Spit it out  

Let the New York Post know that this is not OK.

Dear Essie,

Yesterday, the day after President Obama signed the stimulus bill, his first major piece of legislation, the New York Post ran a cartoon depicting the bill's author as a dead monkey, covered in blood after being shot by police.
  
In the face of intense criticism, The Post's editor is standing by the cartoon, claiming it has no racial undertones, that it's not about Obama, and that it was simply referencing an incident earlier this week when police shot a pet chimpanzee (an argument that pundits and analysts simply aren't buying).¹

It's impossible to believe that any newspaper editor could be ignorant enough to not understand how this cartoon evokes a history of racist symbolism, or how frightening this image feels at a time when death threats against President Obama have been on the rise.

Please join us in demanding that The Post apologize publicly and fire the editor who allowed this cartoon to go to print:

http://colorofchange.org/nypost/?id=1621-507259

The Post would have us believe that the cartoon is not about Obama. But on the page just before the cartoon appears, there's a big picture of Obama signing the stimulus bill.² A reader paging through The Post would see Obama putting pen to paper, then turn the page to see this violent cartoon. The imagery is chilling.

There is a clear history in our country of racist symbolism that depicts Black people as apes or monkeys, and it came up multiple times during the presidential campaign.³

We're also in a time of increased race-based violence. In the months following President Obama's election there has been a nationwide surge in hate crimes ranging from vandalism to assaults to arson on Black churches.^4,5 There has been an unprecedented number of threats against President Obama since he was elected,⁶ with hate-based groups fantasizing about the killing of the president. Just a week ago, a man drove from Louisiana to the Capitol with a rifle, telling the police who stopped him that he had a "delivery" for the president.⁷

There is no excuse for The Post to have allowed this cartoon to be printed, and even less for Editor Col Allan's outright dismissal of legitimate concerns.

But let's be clear about who's behind The Post: Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch, the Post's owner, is the man behind FOX News Channel. FOX has continually attacked and denigrated Black people, politicians, and institutions at every opportunity, and we've run several campaigns to make clear how FOX poisons public debate.⁸

We don't expect much from Murdoch. However, with enough public pressure we can set the stage for advertisers and subscribers to think long and hard before patronizing outlets like the Post that refuse to be held accountable.

You can help by making it clear that the Post's behavior is unacceptable, and by asking your friends and family to do the same. It only takes a minute: From Essie Rerun Berry it's time for a change people are still dumb to the fact, that this is a new time and change in the world,And black Americans are not going to stand for the Disrespect of our culture or nor will we turn the other cheek and look away game over.So who ever is drew this picture and who ever allowed it to be published you are just as guilty.So stop hating because Obama a black man rules the Nation now!And Obama has to come and clean up a white man's mess,That is sad.Now let us be real with our self, What is even sadder is that a major Newpaper such as the New York Post who has been around for years, there true color has came out.I stand in agreement with all Americans Black,White or whatever to Boycott the New York Post.And By the way New york Post and to the Person who wrote this disrespectful Drawing,So a man think so is he,So trurley you were writting about your self Spit that Out Essie Rerun Berry(spititout1@yahoo.com)Join the March to have a voice Obama did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!