An email containing a joke, “A little boy said to his mother; ‘Mommy, how come I’m black and you’re white?’ … His mother replied, ‘Don’t even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you’re lucky you don’t bark!’” was circulated to close friends by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull from his official courthouse email on February 20. Since then, the Judge has amply felt that the ‘little boy’ may not ‘bark’ but he sure does carry a super-size bite.
The email was relayed by recipients and ultimately reached the office of the Great Falls Tribune. When the media house contacted Cebull, he expressed surprise that the mail has been circulated with his name on it.
Cebull was nominated by former President George W. Bush and has served as chief judge for Montana since 2008. He admitted on Wednesday to sending the mail to friends, and that he meant the mail to be private.
“It was not intended by me in any way to become public…I apologize to anybody who is offended by it, and I can obviously understand why people would be offended.”
It’s difficult to find that a person who cannot exercise restraint on his own self is the final authority on passing restraining orders on so many citizens.
Montana immigration attorney S H Hausrath said, “’the reason why I think it’s so troubling, is it espouses the deeply racist view that interracial sex is equivalent to bestiality. For a federal judge to be equating the two, and say since Barack Obama is of mixed racial background, that his mother was somehow committing acts of bestiality is incredibly racist and troubling.”
Cebull tried to defend his stand by saying, “I sent it out because it’s anti-Obama.”
From your official email? While on duty? And casting slurs on the democratically elected President of America?
There’s little chance that Obama would continue in office, but as long he is there he deserves the respect the nation bestowed upon him, and when he goes, the people would remove him through democratic process, or keep him in chair. But to cast the kind of slurs that’s in the joke is unbecoming of any civil citizen, let alone one adorning the chair of a Chief Judge.
Cebull further explained, “I didn’t send it as racist, although that’s what it is.”
No it’s not the question of being racist, but the question of family values. People like us from the middle-class even fail to register the joke in there without deep scrutiny, for our mothers do not grace such elite parties that the Chief Judge seems intimately acquainted with – where it’s common for women to be engaged in free-for-alls.
Very rightly, Travis McAdam, executive director for the Montana Human Rights Network pointed out:
“It’s one thing if the judge is not a fan of President Barack Obama, but you would think someone in his position would articulate that in a way that criticizes his policy decisions or his position on issues.”
As McAdams says in response to Cebull’s claim that he only sent it out because it was anti-Obama, “We have a hard time believing that a legitimate criticism of the president involves distributing a joke that basically compares African Americans with animals.”
This is why my vote for Obama in november is already a solid yes…..because I can only imagine what he, my President!! Has truly had to deal with behind those walls from all who think like this poor excuse for a judge!
“There’s little chance that Obama would continue in office…”
I’m sorry, have you been paying attention to the primaries at all? The GOP is desperate, offering up old leftovers…I would rethink that statement if I were you!
“There’s little chance that Obama would continue in office,”
Huh? What’s with that? Is the columnist a devoted fan of Fox News, perhaps? Would the columnist like to make a bet with me for, say, $1,000 about this? Leave a response here if you do.
With the GOP fools making outlanding statements about their conservative leanings, trying to brownnose conservatives, do you think once the race becomes between President Obama and the GOP nominee the general populace is going to elect the GOP nominee?
As I say, do leave a message if you want to lose some money.
I, quite frankly, don’t even understand the anti-Obama message in the ‘joke’. Racism. That’s clear. And I am both a political junkie and someone who enjoys inappropriate humor.
Please, anyone, expound on the political message. The best one I got so far, giving every benefit to the judge (respecting his position), is that Obama has a big political bite. While the ‘bite’ is plausible I still fail to see how you leap from a wondering child to a grown up who is acting, politically, like a dog. And a dog?? Aren’t most dogs’ bites out in the open and, in comparison to other animals, relatively weak and harmless.
I just can’t see this as being anythig but racist. And if that is the case, this joke is as political as Kenneedy’s 1960’s speech, and the judge is doing nothing but polluting others’ politically pertinent anti-Obama views. And I also don’t think it’s the role of a judge, or of any other social fiduciary to distort the democratic process, in any capacity.
“There’s little chance that Obama would continue in office,…” That you place the odds of President Obama’s reelection so low is more surprising than the contents of the Judge’s email.
For a Sitting US judge to think this is cool .
tells us it is time for him to step down.
It was just a joke and I don’t think that this Chief Judge did anything wrong other than excercise poor judgement! This was blown out of proportion and deeply “read into” for this conclusion to have been made! Doesn’t the judge have the same right to freedom of speech as anyone else in this country? Plus, he has a right to his personal views, as long as what he does on the bench is based on justice and fairness, not his personal views! I am sure most people would be SHOCKED to know the personal beliefs of MANY elected officials and those in positions of power and authority, including President Obama!
This man needs serious therapy like most of those hateful people who believe themselves to be superior to everyone else. That group ought to be afraid of the gospel because if it’s so they’re bursting hell wide open.
“such elite parties that the Chief Judge seems intimately acquainted with – where it’s common for women to be engaged in free-for-alls.”
Eh? At rich people parties women just get passed around like an entree? Is this accurate/sensible/relevant/rather sexist?
“Personal beliefs” or not, I know that if I sent an email like that from a _work_ email account, I’d be sacked.
Hey Judge, pretty good joke, Okay if I pass it on?
If we were to really think about it, the judge only stated what most of America believes.