New York Post accused of racism over ‘Obama chimp’ cartoon

The New York Post has been accused of racism over an editorial cartoon comparing Barack Obama’s presidency to a mad chimpanzee.

The drawing drew fire from civil rights activist Al Sharpton. In a statement, Sharpton said: “The cartoon in today’s New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys.”

The cartoon by Sean Delonas is a reference to the police shooting Monday of Travis, a chimp who had gone out of control and seriously injured a woman.

The text in the drawing reads, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.”

“The Post should at least clarify what point they were trying to make in this cartoon, and reprimand their cartoonist for making inferences that are offensive and divisive at a time the nation struggles to come together to stabilize the economy if, in fact, this was yet another racially charged cartoon,” Sharpton said.

But in a brief phone interview with CNN, Delonas called the controversy “absolutely friggin’ ridiculous.”

“Do you really think I’m saying Obama should be shot? I didn’t see that in the cartoon,” Delonas told the news network.

In a statement, New York Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan said: “The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist.”