New Yorker Cover Satirical and Controversial

First of all, black and Muslim people understand satire - in its many forms. People please, give the critics of the recent New Yorker magazine credit for some level of sophistication.

However, what critics of the New Yorker find unfortunate are stereotypes and growing (albeit subtle) forms of racism that this magazine cover reinforces in many people of the United States. I, once upon a time, said there was no way Sen. Barack Obama would be elected president of the United States. It was my feeling, at the early stage of the Democratic Party primary, that the country simply was not ready for a black president. Fortunately, I was wrong then. Obama, now the presumptive Democratic nominee, has a strong shot at winning the president against his chief rival, Republican Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican Party nominee. I think Obama's achievement is particularly amazing considering the ridiculous attempt by many right-wing extremists, including many of the hosts and anchors of Fox News Channel programs, to try and pain Obama as a Muslim. This, in my estimation, clearly is an attempt to capitlize on the fear many in this country have of Muslims since the horrific terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Fast forward to the New Yorker cover. As Obama has worked hard to pain himself as a decent and hard-working American, many conversvatives have been working overtime to paint him as a Muslim, confuse his name with Osama bin Laden (perhaps on purpose, but perhaps not). Some conservatives and other Obama haters have tried everything from saying he is a practicing Muslim, saying he went to a Muslim school, emphasizing his middle name (Hussein) to drum up fear and more. Some are trying to paint all or most Muslims as terrorists when nothing could be more ridiculous. Muslims are good and hard-working people who have the same goals and same life challenges as people of other races.

The New Yorker cover was an attempt at satire and to use controversy to boost sales, but the unfortunate side effect is it continues to play to the racist discomfort of many who fear Muslims and blacks in positions of power and influence in the United States. In a time when we should all be pulling together, some in our country are hard at work to drive us apart with divisive rhetoric for political purposes.