As much as I want to ignore ignorant people, I can't.
When I first saw the now notorious cartoon from the New York Post the racial connotations were clear. Did Obama write the bill? No. However, would most people immediately make that connection when they read the caption? Of course!
Let's not play dumb
I absolutely refuse to believe that no one at the New York Post saw the connection between the cartoon and the horrible historical racist depictions of African Americans as monkeys.
The first apology issued by the New York Post regarding the cartoon was an absolute joke. No apology is better than a fake apology. Even people that gave the cartoonist, Sean Delones, the benefit of the doubt were angered by the half-apology because it dismisses the idea that blacks could be offended by the cartoon. It even calls those that were offended "opportunists."
Are we really that dumb? Are we really that ignorant? Seriously. This has nothing to do with party lines. This is about a group of people hurt by the depiction of a black man as a monkey, whether it was intentional or not. It is not about being liberal or conservative, it is about knowing the historical context. The apology is obviously geared toward a race that they think is overly offended too often, but is that even an excuse to print it?
The New York Post has every right in the world to print the cartoon. Free speech is not thrown out the window here. They can print it, no questions asked. However, even if they are given the full benefit of the doubt I am still left with a lot of questions. So, they didn't mean it? They didn't know it? But, most importantly they didn't care?
Free speech is still free speech, but that doesn't mean that you aren't held accountable when people are offended.
We as journalists are taught to be aware and sensitive when it comes to stereotyping and racial issues. Why do you think we have to sit through diversity training every year? Do I need to be told that racism is bad? Of course not, but journalists need to be aware that even though you do not think something is offensive, others might interpret differently.
Hey, offend people if you want, but don't play dumb. You knew it was coming.
Leave a comment