OlderJohn Legend’s Open Letter To NY Post
The New York Post has apologized for a Sean Delonas cartoon that supposedly compared President Barack Obama to a chimpanzee.
The drawing showed two policemen over the body of a chimpanzee they’ve just shot as one officer says, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.”
Neo-soul John Legend had written an open letter to the NY Post about it:
Dear Editor: I’m trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon?
(Click inside to continue reading John Legend’s letter…)
If that’s not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can’t imagine what possible justification you have for this. I’ve read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. It’s about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.
I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I’m personally boycotting your paper and won’t do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well.
You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.
I’m well aware of our country’s history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don’t need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.
Sincerely,
John Legend
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153 Comments
oh please they have done worst to Pres.Bush,other political figures and even Condi Rice but this Messiah Obama standards are so pathetic and will have bigger backlash.
O’ please go write a song or something enough with these stupid black celebrities who use every opportunity so they can pimp for Obama, what’s next Oprah going to have the cartoonist on her show to explain how he could even think of implying that the “ONE” ’s stimulus plan isn’t America’s saving grace but a big ponsi scheme that will put America in hawk to the rest of the world along with all the other trillions Obama is throwing around like it’s water and he’s just beginning.
MARIA #23 LOL THATS FUNNY AND SO TRUE, ID RATHER BE A MONKEY THAN BUSH, INFACT ID RATHER BE SHOT BY POLICE THAN BE BUSH LOLLLLLLLL
WTF is up with the NY post… that cartoon is offensive and sick
#76 they don’t have to apologise for anything its a freedom of speech so get over it, it’s not their faulty that some of you link the monkey to Obama, so now you tell me who are the real racists? people who link the monkey to Obama or us who just avoidthe non sense and move on.
This is nicely written and I strongly agree with his points, but it should be “whoever was responsible,” not “whomever.”
:D
I really don’t think that people realize how insensitive they sound when they are writing these comments. As an African American I am personally more offended going through these comments and seeing people refer to “blacks” so derogatory. Yes, I understand that the cartoon may not really be racist since Obama did not actually write the bill himself but thinking it is about him and then being offended does not mean someone has a “victim mentality” or needs to get over the terrible things that have been done to them in their past! Perception is a personal thing and everyone has a right to see this cartoon in their own way. Instead of insulting ALL african americans or liberals can we not stick to the one person this article is about? I also do not agree that this is “pulling the race card” [a phrase which minimizes the experiences of someone in a terrible way], especially with the history that comes with being called a monkey [aka a negative derogatory word] to african americans. It may not bother YOU but it’s still an insult now because the past is not really that far away yet. I think people can be indignant without being judged so harshly and critically.
-also what is the point of minamizing his PENN acceptance and education galloway ? Just because he is african-american does not mean that he did not deserve that acceptance because of his qualifications that are equal to that of every other non-minority student
i think THAT is playing the race card unfairly
-sorry but that bothers me because I do not want to be judged negatively about the college I attend because I am a minority and therefore that must mean that I was accepted just to fill a diversity quota….the times they are a changing, they are smart students of all races and being an underrepresented minority means nothing to competitive colleges when they have high calibar students applying who are underrepresented minorities.
its not even race related, the stimulus plan is horrible and they are showing ya that by saying even a money could write something like that it has nothing to do with race nd john legend needs to stop being a little ***** about. Black people need to stop trying to play the race card seriously hello slavery was long time ago and no one person alive today had anything to do with it so let the **** go!!!!!!
JM #28: respect is earned my friend. Bush never earned it. He squandered it. Do you realise the amount of blood that “man” has on his hands? Where do you suggest he go? To heaven? MAY HE BURN HE HELL FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE TO THE WORLD IN THE EIGHT YEARS HE WAS PRESIDENT.
#83 why do you always go back? that was in the past so we have to concentrate on the present and the future, why do you have to mention that in the past monkeys were linked to blacks, well if you are living in past then don’t you think Obama would have never been elected the president? Am I right or wrong? Life goes on you have to put that in past and move on and not always think that monkey is meant for blacks heck when I was a kid and I would fight with my sister i would call her a monkey, so now I see that monkey is only reserved for Blacks? is that what you are saying? why do you guys always link monkey to blacks and once again that was in the past lets leave that in the past.
Way to go, John Legend. I definitely agree with what you’ve said. =)
sorry heck i know my history and i know how the black man sold the black man into slavery. can you even read. try picking up a history book instead of a crack pipe. your over slavery yeah thats why your people are always trying to get someone to pay you money because your so over it.
This is a harsh and honest attack to a deplorable and ignorant insult. There is no excuse for that sick cartoon to have been published except for the very reasons Legend pointed out. I’m am so glad people in NY are picketing and putting heavy pressure on the Post. I’ve never like Delonas and now I know why. The man is a racist.
#67 THATs_right….one can never FORGET the past, it is a part of everyone’s makeup, to deny it, or forget about would be an injustice to one’s self. It’s okay to acknowledge, learn and move forward, but never, never forget. We can’t forget about our ancestors being beaten, raped, sold away, stripped of their names, denied education, voting rights, even names sake, come on, listen to yourself, forget about the past? Do you have a connection to your past? How fair is it to ask someone to “leave the past in the past?” (Rhetorical). I’ll never forget, my children won’t forget, and neither will theirs. I don’t believe Caucasians or any other races are evil, but I do believe it is nearly impossible for others to sympathize, empathize maybe, but sympathize absolutely NOT! We can have dialogue without being disrespectful, but please, don’t ask African Americans or anyone else for that manner to “FORGET.”
#90 ok you do’nt want to forget thats fine but don’t bring that history back and cry all the time about it, if we were a racist nation Obama would never been the President we are trying to move on but you always find something to cry about and I never asked you to forget I said move on don’t bring the past, did Obama made any comments about the cartoon? No
@GALLOWAY…ok so you’re angry because you couldn’t cut it in community college and you want to blame minorities for you ignorance and inability to compete? Go to hell. These practices came by way of people like you feeling incapable of competing in not only academics but athetics as well. You need to look yourself in the mirror and give yourself some straight talk. You didn’t do what you were suppose to do, suffer the consequences embasel! You are right, being able to voice your opinion doesn’t mean you’re saying anyting of importance….you proved your point.
@Lis K, neither or you! Y
John was sort of right for speaking up though. What I don’t get is the comment about the stimulus plan. I thought everybody voted for Obama so that everybody can have financial success and not just the filthy rich. 69 percent of the US voted for Barrack, the question is did the artist that drew this picture was he one of the 69 percent, or was he against Barrack? What the **** does the stimulus plan has to do with that crazed monkey that tore that poor lady’s face off??!! My prayers goes out to that lady and the artist that drew that pic.
wake up obamabots! he only got 52% of the popular votes.
ask yourself what that means! tons of people didn’t vote for him and tons and tons of people didn’t vote.
don’t kid yourself.
Shut Up. He’s an idiot and anyone else who protests this. It’s o.k. to “hurt” people in other ways by calling them names or publicly denouncing them but you cant be racist. I mean they are both 100% wrong but amounts to the same thing.
#95, MAYBE YOU SHOULD WAKE UP….HE IS THE PRESIDENT AND JOHN MCLAME IS A LAME DUCK! TON’S OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY DID VOTE FOR HIM, THE ONE’S THAT MATTER! IF ANYONE IS KIDDING THEMSELVES IT WOULD BE YOU AND ANYONE WHO TRULY BELIEVE JOHN MCLAME COULD AND WOULD BE DOING A BETTER JOB. IN FACT, THERE IS NO LEADERSHIP IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BECAUSE THEY DON’T EVEN BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES. UNFORTUNATELY, I BELIEVE IN MANY REPUBLICAN IDEOLOGIES BUT WHAT I DO NOT AND WILL NOT BUY INTO IS THE HYPORCRISY OF THE REPUBLICAN FAUX LEADERS. IT’S FUNNY HOW YOU ASK OBAMA’S SUPPORTERS NOT TO KID OURSELVES, BUT YOU AND THE REST OF THE OPPOSITION ARE THE JOKES, LITERALLY…GET A LIFE, BECAUSE WE ARE DONE WITH YOUR PARTY RUINING OURS! CHECK THE DATE, PREPARE FOR 2012 BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE AGAIN!
I hope people will continue to use the race card, every day, every minute. It will soon become so deluted noone will care.
John Legend and Obama a very good men.
Each individual’s personal beliefs, recist or no, will show in their perception of things…..such as this cartoon…. I for one took it to mean that those who wrote and edited the bail out were so dumb a monkey could do as good a job…..Why are so many so defensive of Obama’s color? Amazing! Reverse racisism?
White/Catholic/American
I likelaughing at allsides. This cartoon was not so offensive tome because it was not funny. I t made no point to Obama.
Whatever. Get over yourself, John. I’m so sick of people always trying to connect everything to the race of our president. Not everything in this world is intended to be targeted toward Obama or black people. People really need to grow up and get a life.
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