This problem is so much bigger than Marilyn Davenport...

[nessalynn77]

This was my first thought. Why does it have to be racist just because it's an ape? Why can't it be about something else, like intelligence, tool-use, a big smile, bug eating, big ears, etc.? What if it had been a white gibbon instead of a chimp? </dvlsadvct>

It could be about something else and drawing a comparison to how she views his character, BUT what makes it bad, is that they know the history of how offensive this comparison is when dealing with this particular race.  Being politicians, they are skilled in being politically correct, shoot, they coined the term.  That's a pretty big slip, considering her career choice.  I wonder how the thought that "this is inappropriate" didn't enter her mind.

In my mind, I picture her scrolling down her contacts clicking who to forward it to.  I'm sure she came across some black folk, republican or otherwise, and I'm sure she skipped them, LOL!  That right there should've told her it was inappropriate.

Truth.
Thats pretty much my point. Its funny how we all laughed when comedians and late night TV shows made fun of G.W. Bush, but when they say ANYTHING about Obama, racist or not, there's a huge problem.

That's true.  I have a problem with that.  I also have a problem with all the folks who want to be anointed and deep and pray for Obama, but the only way they mentioned Dubya's name in prayer was to pray for his death or ousting, LOL!

[under13]

It could be about something else and drawing a comparison to how she views his character, BUT what makes it bad, is that they know the history of how offensive this comparison is when dealing with this particular race.  Being politicians, they are skilled in being politically correct, shoot, they coined the term.  That's a pretty big slip, considering her career choice.  I wonder how the thought that "this is inappropriate" didn't enter her mind.

In my mind, I picture her scrolling down her contacts clicking who to forward it to.  I'm sure she came across some black folk, republican or otherwise, and I'm sure she skipped them, LOL!  That right there should've told her it was inappropriate.

 That's true.  I have a problem with that.  I also have a problem with all the folks who want to be anointed and deep and pray for Obama, but the only way they mentioned Dubya's name in prayer was to pray for his death or ousting, LOL!

Yeah, I think she knew what she was doing

Yes, and its funny how black Christians never talk about what Obama is doing about Gay Marriage.... Or do they

[LaylaMonroe]

I don't know if anyone is saying that she represents the whole Republican party. That would be kinda silly.

I do believe, however, that if they do not require her to step down (and only someone who doesn't know politics would think that they CAN'T), then they are endorsing and condoning her behavior on the sneak tip.

Even if she didn't mean to appear racist, it was insensitive and you can't tell me that a 74 year old white woman elected to represent the people didn't realize that email would be offensive and that it had racial undertones. No. Way. No. Way.

And for the record, I find it offensive to depict anyone as any animal (even that girl New York as Miss Piggy). I don't think that's funny at all. That doesn't mean that it can't possibly be blatantly racist just because it was done to a white person too.

[LaylaMonroe]

I'd rather be seen as up in arms than be seen as defending such ignorance. BTJM.

[under13]

I don't know if anyone is saying that she represents the whole Republican party. That would be kinda silly.

Then why would you say that black people should not vote republican?

[LaylaMonroe]

Perhaps you're not alone in taking my comment out of context. I'm on my BB so I can't easily scroll up and down, but I think what I said is that IF the Republican Party does not make her step down, then they are condoning her insensitive and offensive statement, and therefore Black people should not vote Republican. There was an "if" in there somewhere that somehow got overlooked.

[nessalynn77]

Perhaps you're not alone in taking my comment out of context. I'm on my BB so I can't easily scroll up and down, but I think what I said is that IF the Republican Party does not make her step down, then they are condoning her insensitive and offensive statement, and therefore Black people should not vote Republican. There was an "if" in there somewhere that somehow got overlooked.

It's the "if they" that I'm tripping over.  Many republicans are independently calling for her resignation, and I'm almost positive she will eventually step down, but if she doesn't and in the face of all of that opposition to her staying, chooses to stay anyway, I don't see how that's on the entire republican party and any future candidates.  We already know from this tea party business that the republican party is not strong on solidarity right now.  So I think their opinions on this topic are probably as varied as ours, if not more.   That lends to a weaker message to her from her party to resign, probably convincing her that she may be able to survive this and hang on to her office in the end.

[LaylaMonroe]

Truth.
Thats pretty much my point. Its funny how we all laughed when comedians and late night TV shows made fun of G.W. Bush, but when they say ANYTHING about Obama, racist or not, there's a huge problem.

I know that was just a figure of speech, but for the record, we all didn't laugh.

The only thing I recall laughing about concerning GWB was his butchering of the English language. I found that funny then, and I still find it funny now. I laugh at Biden for the same thing. He's just as bad, just not as much in the spotlight.

I laughed at President Obama for his horrible girly jeans, the caricature someone did making his ears HUGE, and his many teleprompter gaffes while he was campaigning.

I did not laugh at GWB being likened to an ape (though I do think it was quite creative of the person who found all those images). It's insulting. Even though I'm not a GWB fan at all, I still recognize that he's a human being, one that God created, and he has feelings... and so does his family. There's no reason at all to insult a person in that manner, just because you disagree with their policies or the way they handle the office they occupy.

And perhaps you're just getting your news from a different source, but there WAS indeed a "huge problem" when the Democrats were hitting GWB below the belt with their silly and ignorant insults.

It's the "if they" that I'm tripping over.  Many republicans are independently calling for her resignation, and I'm almost positive she will eventually step down, but if she doesn't and in the face of all of that opposition to her staying, chooses to stay anyway, I don't see how that's on the entire republican party and any future candidates.  We already know from this tea party business that the republican party is not strong on solidarity right now.  So I think their opinions on this topic are probably as varied as ours, if not more.   That lends to a weaker message to her from her party to resign, probably convincing her that she may be able to survive this and hang on to her office in the end.

Well don't trip, now... it ain't that big a biggie.  The Republican Party has the clout and the ability to force her to resign... and that's really the bottom line. It's been done on both sides of the aisle more times than I can count - and that's just in MY lifetime. It can be done here. If they hate what she did as much as they claim they do, they will make her resign. Even her local party probably has the power to make her step down (that's not as guaranteed, though).

[Arkhams Finest]

Why does it have to be racist just because it's an ape?

Because it is.

Why can't it be about something else, like intelligence, tool-use, a big smile, bug eating, big ears, etc.?

Because it isn't.   

The Republican Party has the clout and the ability to force her to resign... and that's really the bottom line.

Absolutely.





Ya know, sometimes in the interest of playing devil's advocate and/or having a different point of view we end up completely disregarding what's blatantly obvious.  It was racist because it was racist.  I'm not going to add an "IMO" on that one.  It was racist.  Don't make excuses for this lady.   

[under13]

umm...ok.

Kinda OT, but I think it would be in black people's best interest to vote republican and to adopt their political views.  *hides*

[nessalynn77]

Sorry, i didn't mean tripping in the traditional figurative sense, I actually meant stumbling... a less traditional figurative sense.

Because it is.

Because it isn't.   

Absolutely.





Ya know, sometimes in the interest of playing devil's advocate and/or having a different point of view we end up completely disregarding what's blatantly obvious.  It was racist because it was racist.  I'm not going to add an "IMO" on that one.  It was racist.  Don't make excuses for this lady.   

I disagree that it is absolutely racist.  Our experience shapes our view, she hasn't had those experiences.  It hasn't been in her face all of her life, I'll even go as far as to say she probably never saw it as important or a big deal.  I can see how the comparison wasn't viewed by her personally as racist.  I can't see how she didn't understand that others would view it as racist and therefore she should not be connected with such a comparison.

umm...ok.

Kinda OT, but I think it would be in black people's best interest to vote republican and to adopt their political views.  *hides*

On some issues, I agree with you.

[LaylaMonroe]

Some of the stuff I'm reading here just gives me such a major facepalm I don't even know what else to say.

I just pray she never stumbles upon this thread. I'm assuming that's unlikely to ever happen, but you never know. I shouldn't have put her full name in the title.

[Arkhams Finest]

she hasn't had those experiences... 

It hasn't been in her face all of her life...

I'll even go as far as to say she probably never saw it as important or a big deal. 

How many Caucasians HAVE experienced "those experiences"? 

How many Caucasians HAVE had racism in their face for their whole life?

How can you say she "probably" never saw it as important?

She's 74, meaning she was an adult during the Civil Rights Movement.  That was a time when you could turn on the evening news and see that Martin Luther King fella leading marches...or policeman turning hoses and dogs on black people.  She isn't some Johnny-come-lately.

It seems like you're REALLY trying to give her the benefit of the doubt for sending such an incredibly offensive image.   

[sjonathan02]

How many Caucasians HAVE experienced "those experiences"? 

How many Caucasians HAVE had racism in their face for their whole life?

How can you say she "probably" never saw it as important?

She's 74, meaning she was an adult during the Civil Rights Movement.  That was a time when you could turn on the evening news and see that Martin Luther King fella leading marches...or policeman turning hoses and dogs on black people.  She isn't some Johnny-come-lately.

It seems like you're REALLY trying to give her the benefit of the doubt for sending such an incredibly offensive image.   

 

[Arkhams Finest]

 

Yea, I don't know why I worded it like that either.   

[nessalynn77]

How many Caucasians HAVE experienced "those experiences"? 

How many Caucasians HAVE had racism in their face for their whole life?

How can you say she "probably" never saw it as important?

She's 74, meaning she was an adult during the Civil Rights Movement.  That was a time when you could turn on the evening news and see that Martin Luther King fella leading marches...or policeman turning hoses and dogs on black people.  She isn't some Johnny-come-lately.

It seems like you're REALLY trying to give her the benefit of the doubt for sending such an incredibly offensive image.   

Yeah, that doesn't mean it was ever important to her.  Black people are instantly offended by the monkey reference.  Another race is instantly offended by a "bean" reference.  The bean thing has never meant jack to me, so I could off-handedly make a comment about it and never have intended it to be anything but an innocent comment.  The race of the person involved and where they come from would cause it to mean something totally different to them. 

Of course she knows about civil rights, doesn't mean a monkey reference ever had any importance for it to have great significance either way to her.  She hasn't had to suffer being called one, and may have never called anyone that our of racist intent. 

[nessalynn77]

I'm not trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.  You made an absolute statement as though there's no way she could have other intent.  In my opinion, she could have.  Plain and simple.

[lordluvr]

The image made me laugh.  I'll be honest.  I looked at it in the same regard I looked at the images of Bush while he was in office.  I laughed at them too.  In fact, some were the ones that U-13 posted.  I didn't think the images of Bush were racist.  Just because Pres Obama is black, I'm now supposed to change my view?

 For a moment, I'll put myself in her shoes, thinking the way I currently think.  Had I received that e-mail, I would have laughed and thought nothing of it, but I WOULD NOT have forwarded it.  I have enough common sense to know that SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE might think it inappropriate.  The fact that she forwarded it says, to me, that either she's a fool and it's now coming to light how foolish she is...OR.. she IS a racist and was foolish enough to to think that ALL of her friends thought the same as she.

[betnich]

There is a kind of blindness about racial issues some more well-off whites have. That could have been the case here, where someone would Photoshop an ape-like image of the sitting President without thinking through the implications and racial baggage behind it. Could have been - but I think it was intentional on the part of the person that made it.

A bit like the character on the Colbert Report insisting he "doesn't see color" while acting entitled...

[chevonee]

I'm like Sjon, I refuse to let someone else's ignorance offend me any more. Enough is enough!! She's an idiot and that's all it is to it. Yes, I'm sick of things like this but racism will never truly end. We as black people have a chance now to prove idiots like her wrong by our actions and not just our words. BTJM