Bugs Bunny has a little integrity

The old Warner Bros. cartoons have become increasingly painful to watch — so much racism, so much sexism. So what do you do? Throw the old classics in the trash? Pretend entertainment has always been fair and egalitarian? Warner Bros. is preceding the old cartoons with a disclaimer.

The cartoons you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were common in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today's society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.

The cartoons you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were common in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today’s society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.

That’s an appropriate response, but I think I’d still rather not watch some of those efforts from the 1940s at all.

Incidentally, racist

I don’t approve of homeschooling. I understand how sometimes, the local school is in a state of intellectual collapse and it becomes necessary (although I’d rather the state realized it has an obligation to maintain school quality in all districts), but too often it’s because parents demand a bizarre ideological purity — in particular, because they don’t want their kids exposed to liberal ideas like diversity and tolerance.

Which leads to…

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Why cops have a bad reputation

It’s this: while demanding empathy for the dangerous job of a policeman in an editorial in the Washington Post, a cop explains what he gets to do, with a complete lack of empathy for the citizen’s position.

Even though it might sound harsh and impolitic, here is the bottom line: if you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you. Don’t argue with me, don’t call me names, don’t tell me that I can’t stop you, don’t say I’m a racist pig, don’t threaten that you’ll sue me and take away my badge. Don’t scream at me that you pay my salary, and don’t even think of aggressively walking towards me. Most field stops are complete in minutes. How difficult is it to cooperate for that long?

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Why would you support a policeman who shoots unarmed people?

There is a protest going on in St Louis, in support of Darren Wilson, the policeman who shot Mike Brown ten times. I don’t understand that at all. Best case scenario, he executed a man for shoplifting; worst case, he’s a trigger-happy racist. There’s really no possible way to justify what he did.

wilsonsupporters

But just in case you’re worried that these citizens might get out of control, the police are on the case — riding bicycles.

cops_on_bikes

Hey, where are the armored personnel carriers and the assault rifles? Don’t they think those protesters deserve a few shots of CS gas?

(via Jon Swaine)