Is this racist?
First, look at the picture without knowing any details about it:
What’s your first reaction? When I saw the link to the story with the photo, before I watched the video at Fox Toledo, it appeared racially motivated to me, and with the Jena 6 trial it at first seems as if it was some type of reaction to that.
Yet, according to Fox and to this additional article from Central Ohio News, the statue has been on the porch like that for several years. Apparently the owner states the purpose for the rope is “”It keeps him on the porch.” Anyone who has had lawn ornaments has probably had them stolen. So, it appears this was a tacky way of making sure no one steals the lawn jockey.
However…questions come to mind immediately, why if this statue has been there for three years did this even become news in the first place? If it would have been a white lawn jockey or a goose or even a gnome with a noose around it’s neck and a chain around it’s foot would you find that as offensive?
Photo Credit to Charlie Longton/News-Messenger
Holy shit! Was my first thought. I see plenty of white lawn jockeys around that used to be black back in the ’70’s but, were painted to prevent offending people and vandalism to the house. I had wondered though…if white people have a black lawn jockey and black people had a white lawn jockey in their yards, would it be racism on both their parts?
The guy with the noosed and shackled jockey was pretty overboard by any standard.
September 24th, 2007 at 10:55 amFox Toledo’s reporting of the incident to include sending a black reporter to cover it reeked of the media hoping for a confrontation in order to create the coveted “exclusive”.
So theres an asshole that lives in Clyde Ohio…so what?
Yes it is racist through and through.
September 24th, 2007 at 10:56 amMy first reaction was the same, and lots of media sources have covered this as I discovered after I read the story and watched the video on Fox Toledo. That’s when I started to wonder why it sat there for three years apparently in the same location without getting any notice then it’s on news channels through out Ohio.
After attention was brought to it, it was removed, which makes me wonder why the neighbors who are now saying it offended them didn’t say something years ago. While it’s not illegal from what the article stated, if I had to walk by something like that for three years, I would have said something, even it if was “Gee so and so, you know the way you have that lawn jockey displayed like that could really send the wrong message to someone who didn’t know you”.
Sure, he could have told me to mind my own business but that seems as if that should have been the solution if it really was a concern rather than to have it become a media event.
September 24th, 2007 at 11:01 amOf course, but, looking at the condition of the ‘house’ it doesn’t surprise me in the least.
September 24th, 2007 at 12:41 pmThe timing of the media coverage related to this picture is similar to what I thought was interesting, and niavely shocking, about the Jena 6 issue.
Three years and it didn’t make news. Now it does. I was surprised to learn that the Jena, LA, incidents took place LAST YEAR. It apparently is only out now because of Jessie Jackson’s comments about it regarding Barrock Obama’s response. My question was (because I was niavely shocked that such blatant racims still happens) was WHAT TOOK SO LONG FOR THE OUTCRY!?
Is that type of racial behavior so common in the south it goes unnoticed? Is the establishment (democrat) so adept at hiding this sort of thing that the issue was succesfully kept out of the public eye?
I am one of those people who say “If you search for racism you will find it where it doesn’t really exist,” But, the Jena example is not one of those. The picture above, may be racially motivated it may not, it definately has glaring racial implications, but the owner may just be niave and or stupid.
Most importantly is the issue, “Why do these examples get noticed, publicized, and taken advantage of months or years later when politically beneficial?”
The A-Hole.
September 24th, 2007 at 12:55 pmI wasn’t sure what to make of it… I did see an interview, with one of the home owner’s neighbors who said that the statue had been like that for years. And that the guy who lives there never bothers anyone.
September 24th, 2007 at 1:20 pmIt is clearly racist. I am not sure how anyone could say otherwise.
September 24th, 2007 at 2:18 pmThose are some of the exact questions I wondered AHole after I discovered the lawn jockey had been like that for that many years. Robin, I heard and read that from the various reports I found when searching this story this morning. One neighbor stated the family was Hispanic, though that’s not been confirmed.
September 24th, 2007 at 2:19 pmIt appears to me that as a United States citizen, we need to find better things to get upset about than some moron with a black lawn jockey. My parents used to tell me if someone bothers you, ignore them. It seems to me that for things as trivial as this, that is excellent advice.
If anyone thinks that having this little statue removed is going to change this persons views or anyone else’s views on race is sadly mistaken.
September 24th, 2007 at 2:21 pmOn the Fox Toledo reporter assignment, that happened because it was the way the rotation for assignments went rather than it being planned to have a black female reporter be the one to head down to Clyde from what I’ve heard.
I also missed hearing about NBC24’s confrontation when Rob Packard went to Clyde.
Looks like Fox’s reporter got a much nicer welcome…
September 24th, 2007 at 3:26 pm“If anyone thinks that having this little statue removed is going to change this persons views or anyone else’s views on race is sadly mistaken.”
It may change one and then another and so on and so forth.
One little step can create a movement of greater thought and understanding.
September 24th, 2007 at 5:51 pmI still think the reporter was chosen for confrontational purposes since it makes “better” news. I think Rob Packard got there AFTER the guy’s father had been accosted by the media and clearly had enough. I think the local media is trying to escalate this and incite somebody into some kind of reprisal.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:17 amSeems to me like the neighbors understood the intent and have no problems with it.
But that pesky media. . .
September 25th, 2007 at 9:33 pmneeds a bigger noose, (so it doesn’t fall)
March 25th, 2008 at 3:04 pm