A Colorado State worker sent an email an image that depicts the president as a shoe shine boy shining the shoes of Sarah Palin. The note sent with the image said “he finally found his niche.” The 73 year old worker is now facing disciplinary actions for sending this on the state computer. There is nothing remotely funny about this image, but some will say other presidents have been made fun of why is this different? The shoe shine boy image is associated with a subserviant status and this image says so much about how some still see the first black president as a boy. It is simply not funny. It is simply insulting.
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Yes, it is insulting. Just like the series Doonesbury is doing right now about Sarah Palin, depicting her as a stupid simpleton. That depiction is just as inaccurate as this one is about Obama. This state worker was wrong to send this out on his work computer and should be appropriately sanctioned. Perhaps he should have sent it out from home as a comic strip.
I am no fan of Sarah palin as you know, but I am a fan of fairness. Last summer when Newsweek ran the Palin cover with her in running clothes I wrote a post speaking out against it. I am unfamiliar with what Doonesbury is doing but I am sure her supporters will speak out against it.
I am the photographer who took the original capture. The photograph presented here is an unauthorized plagiarism. I resent anyone using my copyrighted photographs without my consent in the first place and even more so bringing an undeserved infamy to my name by altering them and using with ill intend. I am an Australian photographer and American politics are as far away from my mind as are our countries. Is this racism? I am not sure, but it is THEFT and DEFAMATION for sure.
Please see my post from some time ago on the subject:
original story and photograph
Regards,
Ted Szukalski