White House Watermelon Email From California Mayor Dean Grose Inspires Outrage

The mayor of Los Alamitos is coming under fire for an e-mail he sent out that depicts the White House lawn planted with watermelons, under the title "No Easter egg hunt this year."

Local businesswoman and city volunteer Keyanus Price, who is black, said Tuesday she received the e-mail from Mayor Dean Grose's personal account on Sunday and wants a public apology.

"I have had plenty of my share of chicken and watermelon and all those kinds of jokes," Price told The Associated Press. "I honestly don't even understand where he was coming from, sending this to me. As a black person receiving something like this from the city-freakin'-mayor - come on."

The Orange County Register first reported the e-mail on its Web site Tuesday night.

Grose confirmed to the AP that he sent the e-mail to Price and said he didn't mean to offend her. He said he was unaware of the racial stereotype that black people like watermelons.

He said he and Price are friends and serve together on a community youth board.

"Bottom line is, we laugh at things and I didn't see this in the same light that she did," Grose told the AP. "I'm sorry. It wasn't sent to offend her personally - or anyone - from the standpoint of the African-American race."

Grose, who became mayor in December, said he sent an apology e-mail to Price and her boss and also left her a voicemail apology.

Regardless, Price said it will be difficult for the two to work together.

"Now I am like - wow, is this really how he feels?" Price said.

Los Alamitos is a 2¼-square-mile Orange County city of around 12,000 people. The mayor is elected by fellow members of the five-seat City Council.

Comments

[blackspeak]

Grose, you done... Resign and avoid the embarrasement.

[pattyrenee]

OUTRAGE! OUTRAGE! OUTRAGE! THAT MAYOR SHOULD BE THROWN OUT OF OFFICE, NOW!

[Imagine64]

Unacceptable and inexcusable. I have emailed the appropriate Los Alamitos officials, and also made a call to the Town Clerk. Thanks to all who provided the links.

[BosMomE]

When I first saw this headline, I thought that the e-mail and photo were intended as some kind of environmental, economic commentary. As in, the white house lawn is an environmental waste--you should set an example and plant food on it! Boy, was I wrong when I opened the article! How disappointing to say the least, it is an immature racist joke....and don't tell me the racists out there don't get the meaning from first sight!

[bavonv]

My thoughts to "Sir Mayor" -

"Grose confirmed to the AP that he sent the e-mail to Price and said he didn't mean to offend her. He said he was unaware of the racial stereotype that black people like watermelons"

REALLY?????????????? Then please enlighten us as to what WATERMELONS in your "brain" allude to here??

PLEASE - do NOT insult the populace's intelligence. We are not MORONS.
If this is your response, PLEASE explain what the watermelons in your world relate to regarding the WHITE HOUSE/PRESIDENT.

You owe the PRESIDENT and the "PEOPLE" (you know, us MORONS , who just don't get the relationship of watermelons to the white house you allude to) an apology. IF what you say is true: your ignorance is astounding.

[maxfax]

It is the Grand Old Party, old and white.

[TexasDem0]

I am old, white, and used to live in Los Alamitos.
Don't blame everything on old, white people.
That's just another form of bigotry.

[k6007]

True.

[JesusIsALie]

But you have to be honest about the amount of bigotry that exists in Orange County!
Don't tell me that there's diversity in that area, it's mostly white people!!

[gwinegarden]

I'm old and white, too, but old, white, a Texan and a demo!

I thought they were all just a rumour ;-)

[gretcheno]

And that is why bit by bit they are being voted out of public office. And I say good riddance.

[EgyptianMysterySchool]

Are we going to have this national conversation about race and not be cowards? Then bring this topic into the conversation. The racist offense of this water melon photo isn't even the bad part about this.

What people are missing is the fact that as a Mayor, how many of his decisions have been influenced by his racism? How many hiring decisions were made because of his racism? How many funding decisions were made because of his racism? How many municipal projects were decided on because of his racism?

These racist don't walk around w/ t-shirts warning us. They keep it quiet and you never find out until they make a slip and they can't contain their hatred and it bubbles out into water melon/chicken jokes or magic negro songs.

Now multiply this by thousands of mayors, governors, local and state politicians, judges, policeman, bankers, teachers, etc. and you can begin to see the cumulative effects on ethnic populations. We don't scream "racism" because we're bored, we scream it because racist people make racist decisions. This is why some call for quotas, this is why we point out the sentencing inequalities in the justice system, this is why we protest for fair representation on TV and behind the scenes, this is why Sharpton wants to investigate Murdoch's licenses.

It's not the blatant insult, it's the economic and social impact that results from the decisions racists make. Sorry Cenk, racism is racism - even if the word makes people uncomfortable.

[t mout]

Excellent remarks.

[veemarge]

Anyone wishing to communicated their thoughts to Mayor Grose may do so at:

ci.los-alamitos.ca.uss.ca.us

[galaxian]

Mr. Mayor, why are you laughing if you had no idea about watermelon stereotypes?
Weak spin.

[LoriAnn]

Is there any doubt that threr are an incredible amount of racists spurred on by the "right" wing and the unbelievably aggregious manner that seems to be its only uniting theme....hatred, ignorance, and juvenile attempts at humor....Remember Mr, Steeles "One armed midget" comment and how he was going to use "hip hop" to get new repubs .... I think the adults in this country better take a "grown up" pill and smell the coffee 'cus reality is about to bitchslap a whole bunch of people!!!

[dwillisno1]

Ya know, I got over being offended long ago. I don't get offended, I get angry. Black people I know are way above being offended by this kind of stupidity. As a white person I'm ashamed that another white person is that stupid, and thinks that other of us would appreciate him sending such a racist message to us.

[gr8get]

I couldn't have said it better!

[FZliveson]

Hey... I love fried chicken and watermelons and I think it would be great if Obama
planted a garden with Watermelon, Okra, black-eyed peas and whatever else he
might enjoy eating. I have very little pigment in my skin. Is something wrong there?
What's the huge deal? War crimes are being swept under the rug. Your money is
being spent on pork right now, while people are obsessed with watermelon cartoons!

[Clavis]

You really don't understand the source of the outrage? Does the article not spell it out for you? Have all the commenters' comments gone unread?

Please don't pull the Republican game of pretending not to know what is REALLY irritating people about an issue. I think you know what the issue is here.

[FZliveson]

Behind all the sour rhetoric and whining lie real huge issues that are being overshadowed
by stupid cartoonists and their critics.

[Clavis]

Oh, and the "pork" thing is BS. Republicans waste government money by stealing it for themselves and their friends. Give it a rest, loser.

[jlgcox]

I have mixed emotions about this. I am a AA female and I noticed Obama ignores the racist jokes (song by former RNC chairman and now this). I an incline to ignore this type of stuff, but on the other hand if it continues it could make Obama appear as a joke and give the green light to republicans officials this could be used as tactic to diminish Obama approval rating with the American people.

I guess the bottom line is this kind of stuff should not be tolerated and someone other than Obama should call them out on this!! Obama has bigger worries!!!

I rather focus on the positive myself: Blacks, Whites, Yellow, Brown and Red voted Obama into the office :-)

[harriscrl3]

Sometimes its better to ignore ignorance than to give voice to it or validate it by saying something on it.

CNN had an article on the rise in Hate groups and how they blame Obama for the sad state of the economy. Why would you put this kind of nonsense on your website. Its beyond me how they think that this is something they need to be bloggng about

Carol

[micro]

Well, I am 'White' and I am HIGHLY offended by Grose as well as his feigned ignorance. Grose under fire? He should be fired immediately. It's time to weed out his ignorant ilk and elect real leaders.

[elsie900]

I am white (and voted for Obama) and I think the longer it continues the more likely it is to make the jokers themselves look like a joke. Yes, it's horrible to see all these people coming out of the woodwork, but they could not be more tonedeaf and out of sync with the national mood. I think the more they do this, the more they isolate themselves.

The country has rallied around this amazing man as we have around none in a very long time. And this week's speech cemented the fact that, once and for all, he makes more sense than not just the obvious loonies, but the powerful ideologues posing as patriots.

[HyperInfluential]

We will stand up for the president. It's not right he should have to address such things, they are beneath his contempt. But not ours. Me personally, I got lots of contempt for this mayor and am perfectly willing to sully my mind by chastising him on the internets!

[Fremon]

I guess I have a different background re race. First of all I was raised in an apartment building in the Bronx (NY) of the 40's. My first friend in life was the child of our black building superintendent. He would often bring "Charlie" to work with him and we would play on the floor landing on our tricycles. My mother always made lunch that included Charlie when he was there. We moved to Staten Island and then to Southern CA. In both of those locations there were no blacks where I went to school . I have often thought about those times and recognize that reacting to race is one's experience. Throughout my life experience (retired now) I have found numerous whites who refuse to believe that any black can or should be better off then they either financially, educationally, intellectually, or by any other measurement. I had one fist fight in my life and that occured when I heard another call a black person the "N" word. It was offensive to me and what I consider my humanity. I am happy to say that I came out on top in that fight (my father use to box). These people who try racial humour are to be more pitied than condemned. It is not what America was or should be. As a followup note I am a patriot and served my country as a Naval Officer during Vietnam.

[FZliveson]

Thanks for bringing your PERSONAL experience to the blog. That is real and it makes
you a person people can identify and empathize with.

[Caymus77]

Everybody should send their protests to:

Dean Grose ci.los-alamitos.ca.uss.ca.us

City Council E-mail addresses(the bozos who elected the mayor):

Marilynn Poe ci.los-alamitos.ca.usca.us

Troy Edgar ci.los-alamitos.ca.uss.ca.us

Gerri Graham-Mejia ci.los-alamitos.ca.usamitos.ca.us

Ken Stephens ci.los-alamitos.ca.usitos.ca.us

[HesDanTheMan]

Good for you for listing those email addresses. I went and shipped off an email to each and everyone of them yesterday!

[arkansasgirl]

Thanks for postings these email addresses. I've sent emails expressing my anger and disdain about the mayor's callousness and stupidity to each and every one. My question to them: how does one start impeachment proceedings against the mayor?

[arkansasgirl]

I guess the Los Alamitos City Council is tired of citizen input. All my emails were returned as "undeliverable because recipient refused delivery".

[MizK]

Woot woot! Hello from another Arkansasgirl to another! Glad to see you're on my side!!

[AbyssinianLion]

Done thanks!

[Meggie]

I just called this city to ask the mayor to explain what's so funny that makes him laugh, because I don't get the joke. Apologies are all well and good, but I'd like an explanation of what's so funny.

No statements yet from the mayor beyond the apology mentioned above, but his secretary assures me that she will forward my interest in an explanation from the mayor. Perhaps everyone can call?
562-431-3538 will get you a receptionist that can transfer you to the mayor's office, and the nice beleagured woman there will be happy to take your message. She says they're taking a list of callers who are concerned or offended about the mayor's conduct.

Call and add your name to the list of concerned people!

[Kikaida1]

Good work, Meggie! It's a shame the AP reporter who took his statement didn't ask such an obvious question, but follow-ups have become almost extinct in mainstream "journalism."

[arkansasgirl]

Thanks for posting this number. I called to ask the mayor the exact same question, but they are no longer answering the phone. I did leave a voicemail message, though.