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Roseanne's Racist Tweet Outrages the Internet

Megan Friedman - 

 

Photo credit: Getty Images

From ELLE

Roseanne Barr apologized and said she’s leaving Twitter after she tweeted a racist comment about former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett Tuesday morning.

Though the tweet appears to have been deleted, Politico reported that it read,

 

“muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”

 

Jarrett, who is African-American and was born in Iran, declined to comment to Politico through a spokesperson.

 

The star later apologized. "I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste," Barr said.

But the damage was done. ABC announced within hours that it would end the program.

"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, said in a statement Tuesday.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

By now, you all have heard about the Roseanne story.
Having a racist president in the White House, she might have felt safe to say the words. But ABC has cancelled her show for good just a few hours after her tweet.
It was truly a bad joke (as Roseanne said). But, no matter how bad a joke may be, a racist joke is no longer allowed in American society.

 

When I came to America in 1965, America was a racist world. Gradually over the years, racism slowly has been disappearing around me. Being a medical doctor, I heard or felt the racism mush less than other immigrants.
I even voted for Obama because he was a black, hoping that his presidency would help in removing the racism.

 

Nowadays, I feel much more comfortable as a member of American society. To me, I can take the racism without much problem simply because I am just one the first generation immigrants who had overcome all those racism.

Racism does not touch me any more. I can simply ignore and laugh away.

I can stand up on my own anywhere in America. I am no longer afraid of racism.

 

However, I used to wish that my children would not suffer from what I had suffered in my early days. I don't have to wish any longer.
Having lived in Kentucky, the Southern territory of America, I have heard numerous racial jokes around me. Hell with them. I have never envied them. I knew my day will be coming.  
I beat them all and, now, comfortably retired.

 

The racism is still around as you saw in Roseanne's episode. But it is a lot less these days. Do you know why we, Koreans, came this far?

It's not only from the American conscience but it is also from our people in our homeland who achieved the miracle of Han River and the north Koreans who made nuclear weapons and ICBMs that, believe it or not, can reach America.
 

I am glad that I get to see the day when I feel free and am not afraid at all.
At last, the old age has come with it's own benefit. I am a proud American citizen.

We've really come a long way.    5-29-2018, WM

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