sheesh...
Lot of crazy stuff happened this week... starting with the editorial cartoon in the NY Post.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-02-19-monkey-cartoon_N.htm
First off, no one reads the NY Post... that's like saying something was printed in the Southtown Economist, or the Davis Island Penny Saver. That being said, did the cartoonist cross the line here? My first reaction to the cartoon had nothing to do with race. I knew they were tying the shooting of the chimp the day before to the stimulus package, and I also know that Congress and the legislative branch drafted the stimulus package. President Obama is just lucky enough to be the guy to have his face on the package!
It wasn't until after the fact that I even thought about the racial implications... Obama is black (and white). Comparing African-Americans to chimps or monkeys is probably a favorite past-time of the less educated and fearful in our society. However, comparing Congress to a bunch of monkeys is also a favorite pastime... or rats, herd of sheep, etc... Did the Post think they'd have a racial backlash on their hands? ABSOLUTELY! I guarantee you they have had more hits on their web-site and more copies sold this week from the uproar than you can imagine.
Now, some people might say, "Of course you don't think it's racist and insensitive... you are white!" Well, there is nothing I can do about that... but two things I can say about it are 1) I am not afraid to talk about race and I think that is what is really the issue here (see below), and 2) I spent most of 7th grade running from kids trying to join the Gangster Disciples or Blackstones... anyone else remember that when going to school on the South Side of Chicago knows a little bit about oppression.
I feel the bigger issue, as our new Attorney General, Eric Holder, pointed out is that Americans shy away from dealing with race as an issue:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/mitchell/2009/02/attorney_general_eric_holders.html
Now, he may have used some strong words such as "cowards", etc... in getting his message across, but just because we elected our first African-American President doesn't mean all is right and fixed with regards to Civil Rights and equal treatment for all. Again, going back to my Chicago roots - there is still a lot we can do, and I feel we need to do, in order to cross those boundaries. A very insightful article ran last December in the Chicago Tribune:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/dec/26/local/chi-segregation-26-dec26
This is how I remembered Chicago growing up, and it is still the same way. Some folks, including many of my classmates from High School, ignored the invisible boundaries and went where we chose. Now, that's not to say I picked up and moved to 87th & Exchange, but there is not a corner of that city that I did not explore including the infamous Robert Taylor & Cabrini Green housing projects. The train ride from the far southwest corner of the city to the Loop basically took you through some areas that looked more like war-torn Bosnia than a bustling metropolis.
So, that is why I feel there are way more pressing issues than a political cartoon with a hidden agenda. The NY Post issued an apology, but I hope that some people that were incensed by it take a long look at AG Holder's message as well. Reach out to people that maybe you wouldn't ordinarily reach out to... go somewhere you wouldn't ordinarily consider a vacation spot and come face-to-face with history instead of avoiding the issues at hand.
Anyhoo... let me get off my soap box... let's talk some football!
Errrr... I was just reminded that it's about to be Baseball Season, meaning I have a LONG seven months or so until training camp. Sheesh...
When does the Arena League start???
Anyone???
Last note... had my birthday last week, and Angela got me the greatest birthday present ever! I'll be sure to blog about that in the next week with some pics... she's da bomb!
Peace out...
Heitz
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