Yesterday’s opinion cartoon was ‘blatant racial insensitivity’

Editor,

I am writing you to address the blatant racial insensitivity of the political cartoon the Daily Lobo published today on its Opinion page.

It depicts President Barack Obama as a monkey holding the severed head of Osama bin Laden. The cartoon seems to reference a scene from a Disney Movie “The Lion King.”

Quite frankly, as a member of the African American community, as well as a student at the University of New Mexico, I am extremely offended by this depiction.

The idea that at an open-minded college that claims to advocate for minority students is still capable of outright racism is profound. I suppose if the cartoon were to depict a person of Hispanic descent as a gardener or construction worker it would not be published unless it had a positive connotation?

But of course in a state with an 83.6 percent (2009 census) Hispanic population, what else is to be expected?

One could argue that my displeasure with the comic is because of my own racial oversensitivity. However, I disagree with that. If more people were as sensitive as myself, the problem would never have arose.

Although the paper has already been published, and the Daily Lobo is not the one responsible for the production of the comic, they are responsible for it being published. Action must be taken by the paper. I would like a formal apology on behalf of the paper issued to the African-American community.

The paper needs to take responsibility for its actions.

Markela B. Clinton
UNM student