Thursday, February 19, 2009

Al Sharpton - The Real Monkey

After a long hiatus, I am back on the politics blogspot! I have been focusing my efforts for the past few months on my relationships blog which is gaining popularity. Go to http://davejerridoonrelationships.blogspot.com to check it out and leave comments.

Now, let's quickly talk about this latest buzz concerning the New York Post. Earlier this week, a 14-year-old, 200-pound pet chimpanzee in Stamford, Conn. left a woman in critical condition after attacking her—mutilating her face and hands. Police eventually shot and killed the mammoth chimp. The next day, the New York Post published a cartoon depicting two police officers standing over a fallen chimp with the caption: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

This immediately sparked outrage among members in the African-American community; in particular, Rev. Al Sharpton who made the following statement (amended): "The cartoon in today’s New York Post is troubling at best, given the racist attacks throughout history that have made African-Americans synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual inference to this form of racism when, in the cartoon, the police say after shooting a chimpanzee, “now they will have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill.” ..... The Post should at least clarify what point they were trying to make in this cartoon, and reprimand their cartoonist for making inferences that are offensive and divisive at a time the nation struggles to come together to stabilize the economy if, in fact, this was yet another racially charged cartoon."

Al Sharpton along with Jesse Jackson were pivotal figures during the civil rights struggles in the 1960's and early 1970's. Their collective leadership efforts brought a multitude of people together for the cause of peace and unity. But that was then and this is now. Sharpton still uses the same tactics today with very little fanfare. Seems like the only time he shows up is when he can get his face on camera. If you are an organization involved in an ordeal similar to the New York Post and you are not making any financial contributions to Sharpton's benefit, then he will call you out and organize a march against you. Sharpton does not have the street credibility that President Obama has and will attempt to cash in on his 15 minutes of fame whenever he can get in front of a TV camera.

As always, all points of view are welcome - supporting or opposing. Please click on the word COMMENTS below and join in the conversation. You can now leave anonymous comments if you wish. Thanks!