February 24, 2009

I question this apology, I question your motives: Open Thread...ish

So, the Free Speech brigade has jumped all over the NY Post cartoon lately. At least I've noticed. And whenever I see them I just can't help but believe they've missed the point about the cartoon being offensive. So, let's call this an open post because I'm quite tired & I have to do laundry. I also rather hate everything right now.

Rupert Murdoch took time out of his day to apologize, not because he feels bad but because...well it's too late for drama/damage control. So let's look at it a little:

As the Chairman of the New York Post, I am ultimately responsible for what is printed in its pages. The buck stops with me.

Last week, we made a mistake. We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted.

Over the past couple of days, I have spoken to a number of people and I now better understand the hurt this cartoon has caused. At the same time, I have had conversations with Post editors about the situation and I can assure you - without a doubt - that the only intent of that cartoon was to mock a badly written piece of legislation. It was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by many as such.

We all hold the readers of the New York Post in high regard and I promise you that we will seek to be more attuned to the sensitivities of our community.


So, my outstanding readers, let me just throw you out some questions. Feel free to chime in on as many or as few as you like:

1) How did you really feel about this debacle. Really.
2) Is this cartoon in any way racist and/or disturbing to you? Even with the context?
3) Do you think something other than I'm sooo sorry should be done about this? If so, what?
4) How far will you go to protect your first amendment rights?
5) What do you think about these apologies? (Delonas', Murdoch's...Murdoch's)
Yes all those questions are serious and no I'm not going to yell at you if we happen to disagree. Personally I'm way over this shit already because we all know America can't stop won't stop so I wonder why I even bother some days.

Talk amongst yourselves!

2 comments:

  1. It's all your fault...your fault that I saw the cartoon in the first place. You opened the door to a type of old school ignorance that I grew up with in the south and easily identified as being just that even as a small child. You speak of racism a lot and often I think, "Why is she going on and on like this?" but it's valid. Racism is alive and well whether it is spoken of or not. When I left the south and moved to Chicago, I was amazed to find it was more apparant in polite conversation. At business gatherings I would hear things that took me back to the 70's in the south. I had always assumed that it was a southern epidemic but I learned that while the south had dealt with racism shoulder to shoulder, the north just kept it all nice and neat and alive by segregating themselves from people of difference. The south in all its struggles had found that poverty is a great equalizer where as other places like Chicago had known wealth and arrogance and held on to things that should have been left behind long ago. Obviously, this is true of New York...perhaps everywhere big and small. I got the chance to know our President while he was an Illinois Senator and I've been in awe of him ever since. Something that resides in him is alive and well in me. There is a connection that's not about black or white-it's just human and chimes with joy and love and compassion. It's a hope that swells my heart much the way it did for my father when Kennedy is spoken of. It hurts me that people found it acceptable to portray him as that but at the same time I'm reminded that Bush was often portrayed as a chimpanzee when first elected and I laughed at those. Why didn't I laugh at that cartoon? Why is it different? You make me think and I appreciate that, though I think racism or any other prejudice will be resolved by opposition. I believe indifference can only be overcome by living as an example of love because love has no race, creed or color.

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  2. Wow...that's quite the comment. Thank you for sharing that as I don't think I could've even come close to articulating that without pulling out an AK-47. And I'm glad Murdoch stepped in and made it clear he was tolerating that kind of nonsense.

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Please share some knowledge. Or amuse me at least :O