Cobb bar "Mulligans" portrays Obama as Curious George, a monkey. (Atlanta: good schools, tax)

[Cubancoffee]

Despite the large number of progressives living in Atlanta (and trying valliantly to drag it into the 20th century), this sort of thing is just what drove my wife and I to give up good jobs and leave the state last year. We just couldn't stand to live in a place where the undercurrent of racism and general intolerance was so strong. I wonder if the apologists who dismiss this as "just a joke" or "he's got his First Amendment rights" realize how twisted they sound. Bringing up past examples of the same kind of behavior by others reminds me of the old (true) adage: Two wrongs don't make a right. And the other one that says something like: All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Enjoy stewing in your own juices, Atlanta.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Actually in the 60s, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Chattanooga were approximately the same size. It was the airport deal that caused Atlanta to take the lead - nothing else. There have actually been special TV segments on this via the local news in years past. Just to clarify city history there.

And the airport deal was able to happen because of Atlanta's better race relations/dealings.


It is well-known how Atlanta and Birmingham were economic and population equals through the 1950's (with many actually giving the economic edge and future potential to Birmingham).

Atlanta's pragmatic approach to civil rights and race relations helped place the city in a better light with corporate relocations, corporate transfers, corporate expansions, professional sports franchises, and airport deals. Atlanta was able to have unprecedented growth in the 1960's because of this. Atlanta was able to enter the 1970's as the undisputed capital of the New South...leaving Birmingham permanently in the dust.

The television images that were broadcast from Birmingham put a "black-eye" on its image.

Please know Atlanta/Southern history before making inaccurate statements. (and I know someone will probably spend the next 5 hours of their life searching the internet to find some obscure "falsetoid" in order to try and validate their inaccurate statement on this thread)

[neil0311]

The place is a redneck biker bar that is patronized by throwbacks without teeth. I'll give them credit for at least doing it in the open and taking the heat without running away from it. Sure it's offensive, but people are also way too sensitive these days. Look at all the free publicity this guy has gotten on TV because of his stupidity. Helping his business is the wrong way to hurt him.

[SEAandATL]

I'll just never go to Mulligan's. They probably wouldn't let me in there anyways since I'm half Japansese. That's all right, why go to Marietta Square when there's Buckhead, Midtown, L5P, VaHi, and Decatur.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

Cobb bar protested as racist for Obama T-shirts | ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/05/13/mulligans_0514.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab - broken link)

Right down the street from the Big Chicken...these are the types of stories and happenings that makes The State of Georgia seem backwards to people outside of the state. The owner of the Mulligans Bar said it best..."I'm saying out loud what everyone in this town whispers," Norman said.

So basically he's painting a wide brush of what the citizens of Marietta think to readers outside of Altanta when he makes statements like that...sad indeed.

Oh hush. It's simply a picture of a monkey (Curious George) that says "Obama '08". People referred to Bush as a "Smirking Chimp" for ages, was it seen as "racist". Obviously, the only reason this generates accusations of "racism" is because some people honestly think that Obama looks like a monkey, I suppose. I doubt the bar was insinuating such, but I'm sure that the protesters must think it since they are taken back by such a harmless display.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by south-to-west

Leave it to Cobb County to mess it up for the rest of Atlanta. Shortly before the Olypics, the Cobb County Commission passed a resolution condemning the "homosexual lifestyle" as being immoral and deviant as the eyes of the world watched.

It is immoral and deviant, as it contributes to a much lower life span, as well as all types of sexually transmitted diseases (a greater rate). Furthermore, it goes against what nature intended.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. It's funny, as I'm sure that you feel that you're enlightened for supporting lifestyles which are proven to be unhealthy and unnatural.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

Then there was the brouhaha over Evolution/Creationism in school textbooks.

Yet on a recent trip to the Marietta Square it looked more like Decatur. Every kind of ethnic restaurant and great shopping. They are renovating the old theater.

And you're probably the type of person who believes that Darwinism is a fact and has no flaws. That despite it being nothing more than a series of loosely collected half-truths and poor hypotheses, you believe it to be the truth. This, despite the fact that mathematicians have rendered it extremely unlikely; nearly zero in probability. Note, I'm not arguing in favor of Creationism, which even Cobb County didn't (They argued for also the teaching of Intelligent Design. If you're going to teach Darwinism, you might as well teach Intelligent Design, for it has just as much legitimacy, perhaps more, as Darwinism.).

"Every kind of ethnic restaurant". I can sense you bubbling up with the words of "Aren't I progressive. I'm showing my favortism of ethnic Restaurants" (after all, anything not deemed "southern" and "white" is better, and makes us more "cosmopolitan" and more "cultured", and not "racist", and "Redneck", which, by default, many of you show your bias and or prejudicial views.

[grindin]

Well, there are racial connotations behind referring to black people as monkeys that people are all too aware of, but as a black man, I'm all too aware of all the denying that some white people do and make it look like we're the ones with the problem. What else is new?

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by Merin

I always thought when I need to move to the burbs it was going to be to East Cobb because of the schools. For those of you who live out there, does the people in East Cobb think this is OK?

Wow. It's one place, you're having a problem deducing whether one bar represents all the residents of one area. How do you figure such, or even arrive that all people in an area are a monolith of thought on this particular subject?

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

This is the deep South, even though lots of folks in Atlanta come from elsewhere. You're going to find knumbnuts in every corner of the metro area - and even within the city, and, from every ethnic group.

History lesson for newer arrivals:

Let's not forget ex Mayor Bill Campbell's "smart ass white boy" comment he made about someone while he was in office surrounded by an all-black leadership group he put into place for the city. Of course, he forgot about the mic nearby and for some time people wore "S.A.W.B." t-shirts and caps in the city because of it.

There was controversy over his comments, and of course he did the, "This was taken out of context" speech, but overall, people just raised their eyebrows and decided to make fun of it and wore their hats and shirts. I'm not necessarily saying that Obama fans (of which yes, I am one) shouldn't pay any attention to the tshirt in question today, but overall, it's JUST A TSHIRT. Get over it. George W. Bush has been shown as a monkey in cartoons (ok, well, he IS a monkey, but that's beside the point).

Every political personality since the 1700s has been drawn as a cartoon. The only controversy is in this case the animal in question by *some* old time racists is linked to a race of people. Let them have their fun. Don't let it ruin your day. They didn't even get the insult right - people LIKE Curious George - he's an icon in a good sense. Heck, if you're going to insult someone do it right at least. Make some posters of McCain shown as a mummy - it's close enough.

So - it's not nuclear war. Move on. I'll bet Obama would.

Don't you think that you're assuming a bit much, considering that had it been a picture of Curious George with Bush '04, you'd probably not be saying anything. Why, because he is a mulatto (with black traits) is the idea of "racism" even brought up?