The following is a copy of the New York Post apology for a cartoon Rev. Al Sharpton and other African American leaders took as offensive. Seldom has a Ruppert Murddock publication backed down in putting forth its First Amendment Right TO FREE SPEECH. What caused him to do so this time?
Wednesday's Page Six cartoon - caricaturing Monday's police shooting of a chimpanzee in Connecticut - has created considerable controversy.
It shows two police officers standing over the chimp's body: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill," one officer says.
It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill.
Period.
But it has been taken as something else - as a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism.
This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize.
However, there are some in the media and in public life who have had differences with The Post in the past - and they see the incident as an opportunity for payback.
To them, no apology is due.
Sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon - even as the opportunists seek to make it something else.
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Comments: 17
Personally, I think depicting Bush as a monkey was insulting primates in general. He should've been drawn as a jackal.
The image itself is offensive enough on so many levels and the caption --speaks volumes about the issue of race in America. The editor and the CEO of the NY Post should be inundated with reprimands from the millions of New Yorkers who voted for Barack Obama. The history of one election will be followed by the ignorance of first this paper followed by another and another. This is very sad; racism always is --very sad -- shame on the offensiveness of the human(s) responsible. Sent on Wednesday...
My comment here is ....
This is not now nor has it ever been about Al Sharpton, this was a pernicious message which has obviously offended many more than media pimps and whores. Yesterday, Whoppi Goldberg addressed this on the View, as did the entire panel of (5) women.
There was a consensus voiced throughout the world that THIS cartoon was offensive. I have many friends in Europe and elsewhere who e-mailed me regarding this one cartoon. This was, at any time, under any President an offensive message regardless of the intended message, if any. Those who are against animal cruelty were also offended some police departments were offended. For those who saw nothing wrong with this cartoon are the people, neighbors or friends who everyone should be concerned.
Singer writes open letter to paper criticizing cartoon
Updated 12:15 PM EST, Fri, Feb 20, 2009
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/John-Legend-to-NY-Post-Shame-on-You.html