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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Dallas NAACP calling for protest of KDFW-TV, Fox Corporation over monkey cartoon

by PegNews wire

The Dallas Branch NAACP will hold a press conference today, February 26, at Dallas City Hall Plaza at Noon. The nation’s largest and oldest civil rights organization is asking that the Fox Corporation terminate the cartoonist, the editor-in-chief and increase diversity in the news room.

“It's an invitation to the assassination of the 44th president,” says Dallas Branch President, Dr. Juanita Wallace, speaking about the New York Post cartoon that has sparked outrage around the country.

The Dallas Branch NAACP joined by other community groups, will deliver a letter to KDFW-TV, Fox 4 News, asking the general manager, Kathy Saunders, to write a letter to Fox Corporation owner Rupert Murdoch supporting their demands. Mr. Murdoch’s apology yesterday, in which he said his paper would endeavor to be more sensitive to the community, is welcomed as a first step but is cited as inadequate by civil rights organizations for not offering any concrete measures to do so.

“President Abraham Lincoln said it is the silence of good men (and women) that allows evil to flourish. We are calling on our local Fox affiliate general manager to join us in expressing opposition to the hate speech of the New York Post, which is owned by their parent company. We ask Fox 4 to be good corporate citizens and go on record against this abhorrent display of overt racism. “

The cartoon, which showed police shooting an ape with a caption saying “I guess they’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill”, was juxtaposed against a photo of President Obama signing the stimulus package. Both Fox News and the New York Post have come under criticism by a variety of media watch dog groups for racially insensitive and biased reporting. Fox News was widely condemned for calling Michelle Obama “Obama’s baby mama” and then-candidate Barak Obama’s fist bump with this wife a “terrorist fist jab.”

“There is a pattern of lack of diversity in the newsroom and racial insensitivity in the news at Fox News and the New York Post,” says Dr. Wallace. “Likening our African American president to a monkey is unacceptable. African Americans have for too long been called primates as a way of dehumanizing an entire race of people. It’s time for this pattern at Fox news to stop” Dr. Wallace says.

Source: Dallas NAACP

Staff
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Anonymous

traveller2020, says:

Where were these protesters when there were cartoons(and more) which were considerably worse when George Bush was in office? I remember many degrading and threatening cartoons against his life but there was no call for protests and firings, why the double standard?

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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jtmbls, says:

Two words: White male

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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Lisa Lawrence Merritt, says:

NAACP: proof positive that one cannot "over come" until one learns to over come.

Playing the Race Card no longer works. The election of Obama killed the game. Sorry.

This cartoon is no differnt than any other political cartoon ever published. End of story.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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tx_dem41, says:

"Playing the Race Card no longer works. The election of Obama killed the game. Sorry.

This cartoon is no differnt than any other political cartoon ever published. End of story."

So black face and Stepin'Fetchit and Little Black Sambo, etc. can come back into the accepted mainstream, because "the election of Obama killed the game".

Right.

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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DC, says:

No one wanted to insult or degrade non-human primates by comparing them to Bush.

It appears metaphors are slippery for some people.

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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jtmbls, says:

tx dem - That's a bit of a stretch, don’t you think? I believe Lisa was merely stating that there could not be a better example of how far this country has come with racial equality than our elected president.

If you truly believe that a cartoon is a threat to your civil liberties, then God bless that you don’t have bigger issues to worry about. Welcome to true equality. It’s not always a field of posies.

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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traveller2020, says:

Anyone calling for protests, firings and termination of the editor at Pegasus News for running the threatening, hate-filled, overtly-racist cartoon?

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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alexander troup, says:

It really is a stupid insult, while let the guy do his job, he's doing a great job, but... the Peg is just following a story... then again, it what we read into a situation... that has to then again be realized......the 21st Century should be a movement to get this kind of insult behind us....then again playing cards and card tricks, I dont play the game...we are all in the same boat soon...like it or not..A/T, ..Multicultural Historian.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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jtmbls, says:

After reading the caption the point seems moot. Please correct me if I am wrong, but Obama is not the actual author of the stimulus bill. Pelosi and Biden were joint authors to my understanding. ???

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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traveller2020, says:

Playing devil's advocate here...the Peg could easily have run the story without posting the actual cartoon itself ;)

Choosing to post such an "abhorrently racist" cartoon here on Pegasus News makes it no less racist, threatening and hate-filled than it was when posted in the New York Post, right?

Shouldn't the local NAACP be protesting at the Peg, and demanding ITS editor now be fired? What's the difference?

The point I'm trying to make here is, it's all just really ridiculous.

BTW, I really enjoy Pegasus News, I'm just joking and playing devil's advocate here.

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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Travis Bush, says:

“There is a pattern of lack of diversity in the newsroom and racial insensitivity in the news at Fox News"

Thank you Captain Obvious! Hello NAACP! We're talking about FOX News ...pushing for diversity there is kind of like inviting Lou Dobbs to a Quinceañera...

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Jesus Valadez, says:

Makes me want to watch Fox even more. Keep on whining NAACP.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Travis Bush, says:

As if Jesus owns a TV...

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9 months, 1 week ago
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alexander troup, says:

He owns a mirco wave T.V in his garage, I bet, while he got some kahonies....A/T, Wake up eyeballs..

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Jesus Valadez, says:

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9 months, 1 week ago
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tx_dem41, says:

I was addressing the use of the overused phrase "playing the Race Card". This canard is always stated whenever anyone points out a perceived act of racism whether it is valid or not. The quote I was addressing seemed to imply that racism no longer exists due to the recent election, or at the very least anyone pointing out what they believe to be racism should be ignored.

And, jtmbls, when did I ever say that I felt my civil liberties were being threatened? I don't believe they are. But, I do know when an entire race's civil liberties were not only threatened but taken away, during a time when such images as this dehumanized a people, making it easy to take those liberties away:

http://i42.tinypic.com/sce6u9.jpg

These were used in mainstream culture, yet very few spoke out against them....maybe for fear of being accused of "Playing the Race Card"?

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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Jason Rice, says:

Help me here.

So now the NAACP represents Washington Lobbyists as a separate race? That IS who wrote the bill, right?

I mean I'm all for the observation these lobbyists aren't humans, but let's boldly jump right into giving them their own Phylum - not namby- pamby wade into it by calling them a "race." That way we can harvest them.

Tumbles:Two words: White male

Yeah! Those white males once again painted as cold-blooded killers of hand eating, face chewing lobbyists! Whoa! That's gonna be a demonstration of epic size!

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Jesus Valadez, says:

The white male keeps me down...

Take Travis for example.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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jtmbls, says:

Good point Jason. Did the creator of the comic ever come out and say who the chimp represented, or did he leave it open for interpretation?

Good point Jesus. Somebody please take Travis!

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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alexander troup, says:

Je,sus...we are all kept down until we earn our keep, then you realize the white male Travis is also a West Dallas boy, while I am from Little Mexico,and so we are all Amigos and Brothers, we are Texas and Amercians, and the ape thing is nonthing compared to the 8 years of being kept down by The Right Wing Chicken Thing..A/T,. Love thy neighbor..Bros and Amigos..

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Jesus Valadez, says:

Whatever, I'll still blame Travis.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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jtmbls, says:

"The Right Wing Chicken Thing" LMAO!

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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Travis Bush, says:

Jesus, I'm calling ICE just to prove your point...

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9 months, 1 week ago
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alexander troup, says:

Ice, oh mannnn......the T is Tuff, Texas made too., jesus, just chill......your on camera and we like you.....

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Jason Rice, says:

::open for interpretation?

Am I the only guy on earth familiar with the aphorism about monkeys, typewriters and Shakespeare?

Anybody else?

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9 months, 1 week ago
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alexander troup, says:

Your on boss...call a spade a spade....A/T, Darwin's father...

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Jason Rice, says:

And to wit - before anyone says anything

That's a 10 pointer AT. Kudos.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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alexander troup, says:

............thank you.....

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Scott Doyle, says:

News to me that the NAACP has individual branches in different cities.

So, how exactly are they protesting? And what the hell will it accomplish other than drawing even more attention to the cartoon? Writing a letter and making termination demands is pretty weak, imo.

Also, when does Fox have to apologize to Jesse Jackson?

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Lisa Lawrence Merritt, says:

I'm waiting on the Planet of the Apes to pop up.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Travis Bush, says:

"I'm waiting on the Planet of the Apes to pop up."

Like Jesse Jackson's itchy rash that just won't go away...

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9 months, 1 week ago
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alexander troup, says:

Combind the three, Planet of the Apes and Soilent Green, now where is the multicutural Charleston Heston...oopse forgot the Omega Man....all themes of what,....A/T, ..Ethical Ethnic Pop Culture.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Lisa Lawrence Merritt, says:

http://www.bushorchimp.com/

Now even I'm offended!!!

This comparison of Presidents to monkeys has got to stop!!!

Someone call the NAAWP!!!!

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9 months, 1 week ago
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jtmbls, says:

Oh that is horrible! We need to sue somebody in a hurry! If we don’t, it might become acceptable to call us rednecks and even the term Texan might take on a whole new derogatory meaning! Whatever will we do then??!!

Anonymous

9 months, 1 week ago
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Jason Rice, says:

Love me some Lisa Lawrence!
Just what the conversation needed, lady.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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Lisa Lawrence Merritt, says:

Actually, the assumption or inference that the monkey in the cartoon represented Obama is a leap.

When I saw the cartoon I ASSumed the intent was that the stimulus bill was so bad a monkey could have written it.

Plus.... I think the author may have been playing of the recent story of the out of control chimp that was shot by police. Which is a much better representation of the situation.

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9 months, 1 week ago
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alexander troup, says:

The New York Times had a good story yesterday about monkies as pets, while it also did refer to the chimp that was on drugs kept as a pet and ripped off the face of a freind, that is the story I am realizing,....man's and women's best freind goes crazy......our own minds tend to go beyond real time...A/T, ..Mans worst freind..

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9 months, 1 week ago
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jtmbls, says:

Sad and unfortunately too familiar story. If you have an undeniable urge to live with a primate, don’t force them to live in your world, go live in theirs. http://redapes.org/