto Says:
This t-shirt might have been a joke. Comparing black people to monkeys is not.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Now just hold one one minute here. Chimpanzees are not monkeys. They are members of the hominidae, or great ape family, which includes orangutans, gorillas, and humans. Monkeys and their ilk are in the Platyrrhini parvorder and Cercopithecoidea superfamilies. That’s a totally different evolutionary branch. Get it right!
May 14th, 2008 at 11:16 amPLC – get it straight… he said “dark skin toned”…
like i said, and will elaborate:
May 14th, 2008 at 11:16 amnot much sexier than a well tanned, well exercised firm body…
Is it just me or does anyoone else wonder if “Daryll” is really Darth Cheney in drag?
May 14th, 2008 at 11:16 amDaryll- FLAGGED!
May 14th, 2008 at 11:17 amAg….I dunno. Is the maker of this shirt a Repub, a Clintonista or a Barack backer? It would matter toward intent.
There are people here that refer to Bush exclusively as Chimpy, Chimperor, etc…that is acceptable because Bush is White, I suppose.
I am conflicted by this. I don’t like it, didn’t like it when I saw it….
The whole premise and promise of the Obama campaign was stuff like this would be put to rest. Rev. Wright really threw some sand in those gears, but I still think that is the central idea of Obamania.
Cracker. The N-word. We are debating these terms on this thread. Not good. Everyone has an ox to be gored as soon as you start talking race in this country.
I don’t think this is something that deserves much attention. I predict Obama will ignore it because that is the kind of classy guy he it.
Depressing.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:18 amKeltoi Says:
The whole premise and promise of the Obama campaign was stuff like this would be put to rest. Rev. Wright really threw some sand in those gears, but I still think that is the central idea of Obamania.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:18 am
_____
Which is exactly the problem we have with race in this country. We don’t want to talk about it, we don’t want to think about it, we don’t want to know it exists. (And by “we” I primarily mean “us white folk”). Race and racism is something we want to believe ended in 1968 and that we now live in a colorblind society in which everyone is equal just because we now have black people in deodorant commercials. We sweep it under the rug and think that by not talking about it, it will go away.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:21 amMany apologies to all Cercopithecoidea and Platyrrhini parvorder who may be writing on ThinkPro today.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:23 amDaryll Says
May 14th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Let me guess, based on your comment, you are a supporter of African American(Politically Correct term) socialism?
_________________________________________________
Nope. Just a supporter of decency. This means not insulting other people based on ethnicity, and certainly not assuming that I am better or worse than anyone else solely due to my genetic makeup.
And why is it that you wingnuts have to attach the word “socialism” to everything you find objectionable, even though the concept has nothing to do with the topic at hand? What in the world does refraining from racial slurs have to do with socialism? Has the word just come to mean “miscellaneous vague insult meaning something generally bad” because you don’t know the literal meaning of the word?
May 14th, 2008 at 11:23 amKeltoi,
May 14th, 2008 at 11:24 amMy one question. Is this shirt acceptable?
Doesn’t matter if it was Republican, a Republican Lite (Clinton supporter), an Independent, or a fan of Barack.
Is it acceptable?
Keltoi
I don’t think this is something that deserves much attention. I predict Obama will ignore it because that is the kind of classy guy he it.
Depressing.
Yes, it is depressing.
No, it does deserve attention. Ignoring this kind of crap allows it to fester.
There is a huge difference between making a racist statement based on a long held stereotyped image, and calling those people who think that’s funny, not offensive, or worse, find it funny to be offensive, crackers, a term that is related to the subjegation of a race.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:32 amDr. Hussein Matt Says:
If a Dem made a shirt like this about Condi, the reich-wing would be imploding with fake outrage and McCain Stream Media would be covering this 24/7. Hypocrites.
Plenty of hypocrisy to go around. When Harry Belafonte, Farrakhan, Wright et al call Powell and Rice House Slaves, Uncle Toms, etc ad nauseum, where is the outrage from the left?
Again, EVERYONE, rightly or wrongly, can find a way to get offended when race is introduced – just ask Bill Clinton, who claimed Obama had played the race card on him.
Race is irrelevant. Strictly speaking, “race” doesn’t even exist, ethinicity does. Every ethnic group has produced Masters and Monsters. Those that can’t get past it should be ignored.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:33 amDaryll Says
May 14th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I will tell you one thing. They have not evolved from their ignorance and reliance on others.
____________________________________________
If the only “dark-toned person” I had ever encountered was you, and I was to extrapolate my entire judgment of a race based upon my impressions of you, I’d say that you’re right. Your ignorance is so appalling that I truly you hope you are a parody poster and not for real.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:35 amhard to argue with this opinion:
[...]
The Republican Party’s rise to power in recent decades has largely depended upon the fact that impoverished whites blame blacks rather than corporations for their problems. Without these racist whites, Republicans such as Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush could never have won. The biggest hope for the future of the Democratic Party is the dying off of the old racists who helped bring the Republicans to power.
[...]
West Virginia: Country’s Most Racist Voters [arkansas is 2nd]
May 14th, 2008 at 11:36 amhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-k-wilson/west-virginia-countrys-mo_b_101651.html
Keltoi Says:
——————————————————————————–
Ag….I dunno. Is the maker of this shirt a Repub, a Clintonista or a Barack backer? It would matter toward intent.
There are people here that refer to Bush exclusively as Chimpy, Chimperor, etc…that is acceptable because Bush is White, I suppose.
I am conflicted by this. I don’t like it, didn’t like it when I saw it….
The whole premise and promise of the Obama campaign was stuff like this would be put to rest. Rev. Wright really threw some sand in those gears, but I still think that is the central idea of Obamania.
Cracker. The N-word. We are debating these terms on this thread. Not good. Everyone has an ox to be gored as soon as you start talking race in this country.
I don’t think this is something that deserves much attention. I predict Obama will ignore it because that is the kind of classy guy he it.
Depressing.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:18 am
If after Obama becomes president , and he illegally invades a sovereign nation without provocation or reason(s) beyond oil , and is guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity and is derelict in his duty of his sworn oath to protect the Constitution , you will then see how he is referred to here.
It isn’t because Chimpy is white ; it’s because he’s a lying , grinning , braying , stupid piece of shit jackass.
That you’re trying to pathetically use him as an example is more evidence of your obtuse nature…………
May 14th, 2008 at 11:36 amKeltoi Says:
——————————————————————————–
Dr. Hussein Matt Says:
If a Dem made a shirt like this about Condi, the reich-wing would be imploding with fake outrage and McCain Stream Media would be covering this 24/7. Hypocrites.
Plenty of hypocrisy to go around. When Harry Belafonte, Farrakhan, Wright et al call Powell and Rice House Slaves, Uncle Toms, etc ad nauseum, where is the outrage from the left?
Again, EVERYONE, rightly or wrongly, can find a way to get offended when race is introduced – just ask Bill Clinton, who claimed Obama had played the race card on him.
Race is irrelevant. Strictly speaking, “race” doesn’t even exist, ethinicity does. Every ethnic group has produced Masters and Monsters. Those that can’t get past it should be ignored.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Harry Belafonte, Farrakhan, Wright et al are not guilty of war crimes , chowderhead…………….
May 14th, 2008 at 11:39 amanymouse20 Says:
“Redneck” is also widely considered a racist term. Are you going to go the “white trash” route next?
Hey, anylouse – if the hood fits, buddy…
May 14th, 2008 at 11:39 amDRxJ Says:
Keltoi,
My one question. Is this shirt acceptable?
Doesn’t matter if it was Republican, a Republican Lite (Clinton supporter), an Independent, or a fan of Barack.
Is it acceptable?
I find it offensive. I am not sure if it rises to the level of “hate speech”. However, if Obama is not offended, should I be? I wonder if he will comment, I suspect he will blow it off even if asked.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:39 amPlenty of hypocrisy to go around. When Harry Belafonte, Farrakhan, Wright et al call Powell and Rice House Slaves, Uncle Toms, etc ad nauseum, where is the outrage from the left?
While offensive, what belafonte, Farrakhan did was make a critique of powell and rice’s behavior. appearently you see no difference between that and the hateful comparision of a primate and a human. Telling.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:40 amhellinabucket Says
May 14th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Now Curious George will be remembered as a figure for racism? Rush didn’t earlier but this idiot did?
___________________________________________
Eh…that’s the problem with being on radio. No visuals. Even though soundbites have been known to have a long life, a graphic on a t-shirt can be forever.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:40 amKeltoi Says:
Plenty of hypocrisy to go around. When Harry Belafonte, Farrakhan, Wright et al call Powell and Rice House Slaves, Uncle Toms, etc ad nauseum, where is the outrage from the left?
May 14th, 2008 at 11:33 am
_____
Colin Powell went before the UN General Assembly and knowingly lied to them for an hour about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that didn’t exist.
“Uncle Tom” is one of the nicer things to call him.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:42 amKeltoi Says:
I find it offensive. I am not sure if it rises to the level of “hate speech”. However, if Obama is not offended, should I be? I wonder if he will comment, I suspect he will blow it off even if asked.
I’m curious (no pun intended) as to how many shirts have actually been sold. And to whom. Are they wearing them as a sign of unity (although misguided), or just to slam a presidential candidate.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:44 amhussein toasterhead Says:
We sweep it under the rug and think that by not talking about it, it will go away.
You are right, Toast; you too Bobwurst @ 99. It just sucks.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:45 amKeltoi Says:
Ag….I dunno. Is the maker of this shirt a Repub, a Clintonista or a Barack backer? It would matter toward intent.
There are people here that refer to Bush exclusively as Chimpy, Chimperor, etc…that is acceptable because Bush is White, I suppose.
Sophistry. White people have been referring to Black people as “monkeys” for generations and there is no way to get around history and pretend this is harmless.
And this is what you seem to be missing, Keltoi: racism and prejudice are about judging entire groups of people based on perceived or imposed stereotypes. Saying Bush looks like a chimp is not the same as calling Black people “monkeys.”
May 14th, 2008 at 11:51 amMan, Toasterhead and Bobwurst, no sooner do I agree with you than you both come up with comments that make me go “huh?” Uncle Tom is a racist slur. It is “telling”, Bob, that that one is okay with you since it is directed against someone you dislike.
See? This topic just sucks, sucks, sucks. It is an intellectual House of Mirrors. ALL racist slurs against ALL Americans should be off limits; call Powell or Rice bad people, but don’t call them traitors to the black race because they served as Republican Secretaries of State and put into effect policies you despise.
Otherwise, your outrage over this stupid T-shirt rings a tad hollow, IMHO.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:57 amgummitch Says:
——————————————————————————–
Keltoi Says:
Ag….I dunno. Is the maker of this shirt a Repub, a Clintonista or a Barack backer? It would matter toward intent.
There are people here that refer to Bush exclusively as Chimpy, Chimperor, etc…that is acceptable because Bush is White, I suppose.
Sophistry. White people have been referring to Black people as “monkeys” for generations and there is no way to get around history and pretend this is harmless.
And this is what you seem to be missing, Keltoi: racism and prejudice are about judging entire groups of people based on perceived or imposed stereotypes. Saying Bush looks like a chimp is not the same as calling Black people “monkeys.”
May 14th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Says a lot too , that calling Black people “monkeys” is demeaning and racist to all Black people ; yet calling Shrub “Chimpy” is actually demeaning to the animal………………
May 14th, 2008 at 11:58 amDaryll, I have to ask. What is in your past that makes ou hate your own race so much? Was it the late night visits from Uncle Lester? Was it the fact that all the relatives laughed at you?
What, oh what could be so terrible that you have no self worth, no self esteem? Get some help btch.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm‘Not that’s he’s bowing to pressure. The Tennessee native figures he’s providing a public service of sorts, reminding people they have a right to offend.’
Yah, that’s why the troops are in the Middle East – to defend our “right to offend”.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:03 pmgummitch Says:
Sophistry. White people have been referring to Black people as “monkeys” for generations and there is no way to get around history and pretend this is harmless.
I don’t think I called it harmless, I questioned its signifigance, but that may be more Sophistry.
I grew up in a very Cosmopolitan Urban center. I went to college there, then later taught High School there. Among my students were every ethnic group America has to offer. I guess I am kinda dense about race, I will admit it, because by my training and avocation I simply do not allow myself to see it. And I don’t mean that in the Stephen Colbert sense, I am serious, otherwise I couldn’t do my job.
I choose to focus on the wisdom of Obama’s speech regarding this topic. Again, I am very curious what if anything he will have to say about this shirt.
What a weird freaking country we live in! Here we are, trying to choose the person who will hold the greatest power on Earth and a Cartoon character on a T-Shirt finds its way into the mix. Kafka is smiling somewhere.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:04 pmKeltoi Says:
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Man, Toasterhead and Bobwurst, no sooner do I agree with you than you both come up with comments that make me go “huh?” Uncle Tom is a racist slur. It is “telling”, Bob, that that one is okay with you since it is directed against someone you dislike.
See? This topic just sucks, sucks, sucks. It is an intellectual House of Mirrors. ALL racist slurs against ALL Americans should be off limits; call Powell or Rice bad people, but don’t call them traitors to the black race because they served as Republican Secretaries of State and put into effect policies you despise.
Otherwise, your outrage over this stupid T-shirt rings a tad hollow, IMHO.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Condiliesalot and Colon are traitors to the Black race , shithead ; how many Black brothers and sisters serve in our military and are directly effected by their intentional lies ?
Curious George is an artistic property that was concocted to be educational for children ; not used (without permission) , to depict the future President of the Unites States in an obvious racial gesture.
You’re a stupid jerk………
May 14th, 2008 at 12:05 pmKeltoi Says:
What a weird freaking country we live in! Here we are, trying to choose the person who will hold the greatest power on Earth and a Cartoon character on a T-Shirt finds its way into the mix. Kafka is smiling somewhere.
Check the coverage on West Virginia’s primary. A significant percentage of Democratic voters admitting that race was a real factor in their vote (for Clinton). How f’d up is that in this day and age? And what do the white pundits who claim racism no longer exists in this country have to say about those responses?
May 14th, 2008 at 12:07 pmnanlichi, you mistake Daryll’s “character” for a real person. “Daryll” is a performance art piece. Or possibly research for a master’s thesis, I haven’t decided which.
But he’s not a real person. That much is clear. And the person behind Daryll, the creator or artist or whatever, is not African American. He just pretends to be for the sake of the performance.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:07 pmKeltoi Says:
——————————————————————————–
gummitch Says:
Sophistry. White people have been referring to Black people as “monkeys” for generations and there is no way to get around history and pretend this is harmless.
I don’t think I called it harmless, I questioned its signifigance, but that may be more Sophistry.
I grew up in a very Cosmopolitan Urban center. I went to college there, then later taught High School there. Among my students were every ethnic group America has to offer. I guess I am kinda dense about race, I will admit it, because by my training and avocation I simply do not allow myself to see it. And I don’t mean that in the Stephen Colbert sense, I am serious, otherwise I couldn’t do my job.
I choose to focus on the wisdom of Obama’s speech regarding this topic. Again, I am very curious what if anything he will have to say about this shirt.
What a weird freaking country we live in! Here we are, trying to choose the person who will hold the greatest power on Earth and a Cartoon character on a T-Shirt finds its way into the mix. Kafka is smiling somewhere.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
You’re surprised or taken aback by the behavior of some in this country ?
The same country that houses people who would vote for a life-long failure and utter moron , simply because they’d like to have a beer with the dope ?
And you , Mr “Educator” , are one of the pieces of fecal matter who still insist on excuse making for that self-same mountainous pile of garbage ; you shouldn’t even be allowed to teach typewriter maintenance in Thailand…..
May 14th, 2008 at 12:09 pmKeltoi,
first off, did I call either powell or rice uncle tom? no. I have called them bad people. You want to jump belafonte, go for it.
Second off, Uncle Tom is offensive, but it is not a slur when it’s used in context. When one black person points out that another black person is behaving like Uncle Tom, i.e. blindly doing the bidding of the powers that be for his own personal benefit even when it goes contrary to the good of his fellow citizens that is very different than selling and wearing tee shirts that compare a human to a chimp because that person is half black.
Your attempt at moral equivalence here rings a tad hollow.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:16 pmKeltoi Says:
Man, Toasterhead and Bobwurst, no sooner do I agree with you than you both come up with comments that make me go “huh?” Uncle Tom is a racist slur. It is “telling”, Bob, that that one is okay with you since it is directed against someone you dislike.
See? This topic just sucks, sucks, sucks. It is an intellectual House of Mirrors. ALL racist slurs against ALL Americans should be off limits; call Powell or Rice bad people, but don’t call them traitors to the black race because they served as Republican Secretaries of State and put into effect policies you despise.
Otherwise, your outrage over this stupid T-shirt rings a tad hollow, IMHO.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:57 am
____
I consider Powell and Rice traitors to the human race rather than traitors to the black race. But that’s beside the point.
But I have no problem with Harry Belafonte, Louis Farrakhan, or Jeremiah Wright using the term “Uncle Tom” to refer to them. It’s not a “racist” term, it’s a political term based in a legacy of racism.
Now, would I use that term myself to refer to a black person? No. I’m white. I can’t. But they can, and I support that.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:20 pmAh, some of that republican southern humor…why do they think racism is funny? You know, unfortunately I have yet to meet a Southerner that was not a racist. But that is just me and the people I have met.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:20 pmBobwurst Says:
Your attempt at moral equivalence here rings a tad hollow.
Fine, I think we feel basically the same and are finding ways to disagree.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:22 pmMCMetal Says:
I’ve flagged your last couple of comments directed at Keltoi. Please lay off the personal invective, whether you disagree with him or not. You don’t need to call him a “stupid jerk” or “fecal matter”.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:27 pmKeltoi Says:
I grew up in a very Cosmopolitan Urban center. I went to college there, then later taught High School there. Among my students were every ethnic group America has to offer. I guess I am kinda dense about race, I will admit it, because by my training and avocation I simply do not allow myself to see it.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
_____
I honestly do not understand how someone could teach high school to a multi-ethnic student body and NOT see race. Race is an amalgam of cultural dimensions, historical realities, shared experience, and meta-predjudices. It colors every part of our experience in this country, whether we like it or not.
Just due the difference in cultural dimensions alone, students of different ethnic groups will have a different method of acquiring and processing information, a different conception of the relationship between student and teacher, and different expectations of the role education plays in their own life. Now, this does not mean that one culture is “good” or “superior” and another is “bad” or “inferior.” It’s just different, and it’s something a good educator should at least be aware of.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:29 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
Now, would I use that term myself to refer to a black person? No. I’m white. I can’t. But they can, and I support that.
Do you? Do you really support that? Do you not wish they wouldn’t? Aren’t there better ways to make your point, regardless of your skin color? I am not saying it isn’t there right to say it, but why should a person’s “race” or any reference to it have a place in our political discourse?
See, that was why my initial reaction to this T-shirt was aw, ignore it, it is stupid, it doesn’t deserve attention. I think of it much like I think of every one of McMetal’s posts; obnoxious, offensive, without any redeeming merit but by paying attention to it you give it a kind of power. Even condemning it gives it power.
Maybe this is just a blind spot for me. All I can do is keep my heart pure of hate for anyone and encourage those I come in contact with to do the same. I have lived in the West my whole life…maybe this is a regional attitude gulf. But like Bobwurst, I sense you and I are essentialy sympatico on this and are arguing around the margins.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:32 pmFor Daryll
Based on your comments there is no doubt that you are a very hateful racist. Besides that you are a little man, not because of your height, but because of your mind. If you have nothing better to do than to hate fellow Americans based on race, then you are truly little. If you don’t like black people, just tell me why? I’m sure you have all of the sterotypes memorized by now. Go ahead and make yourself look even more ignorant than you already are. You also have no self esteem at all. Only a weak person has to hate others to feel better about himself.
Answer one question for me Daryll. How many blacks terrorist were involved in the 9-11 attacks? That’s right! None. You spend your time hating blaces while the real enemy plots to destory us all. People like you caused 9-11 to happen. Why? Because while you were hating and watching us, they moved amoung whites who trusted them, all the while they were plotting to commit that terrible act. If you remember the owner of one of the flight schools let two of them stay at his home. They also had white friends and neighbors who knew them before 9-11. They traveled alll around the country without any suspicion. Why? If they had been black, their plot would have been discovered because they wouldn’t have been trusted. So you see racism helped them carry out their cowardly attack because they (Arabs) were allowed to hide in plan sight.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:35 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
I honestly do not understand how someone could teach high school to a multi-ethnic student body and NOT see race.
Perhaps I phrased it poorly. Of course I “see” race. And in the case of first generation immigrants, language was often an issue as well. But honestly, assuming one ethnic group is going to react to education in a certain way is a pitfall. There is a big difference between knowing there is a stereotype about a group and accepting it in how you approach individual members of that group. Individuals rarely live up to their stereotyped billing. That is what I was driving at.
LOTS of my minority students disliked me because I was white – at first. Getting them to see that you can’t make sweeping assessments about ethnic groups is one of the most important things I teach.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:39 pmKeltoi Says:
Do you? Do you really support that? Do you not wish they wouldn’t? Aren’t there better ways to make your point, regardless of your skin color? I am not saying it isn’t there right to say it, but why should a person’s “race” or any reference to it have a place in our political discourse?
Race will no longer have a place in our political discourse when African-Americans are no longer disproportionately jailed for drug crimes and other offenses. Race will no longer have a place in our political discourse when young black men are no longer being shot 50 times by police officers on their wedding day. Race will no longer have a place in our political discourse when hurricanes and natural disasters are no longer used as a convenient excuse to gentrify entire neighborhoods. Race will no longer have a place in our political discourse when African Americans are not disproportionately sold unaffordable variable-rate mortgages.
Maybe this is just a blind spot for me. All I can do is keep my heart pure of hate for anyone and encourage those I come in contact with to do the same. I have lived in the West my whole life…maybe this is a regional attitude gulf. But like Bobwurst, I sense you and I are essentialy sympatico on this and are arguing around the margins.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
You can keep your heart pure of hate and still recognize differences in race, culture, and ethnicity. You have a good point when you say that there is a regional difference – there is a definite difference between west coast and east coast U.S. mainstream culture, as well as urban and rural culture.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:45 pmBuckie Boy Says:
——————————————————————————–
Ah, some of that republican southern humor…why do they think racism is funny? You know, unfortunately I have yet to meet a Southerner that was not a racist. But that is just me and the people I have met.
Well in answer to the above, I am truly southern, DEEP SOUTH – OLD SOUTH, and about as far from being a racist as can be. Why does everyone seem to sterotype a southerner? As part Native American, I can tell you about racism.
And yes the Tshirt was in bad taste and Obama should go into that tavern and do as the other poster said, autograph one of those shirts and turn the tables on this guy…………
May 14th, 2008 at 12:47 pmThe trolls are busy today.
Anyway, here’s my two cents. First of all, Bush looks way more like a chimp than Obama and he is already named George. As for this:
“Great. Now Curious George will be remembered as a figure for racism.”
Have you read Curious George as an adult? I recently read some to my two year old only to find out that the man in the yellow hat goes to Africa, kidnaps a child, takes him to America and then leaves him alone in the house all day. The kid is able to wander the streets by himself. It’s a wonder he never gets killed. So even if the book isn’t a metaphor for slavery, it’s still pro child abuse. To stretch the metaphor thinner, could we call Dick Cheney the man in the yellow hat? I don’t want Obama to be associated with all that!
May 14th, 2008 at 12:47 pmI immediately distrust anyone who claims they don’t “see” race. it’s like claiming you don’t see hair color, or body type.
Instant judgment based on appearance is a fundamental trait of any animal and humans are no exception. It’s a survival skill in the wild, and in civilization, it’s still pretty useful. But like most useful things, it has it’s evil side too, and prejudice is the evil side of an instinct to instantly size up a person by appearance. Enlightened people recognize that appearances can deceive, but it takes effort and energy to keep an open mind. Unenlightened people are unenlightened in part because they are content to save that mental energy and embrace their prejudice.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:50 pmNashoba nowa as I posted, it was just the people that I had met were, I just haven’t met any (yet) that weren’t. And yes I am part Native American also, and yes I do know how people can try and hurt you for your color.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:53 pmKeltoi Says:
Perhaps I phrased it poorly. Of course I “see” race. And in the case of first generation immigrants, language was often an issue as well. But honestly, assuming one ethnic group is going to react to education in a certain way is a pitfall. There is a big difference between knowing there is a stereotype about a group and accepting it in how you approach individual members of that group. Individuals rarely live up to their stereotyped billing. That is what I was driving at.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
_______
I didn’t say anything about stereotyping. There is a difference between recognizing differences in culture and making stereotyped assumptions. Knowing that people of Hispanic descent come from a polychronic-oriented culture and thus may be inclined to a different conception of time than you is different than saying “Latins are always late for everything.”
Full disclosure – I’ve just finished a grad school course on cross-cultural training, so I’ve got cultural dimensions on the brain of late…
May 14th, 2008 at 12:54 pmFor all the redneck Republicans who find nothing wrong with this shirt, would you have the guts to come up here to the south side of Chicago and peddle it on the street?
Didn’t think so – so predictable, you f***ers run away like the little pansy *sses you are anytime you are confronted with your bigotry – or actually have to show up for a war you cheerlead and sport wood over.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:03 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
Full disclosure – I’ve just finished a grad school course on cross-cultural training, so I’ve got cultural dimensions on the brain of late…
THAT sounds like a cool course.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:14 pmgummitch Says:
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MCMetal Says:
I’ve flagged your last couple of comments directed at Keltoi. Please lay off the personal invective, whether you disagree with him or not. You don’t need to call him a “stupid jerk” or “fecal matter”.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Someone who is as full of himself and full of shit as Kelt Boy deserves what I give him ; please refrain from attempting to moralize and give me any more of your self-righteous bullshit.
I don’t give a rat’s ass what you believe ; I am not here because or as a result of you.
You find my honest assessment of that jackass as being flag-worthy , yet his circle jerk posts , which are full of nothing but self-aggrandizing insipid piss , should be left as is ; you are an example of why Dems lose a lot of elections.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:18 pmDaryl glad to see you want to keep racism alive and well. Be sure and attend your next cross burning.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:19 pmRacism is not a southern trait only, don’t kid yourselves. Go live in Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin listen to those citizens.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:31 pmMCMetal Says:
Someone who is as full of himself and full of shit as Kelt Boy deserves what I give him ; please refrain from attempting to moralize and give me any more of your self-righteous bullshit.
And I admit I didn’t expect any other response from you. Talk about self-righteous bullshit.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:32 pmtexaslady Says:
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Racism is not a southern trait only, don’t kid yourselves. Go live in Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin listen to those citizens.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Racists and bigots live up here in the NorthEast , also ; of course , they also tend to be GOP backers……..Which I guess is also no big surprise.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:33 pmgummitch Says:
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MCMetal Says:
Someone who is as full of himself and full of shit as Kelt Boy deserves what I give him ; please refrain from attempting to moralize and give me any more of your self-righteous bullshit.
And I admit I didn’t expect any other response from you. Talk about self-righteous bullshit.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Your critiques/criticisms of me are sounding pretty hollow (much like your head) and disgustingly hypocritical , especially when it comes to “self righteous” behavior , based upon your posts and especially the Witless Wonder’s , Kelt Boy.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:39 pmKeltoi Says:
THAT sounds like a cool course.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
It was pretty cool, though it was geared more to people who want to actually become cross-cultural trainers than people like myself who are just interested in culture as a societal dynamic.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:40 pmRacism is not a southern trait only, don’t kid yourselves. Go live in Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin listen to those citizens.
Sad, but very true. As one who lives in Chicago, the only difference I can see between south and north regarding racism is how out in the open it is. More overt down south, but just as prevalent (sp) here, although perhaps more subtle.
We’ve got a loooooooooooooong way to go and no more time to waste.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:42 pmRacists and bigots are scared people who cling to old beliefs because it makes them feel safe. Watch highschoolers and see the intermingling, perhaps the youth of today is the hope for tomorrow.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:43 pmAtlanta is also home to one of the bigger on-air racists,a old over-the-hill bully by the name of Neal Boortz! His last name is pronounced exactly like the sound that one’s arse makes when expelling gas!
May 14th, 2008 at 1:56 pmBuckie Boy Says
May 14th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Ah, some of that republican southern humor…why do they think racism is funny? You know, unfortunately I have yet to meet a Southerner that was not a racist. But that is just me and the people I have met.
__________________________________________
At least you recognize that you the southerners you met don’t represent a scientific statistic sample.
Having lived in North Carolina for the past 16 years, I can honestly say I have seen less racism here than in any other place I have ever lived. I moved here from the Los Angeles area, which was easily the most racist. Everybody is afraid of everybody else there, and negative stereotypes thrive (ever seen the movie “Crash”? — it’s exactly like that).
Even growing up in Seattle, I saw (and was the victim of) some very ugly racism. Of course, that was during a very volatile time (the sixties), and I understand from my family that things are way different there now.
Where I live now, if a person walks up to a total stranger on the street and asks for directions somewhere, he is likely to get detailed directions, a genuinely warm wish to have a nice day, and no fear at all — whether the two people are the same color or different colors. Here, people don’t go ballistic if somebody of a different color moves into their neighborhood. And people don’t automatically lock their car doors when driving through neighborhoods where most of the residents are of a different color.
No, it’s not a complete utopia here — we do have racial incidents from time to time. We have drug problems and gang wars (although they pale in comparison to what goes on in LA).
There are still pockets of blatant racists here, but they exist mostly in rural areas in the western part of the state — not in the cities. And they pretty much keep to themselves, because they distrust everyone else.
I urge you to make a trip to the south sometime. There are a lot of wonderful non-racist people here, and you’d probably get to meet some of them.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:06 pmWith all due respect, missmolly, one can treat a representative of another race with kindness and still look down on them. Racism takes many forms and is disguised any number of ways. My impression is that in the south, co-mingling of the races is very comfortable because they’re so used to it. That doesn’t mean they see each other as equals, just perhaps that they’re content to coexist.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:15 pmmissmolly. Living near Atlanta, I would piggyback on what you have to say. We’ve still got pockets of racism, but it’s hard to consider the success of Atlanta and not feel that racial progress is being made.
The southern racist sterotype probably needs as much updating as any other racial sterotype.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:19 pm135 – Ralph: hear, hear!! Very well said. Thank you.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:25 pmEverywhere has pockets of racism, crossing age, education and culture, liberals as well as conservatives. Lived in the North and the South found the South more color blind than the North. Our cultural blended family is proof.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:28 pmWhatever, RHF… again, saying “race doesn’t exist” is like saying “blonde hair doesn’t exist — it’s all just hair”.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:33 pmRHF – with all due respect, bite me.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:34 pmralph. I also agree that you are right on (in your 135 post).
I especially agree with this: ‘but it takes effort and energy to keep an open mind.’
You’re right. I think it’s important to recognize the human evolutionary propensity to make judgements based on appearance. But, it’s also important to make the effort to ensure that human trait doesn’t illicit irresponsible and unnecessary prejudice or discrimination.
The whole post was nicely done.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:35 pmI agree, texaslady, and I may have given the wrong impression with my post earlier about the South. There is a lot of (for lack of a better term) color-blindness in the South, and there is a lot of racism in the north and in the west and all over the nation.
But in my limited experience (having lived briefly in the South (Missisissippi) and long time in the northeast and the west coast, is that just as race-mixing is comfortable in the South, so is racism where it exists, in a way that it’s not in most of the rest of the nation. There is a long, lingering legacy that doesn’t disappear overnight. But it is disappearing slowly, I’ll grant you.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:38 pmThanks Annie, Cap’n. Your kind words are much appreciated.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:39 pmRacism, hate is perpetuated to keep the masses from demanding honesty from our elected officials. Divided you are controlled.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:40 pmtexaslady. I think you’re right. I think the reason is that the South, with the much larger black population and the obvious history with racial conflict, has just had to spend more time considering race. It’s been a fact of the South’s circumstance. It has been very difficult and embarrassing for the South, but the silver lining (in my estimation), is that through the trial, we’ve been forced to confront racial issues that has promoted some advance on the issue.
Again, it’s why I am glad Obama is running. It is/will cause some much needed confrontation.
If you think about it, if it weren’t for Obama’s presidential bid, we wouldn’t be talking about race right now.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:43 pmA million years ago in Chicago, families separated when Irish would marry Italian. We got past that.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:47 pmEveryone has bias against others, mine is against closed minded individuals who are certain they are right about their beliefs. No one person can have all the answers for all their lives.
Leftside Annie Says:
RHF – with all due respect, bite me.
Can you bite with all due respect?
May 14th, 2008 at 2:48 pmI think the reason is that the South, with the much larger black population and the obvious history with racial conflict, has just had to spend more time considering race.
As Dave Chappelle put it, racism in the south is just more out in the open: “Good morning, n*gger.”
May 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pmAnnie can. I’ve seen her do it. Remarkable girl, our Annie.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pmWouldn’t it be great to really TALK about the race issue instead of dancing around it, making ignorant jokes. The fear of those refusing to vote because of color, is that they will be disinfranchised. Well, we ALL are being disinfranchised right now and bush is white. We have had great Black Mayors, Governors and bad Black Mayors and Governors. Well the record is the same for the “white” men and women who have had the office. So, for cripes sake look at issues, try to figure out who is lying and who might tell the truth.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pmbarfly – I have lived in Texas almost 30 years and have never heard the N word until I lived in Iowa a few years ago. Discrimination because I was a Yankee and a woman tho. And thinking back while an Army wife never heard the n-word in our travels either.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:56 pmbarfly – I have lived in Texas almost 30 years and have never heard the N word until I lived in Iowa a few years ago. Discrimination because I was a Yankee and a woman tho. And thinking back while an Army wife never heard the n-word in our travels either.
Oklahoma is racist central. I heard the word used in Tulsa many times – and occasionally by whites, directly to blacks, like it was some big joke.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:59 pmralph,
Your post at 135 is one of the best. I have often tried to express that concept and always end up screwing it up.
I am stealing it.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:01 pmbarfly – well every nationality has a derogatory term used for description. Hopefully we will all grow up someday. Again, keeping the masses stirred up against one another keeps the spotlight off stealing the power.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:03 pmWhy, thank you, Ralph! I’m blushing. ;o)
Excuse me now, though — I have to go sharpen my teeth.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:38 pmbarfly – well every nationality has a derogatory term used for description. Hopefully we will all grow up someday. Again, keeping the masses stirred up against one another keeps the spotlight off stealing the power.
Ah but white racists take it to a lower level. Ever heard the term, “afro-engineering?” It’s a less racist way of saying “n*gger-rig.” I heard such things (and worse) all the time in blue-collar Oklahoma.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:39 pmbarfly – probably heard most everything, had brothers in the Marines and Air Force. But, because the words are there doesn’t mean we have to use them.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:44 pmRacism in 2008 seems to be more Generationally determined than Geographically determined. That bodes well for the future.
The reason the South has done so well economically in the past decades is, besides airconditioning, the End of Jim Crow.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:48 pmwhere be all de white womenz?
seriously folks..these people should be allowed to let thier freak flag fly..why? if it gets black folks riled up, more of them will go vote, and thats bad for republicans. i think these people are making a serious mistake for thier cause because I predict it is this sort of bufoonery thats going to turn out the AA vote like never seen before..
May 14th, 2008 at 4:53 pmfriendsofronmexico Says:
Curious Obama !! HA!!!! Need to make Curious Obama’s ears bigger.LMAO
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What is so funny?
May 14th, 2008 at 6:08 pmrepublicans hate facts Says:
While these racist t-shirts are disgusting, how many sexist and horrific things have I seen posted from you Obamaheads on this site alone? While racism seems to be the thing that grabs the headlines, sexism seems to be of no concern for you bigoted disgusting hopium addict Republican NotSoLites!
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Aren’t you the person who drops the c word toward women anytime you get your panties bunched up? Seems sort of contradictory to me
May 14th, 2008 at 6:14 pmbarfly – probably heard most everything, had brothers in the Marines and Air Force. But, because the words are there doesn’t mean we have to use them.
And, as a former carny, I definitely heard worse – but the fact remains that the white folks that use these slurs think they’re apt, and sometimes funny, and I heard it most in the south. I seem to remember a Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas, that had mexican bars on one side of the street, and cowboy bars on the other side, and woe to the drunk who got confused about which side of the street he was on. They ended up in the next day’s news. Perhaps we travel in different social circles, cause in the past, I’ve worked with some stone-cold racist Texans. My point, that it’s just more visible in the South, would be mitigated by the fact that I don’t usually hobnob with Yuppies or white-collar workers, just blue-collar riff-raff, like myself.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:45 pmLike what is your damage, dude?
May 14th, 2008 at 7:33 pmNo, for real, what is your damage?
May 14th, 2008 at 9:37 pmOn May 14th, 2008 at 10:16 am, “Daryll” said:
Joke? What is funny about it? That it’s not funny?
As the great Judith Martin (aka Miss Manners) observed:
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May 15th, 2008 at 1:27 pmGet your anti-Mulligan’s T-shirts here: http://www.cafepress.com/equalriots.262667607
May 15th, 2008 at 2:00 pmStickers and stuff too:
http://www.cafepress.com/equalriots
… so Obama looks like Curious George…
Ive always thought Bush looked like one of the Smurfs…
The idiot didn’t know how to speak… but I do believe racist implications are implied in the statement by the listeners as much as the speakers…
We look for it even when sometimes it’s not there…
Now whether he actually meant for the picture to have racist connotations… well I guess he’s the only one that will ever know.
May 15th, 2008 at 6:45 pmFirst of all none of ya’ll even know him. Mike is a good person and I have known him my whole life.
June 13th, 2008 at 6:24 pmBesides Obama not even black, are ya’ll serious?
June 13th, 2008 at 6:25 pm