Race and Cowardice
On the occasion of black history month, our new Attorney General, Eric Holder, described the United States Wednesday as a nation of cowards on matters of race, saying most Americans avoid discussing unresolved racial issues.
The same day Holder called the United States a “nation of cowards,” always a terrific thing to say when holding a high-profile position in the federal government, a controversial cartoon appeared in the New York Post. In reference to the recent chimp-bites-woman incident in Stamford, Connecticut, the cartoon depicted a dead chimp, shot by a policeman, who mused that now someone else will have to write the next stimulus package.
How ironic that on the day Holder decided to call the people of his country racial cowards, that a cartoon would be printed that illustrated the exact reason why we are racial cowards.
The cartoon is clearly meant to depict the intelligence of those who compiled the frivilous, pork-stuffed stimulus package to be on par with that of a chimpanzee.
However, it seems that the majority of people think the cartoonist, Sean Delonas, used the image of the chimp to depict our African-American president, Barack Obama.
Now, let’s think about this one for a moment. How stupid would a cartoonist of a major New York newspaper be to use such an obvious racist image for the President of the United States? Secondly, the stimulus package was authored by congress – one version by the house, another by the senate. President Obama’s only job was to approve the final package. But despite these seemingly easily overlooked facts, the flame-fanners have been called in. We’ve even had an appearance by Al Sharpton, the man who lied to New York about Tawana Brawley, and the man who tried (unsuccessfuly) to ruin the career of Don Imus, after the aging shock-jock made a relatively innocent, and mostly unfunny racial joke.
By the way, where was the good Reverend, who wears expensive suits, but doesn’t have a job, when this gem was published? I guess it’s OK if it’s a Republican.
This, Mr. Holder, is why you call us cowards. We simply have no choice. We, the various races that comprise the melting pot of the United States, must walk on egg shells around each other, lest we be subject to the kind of persecution which resembles the modern equivalent of being fed to the lions. An open discussion of race is impossible if every candid comment or opinion is to be considered racist.