CakeBlast

The NY Post published a cartoon by artist Sean Delonas, depicting a chimpanzee that had been shot to death by two police officers. One of the officers turns to the other and says, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.”

Now, Al Sharpton and many of his people are up in arms demanding a boycott of the Post and their advertisers..his people? Yes, I mean activists! They are upset because the two officers pictured are white and the monkey was…well, some people think the monkey symbolizes Obama. The point is, these activists think that a monkey was used because Obama is half-black.

I will admit, the cartoon is moronic, insipid, and in bad taste. However, the NY Post has every right to publish the cartoon because free speech still exists despite the best efforts of Bush. The cartoon appears to have racial undertones but Delonas gets away with it because two Connecticut officers recently shot a violent monkey to death. Therefore, the cartoon is a topical mockery of our government’s efforts to repair our crippled economy.

Congress wrote the stimulus bill, but Delonas had to know people would think the  monkey represents Obama. Common sense would see the racist implications, even though monkeys do not represent people except in a Darwinian sense. Regardless, even if the cartoon featured a zebra being gunned down, the first Amendment would apply.

It is in bad taste, but the Post has a right to publish it. And a boycott of the newspaper would likely fail unless they printed many more offensive cartoons. Most people do not care that much about one lousy cartoon, unless it features Mohammad with a bomb in his turban.

I like Obama and think he has done an outstanding job during his first months in office. But as much as I find the cartoon distasteful, I still believe in freedom of speech and press.

I do not think the cartoon will change anyones’ mind about Obama or the stimulous package. A concerned letter to the editor is the best way to rebuke the NY Post. And to anyone who is still thinking of boycotting the NY Post… wait for the zebra before stating your case.