Last Friday's Newsweek poll showed that 12 per cent of voters believe Obama is a Muslim. The staff at the New Yorker magazine already knew that, and they decided to misuse their cover for no good, simple or honest reason. It was a slam; a toast for Obama's enemies, and those who are nervous about seeing the first black American hold the office of Presidency.
(SALEM, Ore.) - The New Yorker Magazine plays Russian Roulette with a nation and their gun is loaded. Should we be surprised that this happened?
Some say yes; because decency still has its place, and satire still has venues that it should not attend. That is because satire is not as important at crucial times in history as people make it out to be. There is a time to be serious, in other words, and yet some media groups will always be on their knees meeting the demands of their greed-driven shareholders.
It is as foul and disgusting in practice, as their stupid version of artwork is displeasing to the eye.
The magazine suggests that the cartoon is intended and should be interpreted as a satirical comment about some of the distorted right-wing attacks on the Democratic senator. Funny, that they would be capable of such doublespeak, but they are.
An Obama campaign spokesman said the cartoon was "tasteless and offensive". That seems mild. The media is supposed to be a tool that informs and educates people.
This sad and yet historical publication out of the Big Apple, seems to specialize in fraud and the word "false" should be their new mantra.
There is simply a time when decency should overrule the desire to defame and misrepresent. It seems the print industry is reaching new lows as new media overtakes it in popularity, flying by like a winning car during a grueling race.
It reminds me of a scene in the movie "Sean of the Dead." The arch-rival who loves the same girl as the main character, points a gun at the main guy and pulls the trigger... but there was no bullet! The click was a momentary sigh of relief, nobody died, but the damage was done either way. It may have been rash and thoughtless, and it is highly regrettable, but the act is equally unmistakable. Had the gun been loaded, our main character would have died. The New Yorker didn't fire a blank.
A spokesman for John McCain, Barack Obama's Republican rival in the presidential election, also criticized the cartoon, saying it was offensive.
The image, drawn by Barry Blitt and featured on the front cover of this week's New Yorker, shows Barack Obama wearing traditional Muslim clothing, while his wife, Michelle, is depicted in combat gear, complete with what appears to be a fully automatic weapon similar to a machine gun.
The couple is shown standing in the Oval Office, greeting one another with a "fist bump". In the background burning in the fireplace is an American flag, along with a portrait of Osama Bin Laden on the wall.
The irony is that most people know by now, that George W. Bush's family and the Bin Laden families are old friends and their relations go way back. If anyone has a Bin Laden photo hanging on their office wall they are more than likely from Texas.
But the New Yorker never struck out at this so-called President, the man elected to office by the Supreme Court, the way they did to Obama. We expected prejudice to rear its ugly head in places we didn't expect, here you go kids.
Polls in some states showing that a fifth of white Democrats will not vote for Mr Obama simply on the basis of color. That clearly suggests that the United States is without a doubt, still a nation packed full of racial bigots, probably far beyond our wildest imagination.
The News.Scotsman.com suggests that the cartoon also revives memories of his bitter primary campaign with Hillary Clinton.
Clinton tossed race into the political contest with her unforgettable statement that Obama was not a Muslim "as far as I know", losing serious credibility in her own run by doing so.
One of the biggest tools for anti-Obama opponents preying on the ignorance of American citizens, is a photograph taken during a tour of Kenya that showed Mr Obama in Muslim garb.
It is what any visiting politician does in another land to share a custom, but the photo was mysteriously circulated by Clinton supporters, sources reported.
The false claims of Barack Obama being Muslim, stem from his early years as a small child living with his mother in Indonesia, and from speculation about the source of his middle name, which is Hussein.
A Newsweek poll released last Friday showed that 12 per cent of voters believe he is a Muslim.
The staff at the New Yorker magazine already knew that, and they decided to misuse their cover for no good, simple or honest reason. It was a slam; a toast for Obama's enemies, and those who are nervous about seeing the first black American hold the office of Presidency.
It probably won't make a lot of difference in the end, but it might for this sad publication out of New York, because people don't forget certain things.
Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. Today, in addition to his role as a war correspondent in Afghanistan where he spent the winter of 2006/07, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website, affiliated with Google News and several other major search engines and news aggregators. Tim's coverage from Iraq that was set to begin in April has been delayed and may not take place until August, 2008. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com
New Yorker Magazine - a Hallmark of Shame for our NationSalem-News.com