New York Post Cartoon Doesn’t Appeal to the Hyper-Sensitive

Sean Delonas, cartoonist for the New York Post, was trying to poke fun at one large group (the U.S. Congress/Washington in general) and, as it turns out, an entirely different smattering of folks took offense. Such is life in the States, where ultra-hyper-sensitivity sometimes renders intelligent discourse impossible (that and the continuously declining aggregate IQ of the U.S. populace). Delonas’ attempt at tried and true humor (poking fun at Congress) was apparently misinterpreted by some rabble rousers, including some "journalists" and the "Reverened" Al Sharpton.. The cartoon, which features two police officers (one with a smoking handgun) standing over a dead chimpanzee has a caption that reads: "They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

The response? Hearty, indeed. Said Barbara Ciara, president of the National Association of Black Journalists, noted, "How could the Post let this cartoon pass as satire? To compare the nation’s first African-American commander in chief to a dead chimpanzee is nothing short of racist drivel." Apparently, Ciara, as a responsible journalist, has yet to figure out that the U.S. President is not responsible for drafting legislation, i.e. – the "stimulus bill" that is referred to in the cartoon. Delonas could not, of course, have been referring to President Obama who, as a member of the Executive Branch, is barred from introducing legislation in Congress. Sigh….

Col Allan, editor-in-chief of the Post, defended his cartoonist and the work itself, saying, "The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to with 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." Oh yeah…Al Sharpton found the cartoon despicable as well, saying that it was "troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys." Sharpton’s involvement at any level should, alone, let everyone interested know that it is not, in fact, a serious issue at all.