Mayor Who Sent Obama Watermelon Email Quits

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — The mayor of a small Southern California city who was criticized for sending an e-mail showing watermelons in front of the White House says he will give up the mayoral post but remain on the City Council.

Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose heard calls for his resignation this week when he forwarded an e-mail showing a watermelon patch on the White House lawn under the title: "No Easter egg hunt this year."

Grose has apologized and said he wasn't aware of the racial stereotype that blacks like watermelon.

Officials in the Orange County town say Grose will officially resign as mayor on Monday. But Grose told KCAL-TV on Friday that he intends to remain on the City Council.

The mayor is a council member chosen to serve in that position by fellow members of the five-seat council.

Comments

[EuroRant1]

City of Los Alamitos CA website
http://www.ci.los-alamitos.ca.us/

Los Alamitos CA councilmembers
ci.los-alamitos.ca.uss.ca.us
ci.los-alamitos.ca.usamitos.ca.us
ci.los-alamitos.ca.uss.ca.us
ci.los-alamitos.ca.usca.us
ci.los-alamitos.ca.usitos.ca.us

[PassingShot]

Yeah... I think this was more racist than the shooting-the-chimp cartoon, which meant to imply that the bill was written by an ignorant person.

[OLMEQ]

Regardless of the educational background of an individual, why didn't the picture have cherries on the whitehouse lawn. One thing is constant in America, RACISM. From the cradle to the grave, white America is taught , "you are better because you are WHITE"! The claims of him not knowing may even prove my point that it is genetically ingrained into his being that of all the fruits and vegetables, his superiority genetics just so happened to make him settle on watermelons in relation to a person of color. GENETICS America, genetics..­....

[JoandeV]

I think it is completely unbelievable that the mayor "didn't know" that watermelons are part of a racist joke about african Americans. You'd have to be stupid not to know. However, as a white person, I can honestly say that I've never been taught that I'm better than other people (who aren't white) because I'm white. I don't know what your experience in life has been, but when you can find an exception to a statement it proves the statement isn't true. Seems like you might be giving into your own brand of racism.

[krr02]

Perhaps we should re-evaluate whether the "fellow council members" deserve to be decision makers, since keeping the "valuable and insightful" mayor on the council is soooooo important.

I know retaining the ex-mayor in a position of ANY power would make most Americans (except racists of course) sick

[Scarllatti]

Good riddance to a bad rubbish. "The harder they come, the harder they fall" Remember what Jimmy Cliff said?

[1differentdrummer]

He's a liar and that's why the calls for him to resign. Innocence my foot.

[Rachel King]

Of course the dude knows it's racist.

Otherwise it makes about as much sense as a row of gingerbread mean in front of the White House singing "lovin' the Easter bus - save tin for the war!"

Nobody's that deranged, though that mayor must be very stupid. I can understand an idiot sending that to racist pals - but actually sending it to Obama?

I reckon it's a racist prank email ACCIDENTALLY sent to Obama.

[PhilipB]

When I went to work for my company, we had to sign an agreement that sexual harassment would not be tolerated in the workplace. This included suggestive materials like pin up calendars and even jokes.
This was a good thing, as a father I would not want my daughter to experience the locker room mentality that was prevalent when I was young in business. Free of that harassment, she could be taken on her own merits.
For a government official to spread racist emails creates that same kind of intimidation. Racist jokes are not funny in the workplace because they send a message that you are inferior because of your race.
This is especially important in our elected officials, because racist jokes harm the whole community.

What can be learned by other city councils like Los Alamitos is that the same methods to stop sexual harassment and racial division in the workplace companies have adopted (for fear of lawsuits, or as the result of lawsuits, or simply wishing to create a healthy work environment to attract the best employees) .
It is time that city councils across the nation learn from this incident, and others that have occurred in the past, and create a program based on non harassment, both sexual and racial, in hiring, pay, and even in "jokes" which could be commonly understood as found in the business model.

It is also simply the right thing to do to create a healthy workplace and community.

[politricking]

"Grose has apologized and said he wasn't aware of the racial stereotype that blacks like watermelon­."

Lying, racist, sack of ___

[Ecoutez]

I'm so sick and tired of the racist mantra, "I wasn't aware of the stereotype, or, "I thought he had a gun" while victim is hog-tied on the ground." This is pure cognitive dissonance. People like Grose must be descendants of the Bosket family that Fox Butterfield describes in his excellent book, "All God's Children." It's DENIAL, folks.

[max]

Republicans just continue to show how stupid they are......l­ol

[LuckyLT2]

LOVED IT! I'm sure it would be priceless to see the expression on the faces of the r@cist who believe they still have the backing of all white people and they don't. It's a NEW day!!! Black and White alike are not having the NONSENSE!! Step it up people!

[pathenry]

"Grose has apologized and said he wasn't aware of the racial stereotype that blacks like watermelon­."

Bullshit!

Forty years ago, Orrin Hatch may not have known that "Calling a Spade a Spade" could be racist, but in the 21st Century, watermelons on the White House lawn is flagrant prejudice. If you haven't learned that by now, you haven't earned the right to serve others in our diverse, representative democracy.

Resigning as Mayor is not enough. Get off the City Council! You have forfeited the right to hold public office!

[Freenation]

Good...

[militarymomforobama]

A "friend" sent me a racist e-mail ONCE. I told her I do not appreciate hateful "humor" and guess what?I don't get those emails anymore. I do not tolerate this stuff. People need to stand up and denounce this behavior. Yes, a person has a right to their speech--I have the right to expose them for it. Then when they sit in their pews on Sat. evening or Sunday morning--or whenever they go--they can be seen for what they are.

[julia06]

In Ca., all supervisors, public and private have to take a required Harassment Prevention class (AB 1825.)
Since the comfort level of many private citizens was passed, this incident could be defined a situation of harassment.
Please feel feel free to use this information when writing the city or the city council.
Citing Assembly Bill 1825 in Ca would possibly have much more power than any four letter word.