Mayor Dean Grose of Los Alamitos, California has announced he will resign at Monday's City Council meeting. He drew fire for an email he sent to a constituent showing a picture of the White House lawn superimposed with a watermelon patch (above). The email had the subject "No Easter Egg hunt this year."Uh, in case you're wondering: Republican.
Well, quite naturally there would be "No Easter Egg hunt this year." The Obamas planted a watermelon patch, right? Blatant racism. Yet Grose used the all too familiar refrain that he was unaware of the racial stereotype that black people like watermelons.
Right. He's probably unaware that there's this major fault line that runs through the state of California that leads to earthquakes, too. This is the excuse many people use when they do something obviously racist and get caught at it.
The "No Easter Egg hunt this year" image has spread like wildfire, and those who are not trying to make an excuse for Grose will generally say, yes, this is racist.
One of the so-called "small group of friends" that Grose send his "No Easter Egg hunt this year" email to is Keyanus Price, who is African-American. She is most likely no longer a friend of Grose, don't you think? She said:
"I was horrified when I read that e-mail. What I'm concerned about is how can this person send an e-mail out like this and think it is OK? He's putting the city into a bad place, and he is a liability."Price also told the AP:
"I have had plenty of my share of chicken and watermelon and all those kinds of jokes. I honestly don't even understand where he was coming from, sending this to me. As a black person receiving something like this from the city-freakin'-mayor - come on."It's good to see he's resigning. It's bad to see that despite the election of an African-American President, racism still abounds in this country.
7 comments:
It seems to me that the associate had been getting jokes like this all along.Everyone thinks because we have an african american President there will be no more race issues,but we all know there will be race issues until there is only one race, it dosen't matter if we are purple,pink, or blue or polks dot.If she cant't take a joke don't send her any at all
the mayor is not responsible for his lack of racial common sense because he is a republican.
the comment from the republican above is absolutely correct, purple, pink, blue, polks dot and black people should grow a sense of humor.
one does wonder though, if not for the watermelon stereotype, what would make this email interesting enough to forward?
it's a joke...in more ways than one. I remember when Jimmy Carter was president there were plenty of white trash or hillbilly jokes about his family...it's a joke!
it is not an appropriate joke for a mayor to send in an email to a black person. again, common sense for those of us who are non-racists/non-republicans.
not to worry, republicans are digging themselves into irrelevancy faster than a georgia hillbilly on his way to a fried food festival.
I'm sorry but..How exactly is that a racism? Suddenly any and every comment about Obama is "racist" I like watermelon, and so does everyone else I know, white and black. So its a racist comment because black people like it too? Does that mean if I know someone what likes a type of gum, and so does their family , and they're black, and I start calling them "Doublemint" its racist? You know, racism might fade a little more quickly if people weren't screaming about this and that being a racist comment. Idiots
there is little in this world that is more entertaining than a dumb person trying to play dumb.
again, without the racist connotation this email would make no sense. a watermelons replacing easter eggs image would have no meaning if mccain were in office rather than obama.
why not just admit that you are a racist? it's a free country and you are well within your rights. at least that would be more honest than pretending you don't get why this is offensive. it is mathematically impossible to be that dumb.
The comment from the republican above is absolutely correct, purple, pink, blue, polks dot and black people should grow a sense of humor.
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