Racism is dead. So decreed the late Tony Snow on his radio program almost a decade ago. So when we see racism, it's really not since it no longer exists. That's why rich white Republicans can use formerly racist imagery. It's all just good-natured fun!
The owner of a Cedar Grove storage business who dressed a monkey statue in an anti-Obama T-shirt said Wednesday that the statement was not racially-motivated
“It was not meant to be racial," business owner Rick Bond told Patch.
Rick Bond, a former councilman and police officer, placed the statue in front of his business, Don-Ric Self Storage at 405 Little Falls Road but removed it Tuesday afternoon after people started complaining.
“I absolutely never thought of it as racial,” Bond said. “It’s ridiculous.”
The monkey statue sported a t-shirt saying “OMG Obama Must Go.” The statue was in front of Bond’s business for at least a few days, but was removed after neighbors called the statue offensive.
Bond is a former Cedar Grove council member who served on the board from 1999 through 2003, and was also a police officer. Because the statue is near Route 3, it caught the attention of several passers-by, some of whom posted photos of it on their Facebook pages.
Bond would not say who dressed the statue, but added it was previously dressed in a Mets jersey. He said the statue was put up to scare away geese from coming close to his business.
He said other businesses – such as car dealerships - do the same, “What’s the difference between the things they put on telephone pole” and what I did?”
See, Bond doesn't consider it racist so what's the big deal? Did you see those telephone poles covered in Monkey-Obama Posters? I'm sure more anti-Obama gear will show up to do all sort of things. We'll see cotton-picking Obamas next, right? No racism here. Move along.
