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

[johnsonc20]

Gee, it was just an innocent mistake. He had no idea that there is a stereotype that blacks like watermelon. Um, he also believes in the Easter Bunny.

[madatnewsmedia]

He knew exactly what he was doing! Why would you even send something as stupid as that picture? He doesn't deserve to be mayor!

[JonG345]

can i as a member of a minority officially ask why its so racist to say black people like watermelon? if someone made something like this with potatoes about kennedy no one would care.. i get that there are harmful stereotypes about black people (the monkey thing was definitely offensive), but what's so bad about watermelon? just askin.

[MANK]

Watermelon was easily grown and free which was all that blacks could afford to live on as a result of the extreme poverty due to their slave past. The Irish suffered at the hand of the English but were never SLAVES!

[FortuneTeller]

Check out the lyrics of the song 'Colored Spade' from the musical Hair... that should give you a list of what was considered racist back during the 60s-70s civil rights era. The watermelon patch was in poor taste regardless of the decrease in sensitivity.

[instarx]

It is racist simply because it IS a stereotype. In Europe, where there was never any association with slaves, blacks, and watermelons, it would be a different matter. But in Europe it would never be sent because without the racial stereotype the email is completely nonsensical.

[TAIsabel]

Good grief!

[torbo]

Mayor Grose is just one of thousands of white folks who believe black folks should still be on some white man's plantations. It never was in the scheme of things for black people to be nothing but slaves in f America. It was not of the goodness of the old white slave masters heart or a president signing a piece of paper callled the Emancipation Proclamation. Which did not free the slaves. No, if it was not for prayers and the grace of God black folks would be on some white man's plantation. Grose should not be allowed to contiune his postion on the city conucil and whoever supports him vote them out of office. Nothing will change as long as good people continue to support these racist views.

[ditsylilg]

these white whomever haven't broken with the master-slave mentality period

[trinidadgirl]

But the problem is that whites are enslaved with their thinking! They are still in bondage and feel entitled and privileged because of their colour!

[kengotaces]

this is flat out racism and you should be ashamed of yourself.

[danusgram]

Its hard for ya to hear the truth isn't it? makes ones ears hurt I am sure

[nana4g]

I sent an email to the Mayor Pro Tem of Los Alamitos telling her many people were unhappy that this Mayor Grose was going to continue to serve on City Council. Here is her email address and an excerpt:

ci.los-alamitos.ca.usca.us

"Business affairs of the City Council of Los Alamitos, California, may be thought to be none of my affairs since I am not a resident nor a constituent and I live in Texas. However, I am a citizen of the United States of America and the President is my President. This country is my country, every corner of it, small and/or large. What happens in these little corners of America affects all of us.

Many of us do not tolerate, condone, or excuse the ignorance and overt racism of your Mayor. Unless he is removed from City Council, we are all left to believe that the culture of Los Alamitos is one of racism, bigotry, and ignorance, as well as disrespect for the President and the rest of the people in this country.

Unless his colleagues in City Council call for his resignation or recall from the Council, we will assume that in a corner of America, in California, of all places! resides a hotbed of what is unfortunately known as "the ugly American". "

Write to her.

[DaBluAce]

I too wrote to the Mayor...but I used a lot of four letter words to express my anger with him...then saluted him with the middle finger......not very grown up of me but his email wasn't grown up either!

[VOTER]

I, also, wrote to the Mayor saying he was stupid and/or a bigot.
Also, he had just "promoted" his town into a Vacation Spot for
haters and bigots.

The man is despicable.

[Citizen-Jane]

He wasn't aware that it was sterotype? What a li@r. Glad he resigned now he needs the boot from his city council seat as well.
Don't like government-get the h#ll out.

[lildyke]

He needs to be booted off the city council too. This guy should receive NO taxpayer money at all, in any form.

[VOTER]

The public may demand he resign all public offices.
Sure hope so........................

[KeepMeLearning]

I'm not so sure. Have you ever been to Los Alamitos?

[thisoldbroad]

If the City Counsel position was won in an election he should resign from that as well. Does he think this little 'gesture' will get him out of the spotlight for a bit, then all will be well. Behavior like that makes him unfit for ANY public office. Perhaps there's a position available at his local hardware store.

[bamboozled]

He didn't know.

YET thought it was funny enough to send around to all his mates to get a good laugh out of.

What he didn't know was that the world has changed and left him behind.

[dutchman]

Exactly

[bog]

if he didn't know about the stereotype why would he forward the email. what exactly would be funny about it?

[skybar]

Yeah, no one knows about the black-watermelon stereotype just like no one knows about the black-monkey stereotype.
Ignorance is bliss. Also a good defense.

[Bankenstein]

Actually in the court of law, ignorance is not a sufficient defense!!!

[Urbanbarbie943]

The mayor is a total LIAR. Why do people with these racist beliefs, deny their true feelings when called out on the obvious racist things they do and say? This is not 1865!

He honestly got what he deserved as well as asked for.

[dcree77]

You're absolutely right. If he did not know the context of the watermelon patch and Obama's race, what would otherwise have been the point of the picture? The caption read "there will be no Easter eggs hunts this year." What did he think that meant? What was the connotation if not that the people living in the Whitehouse would be serving Watermelon in lieu of hosting an Easter egg hunt? And, why would it matter, unless, some how, there was some humor associated with connecting the Obama's to watermelon? The sad part about it is that he does not think he did anything wrong because he "didn't know of the existence of the racial stereotype." Yeah right, and tax cuts for the wealthy stimulate the economy.

[Tetrine]

I agree -- if he didn't know the racist connotations of the watermelon being associated with blacks then why did he send that picture in the first place. Not exactly a well thought out plea of innocence.

[madatnewsmedia]

I know why some dislike the President, but some of these things that are being done or said is outside the line. As much as I am happy that Mr. Obama won the election, there are times that I am scared for him. While 69 million voted to put him in the office, 59 million did not vote for him. Of that 59 million, there's probably a quarter of them who really despise him! As a country, we have got to keep him as safe as possible!

[ppitstop]

Well that will go on his resume as the smartest thing he ever did. The lies idiots tell... He didn't know about the racial stereotype? Then what the hell was the whole Photoshop project about? What a friggin' jerk. Buh-bye.

[lawdood]

So how long until Fox News signs him?

[gretcheno]

I wonder if Mayor Grose is LAUGHING now.

[Ecoutez]

I believe he is quite content and happy that he stepped out to defend racists and to put our President down. He is not sorry for his comment and in fact feels like he's a hero. The sad part about all of this is our President is trying to help him and his constituency.

[EeeeeYowww]

No doubt the r a c i s t Grose will end up with a cushy job at the RNC. The dolt is a prime example of Republican intelligence.

(Republican intelligence is an oxymoron.)