AP: Mayor who sent watermelon e-mail says he'll resign

[SemiCharmedQuark]

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. (AP) — The mayor of a small Southern California city says he will resign after being criticized for sharing an e-mail picture depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons under the title "No Easter egg hunt this year."

Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose issued a statement Thursday saying he is sorry and will step down as mayor at Monday's City Council meeting.

Grose came under fire for sending the picture to what he called "a small group of friends." One of the recipients, a local businesswoman and city volunteer, publicly scolded the mayor for his actions.

Grose says he accepts that the e-mail was in poor taste and has affected his ability to lead the city. Grose said he didn't mean to offend anyone and claimed he was unaware of the racial stereotype linking black people with eating watermelons.

Located in Orange County, Los Alamitos is a 2 1/4-square-mile city of around 12,000 people.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gmNEcrbsbJxE-ybLSvYRu3Ucf3WQD96JUDD80

[BeyondGeography]

1. Loser

:hi:

[tavalon]

2. I called that one yesterday!

Wish I had found a bookie!

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

3. "unaware of the racial stereotype linking black people with eating watermelons"...

Ummm... then why was it supposed to be funny?

Because Muslims don't celebrate Easter?

First rule of holes...

[GOTV]

8. What's what I want to know ...

... why doesn't anyone ask the obvious question?

What was the joke supposed to be if it's not "Ha ha ha he planted watermelons because black people like watermelon". In what other way can watermelons be made into a joke here? Or did he have a joke in mind that didn't require watermelon and he just happened to pick the wrong fruit (or is it a vegetable). Why didn't they ask him to explain the intended joke?

Idiots in the media just write down what people say without even listening.

[Occam Bandage]

9. Watermelons are simply hilariously absurd! They're big and green, not at all like eggs are!

Wouldn't that be something, if they replaced eggs with watermelons! Why, you wouldn't have to look for them, because they would be large and in neatly-manicured rows! That would certainly be wacky!

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. It was a Gallagher reference gone wrong!

[Mz Pip]

21. Then the mayor should have sent

an email with a picture of the White House lawn filled with strawberries. Using his explanation of being "unaware" that should have been just as "funny."

Of course he knew. If he didn't know he wouldn't have thought it was "funny" in the first place. :eyes:

[goclark]

4. Good for him -- more of them should ddo that when

they do stupid, hurtful things.


Let the door say goodbye to him.

[Marrah_G]

5. Good

[theoldman]

6. I like watermelons but in Texas they are getting to be expensive.

The small seedless ones are the best if you are lazy like me and don't like to spit out the seeds.

[firedupdem]

7. Good! Beat it asshole! n/t

[Cha]

20. Yeah, and he's still a

coward for acting all disingenuous.

[nc4bo]

10. As he should and he should really educate himself about stereotyping...

In the south, EVERYBODY (well, just about everybody) loves to eat watermelons not just black folks.

And what some want to call soul food and black people's food is simply southern cuisine. Whites and blacks eat this way.

I hate these stupid stereotyping racist bastards.

[Raineyb]

12. Good.

I'm tired of assholes like this thinking they can get away with this crap.

Regards

[Bleacher Creature]

13. If he was unaware of the stereotype, why did he send the message?

Why send something that means nothing?

[vaberella]

14. I wish this was what happened to Bachmann...I'll still keep working on that. n/t

[City Lights]

15. Good riddance, punk. nt

[Clio the Leo]

16. Wow! I commend him for taking responsibility. NT

[NatBurner]

17. don't let the doorknob hit ya

[rvablue]

18. What a stupid moron. Hope his display of racial bigotry was worth his political career!

And, Mr. ex-Mayor, if you didn't think the watermelon thing was racist then why exactly was the joke supposed to be funny? He's a racist and a liar and an idiot!

[TTUBatfan2008]

24. Your last sentence is redundant...

Racists are more often than not lying idiots! :P So, simply call him a racist and it covers all three of those things. ;)

[Cha]

19. Just how gawd damn stupid

do you have to be to send an email like that at this point in history?

[mscuedawg]

22. Buh Bye Now..

[dcindian]

23. Being a republican is in poor taste.

Sending this email was simply racist.

[fishwax]

25. good riddance