Reader feels cartoon ignored effectiveness of Obama's speech

Published on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 9:13 AM MST

Editor:

I’m writing to comment on the political cartoon in the Sunday, March 23, issue of the Courier with the message “Kill Whitey.”

The Courier missed the significance of Senator Obama’s speech, distancing himself from Rev. Jeremiah Wright, in publishing a cartoon distilling his talk into two words.

Certainly, Wright’s comments were offensive, but more importantly, the speech emphasized that exhortations like “Kill Whitey” and “Kill n. . . rs” are now repugnant to Americans. The speech went on to declare that the civil rights movement has moved from a struggle against injustices to the point where most people can eat in the same restaurants, vote at the same polling places and send their kids to the same schools.

Nevertheless, some people still fight old battles. Among them is Wright, who entered adulthood when Gov. Orval Faubus barred the door to Little Rock Central High School, when Sheriff Bull Connor used a cattle prod on demonstrators and when civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman were murdered in Mississippi. In a large part because of Rev. Martin Luther King and his efforts, and to a lesser degree people like Wright, women and blacks are on the Supreme Court and in serious contention for the U.S. presidency.

Thus, Senator Obama’s speech has two messages for the Gila Valley. First, in supporting civil rights, Wright contributed to America, although his ideas do not; and second, we can acknowledge the accomplishments of men like him at the same time that we hold more appropriate views of people who are different from us.

Returning to Obama’s speech, NPR pointed out that its candid appraisal of race relations in America, the size of its audience and the attention paid to it in the media over the past two weeks acknowledge a shift in the quest for civil rights. This shift acknowledges things past like “whites only” water fountains and lunch counters, and in doing so, it puts the stamp of repugnancy on things like cartoons with a caricature shouting outdated, offensive exhortations like “Kill Whitey.”

Hank Slotnick

Pima

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Comments

7 comment(s)

Know who he is wrote on Apr 7, 2008 7:50 AM:

" If Obama is elected President; expect the Rev. Wright to be the White House "Spiritual Advisor" "

TR wrote on Apr 5, 2008 10:10 PM:

" www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-oped0326trinitymar26,0,7143430.story
chicagotribune.com
Rev. Wright in a different light
By William A. Von Hoene Jr.

During the last two weeks, excerpts from sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., pastor for more than 35 years at Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's South Side, have flooded the airwaves and dominated our discourse about the presidential campaign and race. Wright has been depicted as a racial extremist, or just a plain racist.I have been a member of Trinity, a church with an almost entirely African-American congregation, for more than 25 years. I am, however, a white male. (read "

JanetP wrote on Apr 5, 2008 1:57 AM:

" Rev. Wright's hateful speech exemplifies that which keeps the country divided. Even Obama himself has come out and condemned the wrong-headed speech, but his supporters keep up the mantra that it was all very innocent and can be justified because of past wrongs. They are all over the Internet branding anyone who has a different opinion as a racist. This conduct follows a pattern that has been established: All hate speech on the part of blacks can be justified; all hate speech on the part of whites requires retribution. "

Know who he is wrote on Apr 3, 2008 8:05 PM:

" Senator Obama's Global Poverty Tax Senate number is S. 2433

Look up his idea of change. You will be obligated to over $845 BILLION MORE than what the U.S. now spends on "foreign aid" to end world poverty in the next 13 years.

The Senator has said: "In 2000, the U.S. joined more than 180 countries at the United Nations Millennium Summit and vowed to reduce global poverty by 2015."

This is a United Nations mandate Senator Obama is obeying. "

Know who he is wrote on Apr 3, 2008 7:58 PM:

" Mr Obama is a racist. Do the homework. Here's a simple litmus test: Where is the woman who raised him? The woman who sacrificed her blue collar income to send her grandson to the best private school in Hawaii, why isn't she standing proudly on stage at her grandson's moment in history? Maybe because her color isn't the right one for her grandson or his wife?

Here's an issue for those who want to know: Look up Senator Obama's "Global Poverty Tax" on the Senate website. You'll pay for his change. "

Jason wrote on Apr 3, 2008 2:21 PM:

" Interesting you are willing to overlook 20 years of church attendance just because he came out after he was found out to have ties to an ignorant fool. Wow. Have the democrats truly sank this low. 1 I am sorry erases 20 years of ignorance and foolishness? Now the good reverened has retired to 1.5 million dollar mansion in a white neighborhood with a 10 million dollar line of credit all paid for by that church. I thought he was looking out for the little guy. Bring on the cartoons with big ears. "

Obama fan wrote on Apr 2, 2008 9:32 PM:

" Well said, Mr. Slotnik. The Courier needs to stop showing prejudice in cartoons, articles and editorials.

There are people other than rednecks in the Gila Valley! "

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