August 08, 2007
Zoo Do
Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo has hired some Masai tour guides from Kenya to educate zoo visitors about the Masai's culture and natural world as part of a special program this summer. An earlier P-I article reported that the Kenyans appreciate the opportunity for cultural exchange. But today's Seattle Times reports that some Seattleites think the program is racist:
[Catherine] Claiborne, a master's candidate in public affairs and international studies at the UW, said the Maasai Journey could lead people to "associate African people with animals, and African Americans with animalism."
She might have a point. That's already happened to the
Australians!
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at August 08, 2007
11:53 AM | Email This
1. some people clearly have too much time on their hands.
2. Er, if the Zoo hired some western yurrupeen or Asian or South American stalwarts to represent African culture at home, couldn't the Zoo be accused of yet another form of racism? Or are only Masais on the proscribed list this week?
What happened to all the sensitive folks who insist that Madame Butterfly be represented by no other than an Asian actress?
Or are just the Times reporters racists for bringing this to public attention? Or are the racists the ones who are complaining that it's racist to hire the Masais? Dang, who trumps who in this silly game?
The Times is in a race with the P-I to see who wastes the most resources in stories of trifling insignificance.
3. If this is the kind of logical leap the UW is fostering, then Houston, we have a problem. How insanely stupid!
4. This is the kind of idiocy that muddies the waters and thus inhibits forward progress in race relations in our great land. We need to continue the progress we have made over the last 50 years. Perhaps I'm too conspiracy-oriented, but I think that there are some on the left who benefit from continued division, and will use any and every means to subvert progress.
5. "Claiborne, a master's candidate in public affairs and international studies at the UW, said the Maasai Journey could lead people to "associate African people with animals, and African Americans with animalism.""
Bwahahaha! Anyone who comes to Seattle should definately associate Americans with dogism. Claiborne needs to change her brand of booze.
6. Dogism? I love my Rat Terrier and Alaskan Malamute!
Will people starting associating ME with animals???
7. Another great example of the backwards cultural Marxism of which the left is so fond. In the end, it always ends up producing more racism and more confusion. Rather than simply treat us all as human beings, the left is constantly looking for ways to separate us all out into little batches of haves and have-nots, victims and oppressors, etc.
The left loves racism and will keep it going as long as they continue to be subsidized by general public opinion. Once the public fully grasps the racism that the left sells, we might finally move more towards Dr. King's vision of merit and character as the only real measure of humans.
8. "[Catherine] Claiborne, a master's candidate in public affairs and international studies at the UW"
.... unfortunately, Catherine is going to graduate with a masters degree and even though it might be hard to believe, someone will actually hire her. Has anyone checked the Seattle School District job board lately?
9. Hmm in europe we seem less perturbed by skin color that the person referred to in this news article. For example, Africans are leading proponents of animism in the world. We would study it as a religion -- with skepticism and interest that is -- the same way we would study the Americans' fundamental Christianity, Islam, and so on. I wonder if exhibits showing the decline of the bison representing the white European Americans would similarly be protested as "racist" or "tending to associate uropean Americans with species genocide, violence" and whatnot. What if the zoo had Kenyans who cut the blood vessels of cows and drank it down? Why can the Kenyan here walk down the street in tribal garb requiring us to "respct his culture" but cannot stand at the zoo explaining part of it, even in Western garb?
10. What the hell kind of leap in logic is this?
I've been to Africa a number of times over the last 20 years. I've met all kinds of "African people." Lets see...the cab drivers I associated with...driving the cabs. The airline pilots I associated with...duh...flying the planes. The desk staff at the hotels I associate with...umm...hotel people. Although there was one consierge whom I associated with the French. His Masters was from the Sorbonne. Great guy, funny as could be and fluent in four languages.
And there are other "African people" we all know...Gary Player, Nelson Mandella, Charlize Theron...nope, I'm not associating animals with any of these.
Oh wait..my bad! The WSU Cross Country team...Kenyans. Yup..there it is, those guys run like...well...animals.
11. I think Jeff B. has it right at #7. Despite popular media-aided misconceptions the left promotes and exploits racism. I think a lot of casual lefties are unaware of this. However, pointing this fact out to them only causes them to blow their stacks. I've got the singed hairs to prove it. What a deluded, brainwashed bunch of people!
12. So, is she advocating that they be removed from those jobs because of their race, national origin and religion? A no-no threefer.
I hope none of the Masai are gay, they might sue.
13. A good reason to vote down the two ballot propositions 1 and 2 which, together, would cost twice as much as the present levy. They should look at a user fee. YOU USE YOU PAY FOR IT. Simple VOTE NO-NO
14. Can't Wait--don't worry, she won't get a job at our business. Those of our employees who don't have a college degree have more sense than this gal.
15. Perhaps Catherine Claiborne can simply provide a list of jobs that black people should be allowed to have. She clearly does not believe they can be trusted to make their own career decisions.
16. So what exactly is it that will lead people to associate these people with animalism? Is it the fact that they are their or is it something about their program that isn't meantioned in the article?
17. I can just see it now...Jamaicans playing reggae music are now racists because they may lead some people to believe they are associated with MUSIC?
18. Haha John425! Yes, it will be offensive to associate Jamacians with....STEEL DRUMS!!!! Horrifying! But wait---what about the horrifying stereotype of a Seattleite holding....a Starbucks cup???? this cannot be....
19. My wife, who happens to be black, has pointed out to me the irony that the people who are always finding "racism" to fight mysteriously are always white women, rather than actual minorities. Weird, huh?