Sharpton, 'New York Post' At Odds Over Political Cartoon
Al Sharpton says a political cartoon in today's New York Post (above) "is troubling at best," when viewed in a racial context. The cartoon appears to spoof yesterday's police shooting of a raging chimpanzee in Connecticut and President Obama signing his billion-dollar stimulus bill into law.
Sharpton issued this written statement:
"The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual reference to this when in the cartoon they have police saying after shooting a chimpanzee that "Now they will have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill."
"Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama (the first African American president) and has become synonymous with him it is not a reach to wonder are they inferring that a monkey wrote the last bill?"
The Post followed with this:
"The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."
What do you think?
Tags: Al Sharpton | New York Post
11:35 AM ET | 02-18-2009 | permalink
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