You know what's like rape? NOTHING.
Darleen Click has posted what is possibly the most rage-inducing cartoon you will ever see over at Protein Wisdom. It depicts the aftermath of President Obama's sexual assault on the Statue of Liberty.
warning: I'm not image-linking the cartoon--it's on another forum I read, and some people there found it triggering. I also refuse to link directly to the cartoonist's site, but there are links inside the pieces, if you're made of sterner stuff than me. The cartoon is shown in both these links; I'm quoting the rest of the text from Jezebel if you don't want to see the cartoon.
http://jezebel.com/5504565/conservative-blogger-obama-raped-our-american-principles#viewcomments
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2010/03/29/right-wing-cartoon-depicts-obama-raping-the-statue-of-liberty/
But Click's contribution to the growing compendium of rape "jokes" is the worst one yet. Obama stands with his back to Liberty, who cries into her hands, and threatens to return with his "friends." It is disturbing on several levels. It trivializes rape by comparing the passage of new legislation to being traumatically assaulted. And then there is the race issue, which Click addresses in her post:
Oh I know I'm going to get called names on this. But I'm not going to play that game anymore. Like the sign at one of the TEA parties that said "it doesn't matter what this sign says, you going to call it racist anyway." When even the lawsuits now being brought by 30 plus state AG's is considered racist, it is time to stop playing that game...
Heck, I want to shake them up. This is supposed to be a post-racial era? Then deal with the fact that the President of the United States is the head of a gang that just raped our American principles.
She finishes her rant by telling us to "deal, people." However, if there is ever a time to get righteously angry, this is it. Click attempts to shoot down our anger by preemptively recognizing that she will get called names - names which she has just earned by calling Obama "the head of a gang" that "raped" America. In choosing not to "play the game" of common decency, Click has opened herself up to a flood of criticism. She envisions it coming from the "usual Stockholm-syndrome 'conservatives,'" but hopefully, it will come from anyone with a shred of sense, be they left or right leaning. Racism isn't funny, and neither is rape - even when the "woman is green."
/jezebel text
Sadly, I think the author is way too optimistic in thinking anyone from the right will be willing to condemn this, given the prevalence of rape analogies from other right-wing commentators, and the way this also conveniently plays into disgusting stereotypes about big scary black men, which I expect will be like delicious crack to the birther crowds.