Vitamins & A Reverend

The Nutrional Helath Alliance (NHA) has released a racist flyer. The flyer is to protest recent legislation proposed by Dick Durbin (D-IL) that would mandate that manufacturers of supplements report serious side effects of their product. The flyer reads "Get Durbin a Turban-Keep Congressional Terrorists at Bay" and has a picture of the Senator w/ a turban. The director of NHA, Jerry Kessler, who also designed the flyer has acknowledged that the flyer is "not fair" and "in bad taste", but has refused to apologize for it. Kessler continued by saying, "Desperate times require desperate actions", “I’m certainly going to do what’s necessary to call attention to our cause. If I sound to you like a hate-monger, then I can’t help it.”
Reaction has come from the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) in combination w/ over 100 other groups. The statement read, "We are outraged that the Nutritional Health Alliance (NHA) would be engaged in the production of such a racist flyer that serves to perpetuate an increased environment of prejudice and hate against the Sikh, Muslim and Arab American communities…The depiction of the turban as a terrorist symbol, or individuals who wear turbans as terrorists, as your flyer explicitly shows, is baseless and reprehensible…The flyer serves as nothing more than hatemongering". SALDEF and the other groups are asking for, "NHA to remove the flyer from any further distribution immediately. We further ask that a public apology be made and posted on the NHA’s website. Legitimate public debate must not be tainted with images that continue to create a dangerous environment of xenophobia and hate against innocent Sikh, Muslim, Arab and South Asian Americans."

While I am all for free speech in this country, this is where personal responsibility takes over. When you know that the ad you are releasing is harmful especially w/ the word "terrorist" such a catch phrase these days it is incumbent upon you to be more ethically responsible. There are other ways to bring attention to your cause than denegrating a populous of people by tying a piece of religious garb to terrorism. This is one of the reasons that Sikhs, Muslims, and South Asians face such hatred and violence in this country and abroad. In this case lobbyists tying the two together. People in this country are so ioslated in their own world that a majority of Americans dont know anything about the other countries in this world, much less how their OWN goverment works. This flyer is just furthering the hate in this country. Furthermore, the legislation is good on its own merits. The public is entitled to know if the supplements they are taking have serious side effects. Wouldnt you want to know if that pill you are taking to lose those love handles will kill you? I encourage you to contact Mr Kessler and voice your digust w/ his ploy. Email him at info@naturesplus.com or you can reach him at 8006459500.

I was checking the update yesterday on my favorite hip hop site-okayplayer and came across the news that Rev Al Sharpton (aka Rev Al Sharptooone if youve seen Do The Right Thing youll get it) is demanding a apology from Aaron McGruder and Cartoon Network. Why is he demanding an apology? Well it is for the episode of The Boondocks two weeks ago that dealt w/ Martin Luther King Jr. Aaron McGruder is the creator if The Boondocks comic strip, the animated series comes on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on Sundays @ 11PM. The premise of the episode in question dealt w/ MLK Jr waking up from a 30 year coma to see the condition of America and African Americans in a post 9/11 world. Specifically, "McGruder challenges the "progress" we've made in a post-911 culture. He illuminates countless problems, all which directly affect the black community, the poor and disenfranchised, and the average working American- from our Fast-Food Nation to BET's portrayal of black culture". Sharpton has threatened to picket the headquarters of Cartoon Network if they do not apologize. Although I am not African American, I did not find that episode of The Boondocks offensive. I found it to be more thought provoking than anything. The humor in The Boondocks is thought provoking, in your face, and a reflection of our society. I have been reading the strip for quite some time now and have seen every episode of The Boondocks. I think it is an accurate portrayal of the scenario. I think that if Civil Rights leaders that gave their lives for the betterment of furture generations came back and saw how things are now they be apalled. If you cannot speak out about the ills of your culture as a means to betterment than how do you get progress? I think that The Reverend would be better served fighting for his people instead of against. I you have not seen the episode check it out and decide for yourself, http://www.3030media.net/index.htm (episode 9) and you can also see a Nightline interview w/ Aaron McGruder about this episode.