The Obama New Yorker Cover, Satire ....okay....Callous is more like it

Normally in the mornings, while getting ready for work,  I always turn on the television to see what's going on in the world. This morning, of course, I bolted out of the door without so much as a snippet of the weather report. By the time I got to work, I started getting IM's and texts regarding Barack Obama on the cover of the New Yorker. Looking it up on the web was limited- mainly because I was busy and well its Monday!

I literally BROKE  my neck to get home to watch programming on all the major news channels regarding this New Yorker cover. I have always known the New Yorker magazine to be a standard within journalism. My professor for Advanced News Writing made the entire class review the magazine, its layout, the articles, that kinda thing. Satire is what makes this magazine work. That being said I find this cover with its use of extreme satire, extremely callous. 

While I FULLY understand satire and its purpose of exposing our ignorant beliefs, I can also see how people would NOT know how to take this- to the point where they could be offended by the image presented.

What also concerns me is that those who aren't going to get this piece of satire probably don't read the New Yorker and probably didn't know there was a magazine called the New Yorker until now and two (especially after watching Anderson 360 tonight) for whatever reason even though Obama has repeatedly said he isn't  Muslim, people are insistent that he is.  A woman said she doesn't like THE candidate (she didn't use his name) but stated the reason she wouldn't vote for him was - are you ready--because he is a Muslim!

Lastly, and this bothers me quite a bit; what about those that worship as Muslims. And I am not referring to the fanatical ones. I am talking about the ones that live next door to you and me who go to work every day to  take care of their households and families and basically mind their own business. As Obama finds himself having to say he is not Muslim, how will they interpret it? 

Sparrow for Obama

Because we as West Indians, like the rest of the world, will be impacted by the outcome of this election too. Check this video out done by CNN.

Daughters of Legacy

 CNN's Don Lemon is hosting this sit down conversation with the daughters of some of the most famous men in history. Daughters of Legacy aired earlier tonight and there will be additional showings tomorrow, today - if you're up late like I am. Watching it again now- don't ask -bad, bad, BAD case of insomnia. Check it out. I don't think I have seen a lot of interviews of any of Malcom X's daughters, nor did I know the connection she and Sidney Poitier's daughter shared.  In addition CNN is doing a series on what its like to be Black in America July 23rd and 24th. I am eagerly awaiting this piece in its entirety. Check out a few clips here from the site.