Cartoon Offensive?

[Feif]

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local...ead-Chimp.html

The Rev. Al Sharpton says a New York Post cartoon that appears to link President Obama to a violent chimpanzee is "troubling at best."

The cartoon in Wednesday's Post by Sean Delonas shows a dead chimp and two police officers, one with a smoking gun.

The caption reads, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

The cartoon refers to Travis the chimp, who was shot to death by police in Stamford, Conn. on Monday after it mauled a friend of its owner.

It links the chimp to Obama, who signed his administration's economic stimulus plan on Tuesday.

Sharpton called the cartoon offensive and divisive, citing the historic racist attack of African Americans as being synonymous with monkeys.

"Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama (the first African American president) and has become synonymous with him it is not a reach to wonder are they inferring that a monkey wrote the last bill?" he asks.

"Given that the New York Post cartoonist came under heavy fire in the past for racially tinged cartoons including the infamous cartoons depicting 2001 mayoral candidate Freddy Ferrer and me in very unflattering ways that were used as a divisive campaign tactic, one cannot ignore their history when one finds out what they could possibly mean by this morning's cartoon," Sharpton said.

The cartoon was a satire, the New York Post said in a statement.

"The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut," said New York Post editor-in-chief Col Allan. "It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."

The Post has it right: Sharpton is an idiot.



It's not so bad.