Racist Joke?
 

Is this really a racist joke or more political mumbo jumbo? http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20...il-about-obama

Yeah, that's pretty vulgar. But I agree it's more of a "the president's mom is a ho" joke than a racist joke. Still repulsive.

a better question would be why do we consider the child of a black father and white mother to be "black" not biracial? My own kids refer to themselves as "wasian" (I'm Caucasian, wife is of Korean ancestry).

Not even remotely racist. If anything, it paints the picture that white women are sluts. I think more white women should be offended by this than black people!

Disagree with "not remotely". IMO it has racial overtones in that it suggests that being part black is bad but being part dog is worse. But more pointedly it insinuates Obama's mother is a slut, not white women in general. Another racial aspect is that it insinuates that marrying a black man makes a white women a slut.

The racial overtones must be above my level of comprehension, which I admit does not take much, but I still see the joke as more of a "that was one heck of a night" and an insult to his mother as opposed to anything else.

Here is my take on it. people send these type of things around all the time. This judge sent it to 6 of hs friends. Obviosuly one or more of them were not really his friends because someone leaked the email. I can only assume they thought they could make some monetary gain selling it to a tabloid since the judge held a high position and there was probably a story here.

Now on to the content, vulger yes, racist, it depends who is reading it. We all have our bias and interpret things differently. I see no racist remarks in here at all. If I were to receive this email I would simply delete it and not give it another thought thinking it was sent in bad taste. That being said, this is America and if you want to tell friends a racist joke or an off color joke you should be able to tell it without getting a backlash from the politically ridiculous, Last time I checked we still had freedom of speech. Although i don't agree with the content of his message he is free to send that to anyone he wants. After all he sent it to only 6 of his friends according to the article. Last year I went to visit a black friend in Portland....when I walked into the bar we were meeting at he was sitting with 4-5 of his friends (all black) when I walked up I yelled out.."WHATS UP MY *****S" Of course I was kidding but that is my personality. Now the funny thing is nobody laughed but througout the night many times they called each other ******, but for some odd reason whenever I did it they didn't seem to appreciate it. Im just telling this story because I think it's funny how people can point the finger so eaisly and call someone a racist. Everyone who knows me knows I am the furthest thing, but if I want to tell a racist joke because I think it's funny, this is America Im telling the joke...Oh by the way, I bet my friend in portland can jump higher then me BWAHAHAHAHA:D:D

Freedom of speech does not equate to freedom from criticism for saying stupid things.

"IMO it has racial overtones in that it suggests that being part black is bad but being part dog is worse."

This is my sentiment. He is a Federal Judge he should act as though he has an ounce of class. The thing about it, I heard this joke about three or four years ago (without the mention of Obama) on the Howard Stern show, I guess someone thought adding Obama's name to the joke would make it more funny.

I see it mainly as a vulgar insult to Obama and his mother. The racial overtones come from the joke not being funny if his parents weren't mixed. Not really seeing as how it would be a joke if both parents were white and nothing else involved.

There has to be something to set the basis for the joke. For example if the boy asks... "Mom, how come everyone says I look like dad and not like you?" with the same reply, then there needs to be something about dad that's degrading, but yet better than a dog. So for example if it were a cartoon dad could be extremely ugly. In this case it's a joke because dad was black.

its a joke. it is supposed to be funny, or tasteless, or whatever. black comedians rail on white people all the time. no one is calling them a racist for doing it. double standards and political correctness are both out of control in this country.

The joke is making a big deal about a stupid chain email.

This should have been a way bigger issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9SZi...eature=related

You think a pop/rap star yelling "Black Power" is a big deal… but a FEDERAL JUDGE making racist jokes isn't? Okay…..

This guys isn't a pop figure. He isn't a comedian. He's a JUDGE. Big difference.

"its a joke. it is supposed to be funny, or tasteless, or whatever. black comedians rail on white people all the time. no one is calling them a racist for doing it. double standards and political correctness are both out of control in this country."

So Federal Judges should be held to the same standards as a "black comedian"? I would expect public officials to be leaders, not followers.

so comedians should be ALLOWED to say whatever they want, in whatever setting they want, but a white human being cant forward a joke to a half dozen friends? gimme a break. regardless of the power this man holds, he is still just a human being. should he have forwarded this on? perhaps not. can he have a chuckle about it? he sure should be allowed to. either way, there are way more important things going on in our country right now.

Depends on how you look at it. I don't care if my favorite musician is a crack addict, but I don't want my doctor to be one.

Train, judges are elected. Generally speaking they are held to the standards that people expect from a judge. Comedians are held to the standard you'd expect from a comedian. Most people have different criteria and expectations for each.

BTW, they are both ALLOWED to say what they want. And they both have to suffer the consequences of the opinions of those who elevate them to their position.

Train, comedians are paid to say jokes, judges aren't. What if the roles were reversed? Not only that he forwarded the joke through official court email. I am a teacher and if I did the same thing on the school system's email, I would be fired, no questions asked.

Federal judges are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They enjoy a lifetime appointment.

Comedians don't sentence people to jail time.

Comedians don't take an oath of office swearing to be impartial.

Courts are only as good as the peoples willingness to submit to their legitimacy. You can turn off an unfair or offensive commedian. An unfair or partial judge can throw you in prison.

"Courts are only as good as the peoples willingness to submit to their legitimacy. You can turn off an unfair or offensive commedian. An unfair or partial judge can throw you in prison."

Probably the truest statement posted in this forum in a long time.

He didnt say the joke at a cocktail party, nor did he make the joke up. He merely forwarded an email along to a few friends. Doing from his official work email is dumb, but i still dont think it is a racist joke.
And like someone else stated, he is not in an elected position, he was appointed.

Ah yes. Didn't really pay attention to what kind of judge he is.

"He merely forwarded an email along to a few friends."

Didn't he add the part about how the joke "touched his heart" amoungst other things? Even the judge himself admits it was racist, he has launched an "investigation" of himself.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...82100720120302

"Cebull was appointed to the federal bench in 2001 by then-President George W. Bush."

Can we blame GWB? :p

IMO, it's a strange man who finds that funny enough to forward with personal comment -- its third grade humor at best.

Oh cry me a river. People send jokes around and such all the time. In this country we have freedom of speech. Go cry your eyes out and get over it. While it can be amusing to make fun of people for whatever reasons, our current fascist president has enough real issues to mock him about without being petty. So in poor taste, sure, but people will be people so don't hang them for exercising their first amendment rights.

I ask this in all seriousness... by "People" who do you mean? The ONLY time I get forwarded chain e-mails like this, they are from conservative acquaintances, and they are almost always chock full of inaccuracies, half truths, and flat out lies.

My bleeding heart socialist liberal granolla friends don't forward anything like this.

Freedom of speech isn't protected wrt employment or criticism.

Now I dislike conservatives, or neocons rather, as much as the next guy. But they are people too. So are my socialist friends who send similar distasteful and inaccurate drivel. Both groups are people and while I find some of it distasteful, I don't judge people solely on chain mail or jokes they send. One example a socialist friend on mine sent me last Friday is a picture of some black child with his arms up and text on it that says "It's Friday ******s!". I didn't think it was funny and found it quite distasteful. I told him this today, but he thought it was funny and it is what it is. FWIW he's a school teacher and another teacher sent it to him so he passed it on to me.

Why does freedom of speech come up in these arguments? Freedom of speech simply means you're not breaking a law with your opinion and that basically you're okay, legally, stating your opinion or saying whatever you want with exception to libel, slander, obscenity in some places and incitement to commit a crime. So anybody and everybody else has the equal right to slam you for what you've said, forwarded or posted. As for this judge, he should have use a little better judgement. There are certainly things we've all joked about that we might not want shared with the world, but when you forward such things in an email, just remember lots of people out there forward things on without deleting the history of forwarded it on to them. Maybe that's what happened here, or maybe one of the judge's friends just isn't a friend. Racist, disrespectful, or not, I think it depends on the intent of the judge. I have respect for the President, but I'll still foward on a joke about him if I think it's funny. Of course, I'm not a judge or going for political office or anything.

"In this country we have freedom of speech."

So go up to your boss on Monday and say F.U. and claim you are using your freedom of speech, or better yet, go in this guy's courtroom and tell him his mom had sex with a dog.

IMO

Crude joke and fairly funny, but would have been much better if it had less personal bias attached... and not because I like the bums...

I swear, it seems like our society is turning into a bunch of politically correct and opportunistic whiners looking for a reason to yell "hater" at somebody. Bad taste? Sure......... Some jokes are... Get over it.

Clubjoe man i havent seen a post from you in like forever.

Sup? :D

I lurk around all the time....Just too lazy to actually say sumpin.

Still ridin' BV when I can find drivers I can count on to go, and married with three inherited teens now.

Hi to everyone I know!

Sorry bout the hijack :cool:

The racist joke is in the whitehouse , That story linked is just plain funny.

Actually I think our country is turning into a bunch total political partisan whiners who care more about which party is in office than the policies or the country. IMO the political correctness is a symptom of this, as any excuse to attack is good enough. No need to go looking for hate as it's rampant.