By ShaVonne Honor
Staff Writer, ‘09
Cartoonist Sean Delonas of the New York Post is under attack for the questionable sketch featured in the February 18th morning edition of that newspaper. The cartoon was printed just a day after the mauling of a 55-year-old Connecticut woman by a male domesticated chimpanzee that according to the owner did not recognize her longtime friend. In this terrifying ordeal, Travis, a 15 year old, 200 pound chimp was repeatedly stabbed with a kitchen knife by his owner as she tried to rescue her friend from the savage attack. Following a lengthy plea for help on a 911 call, local police arrived, shooting and killing the chimp.
The cartoon sketch which shows two white officers holding aim at a chimpanzee lying in a pool of blood obviously having been taken down by their barrage of bullets is despicable. A caption above the officer’s head reads, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.”
Tensions flared in New York City and led to nationwide fury as many people stopped to make sense of why Delonas along with the newspaper’s editorial staff would run such piece. Editor-in-Chief, Col Allan commented on the entry as being “…clear parody of a current news event… “It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy.” The mere inference to President Obama’s stimulus bill while looking down at an assassinated chimp which can easily be perceived as a “monkey,” a term often used in a derogatory manner when referring to black people, is appalling. The African American community in particular was outraged.
There is nothing broad about a comment that insinuates that the figure lying on the ground is the person responsible for actually “writing” the bill, which would be President Barack Obama.
The cartoon was both morally and politically incorrect. Civil Rights Activist Rev. Al Sharpton launched a series of protests against the NY Post yesterday and urged sponsors to withdraw their support calling the artwork “troubling at best…”
The artist, who has been known in the past for creating rather abrasive cartoon work, was distasteful on many levels. However, this does not excuse the New York Post from carelessly printing the piece. Nor does it excuse owner, Rupert Murdoch from silently condoning the drawing by evading taking responsibility even after it caught national attention. The public’s response was fueled by the racial overtones and insensitivity in lieu of the fact that the victim injured in the initial attack was in critical condition as the paper was being circulated.
The First Amendment of our Constitution protects our right to freedom of expression. Does this however give a free pass to use mainstream media to deliver covert messages of racism and violence? How far is too far when you take aim, even through parody at our country’s Commander-In-Chief who happens to be an African-American?
