Jake DiMare wonders what Judge Cebull was feeling when he hit send?
Today I will share the heartwarming tale of a respected man in America. Nominated by President George W Bush, chief judge for the District of Montana, U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull. According to the Great Falls Tribune, on Wednesday, Judge Cebull admitted to sending an email, meant to sully the President of the United States, by insinuating that the President’s mother attended an interracial, bestial sex party, where he was conceived.
The forwarded text reads as follows:
“Normally I don’t send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine.
“A little boy said to his mother; ‘Mommy, how come I’m black and you’re white?'” the email joke reads. “His mother replied, ‘Don’t even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you’re lucky you don’t bark!'”
Touching.
Where to begin? The thing I like most about writing for the Good Men Project is I can ask questions about what it means to be a good man. I don’t have a fancy journalism degree, but I am free to ask questions. A story like this has so very many questions. But before I do, I want to put the disclaimer out there: I am assuming it is important to be a good man if you are a Federal judge. I’m also assuming any rational person would agree, racism is not considered the hallmark of a good man.
OK, let’s start with the simple stuff. How does a man this racist become a federal judge? This is not a rhetorical question. I am really curious to know how this is possible. It’s not like the guy is a car salesman. his job is to JUDGE others fairly and impartially. I’d say his credibility just went out the window on that score.
Second question: How does a man this stupid become a federal judge? Seriously. I’ve even managed to get my 75 year old grandfather, who suffers from a multitude of mental problems, to understand you don’t forward any email with content you are not comfortable sharing in public.
Third question: Why is it the mainstream media, supposed to be so ‘liberal’ isn’t asking these very questions?
Finally…And this is the best one of all…I love the part where Judge Cebull says: “I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this”. Judge Cebull…Man to man…What did you feel brother? I mean, you sent this from your official email account at the Federal court. Were you in your man robe when you imagined a white woman at an interracial sex party banging a dog? Are you sure it was your heart being touched when you pressed the send button? America wants to know.
To former Judge Cebull and his apologists and defenders…SUCK IT! HAHAHAHAH
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/03/richard-cebull-retires_n_3006753.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
Your site deleted a great reply …. I guess you don’t like real men replying ….
Wayne
Well, Peter, if we call out all the apologies containing, “if anyone was offended”, Tom would have to pop for considerably more bandwidth.
Oh great. Now the partisanship of American politics has infected this refuge as well.
Why don’t all you partisans go F.O.A.D. already? I can’t escape you no matter where I go!!!!
Perhaps it’s time to unleash the dogs of war and cleanse this planet of their scourge by eliminating this species called Homo sapiens.
Sigh…
I don’t think this was ever meant to be a partisan politics free thing, they’ve had people from either side of virtually every topic related to masculinity post here.
But how is this about partisan politics? Its an example of someone doing a pretty crappy thing then only sortof apologising.
Rum. You may have. Muslims took three to five times as many blacks out of Africa going east as went west, as I learned studying subSaharan Africa back in the day.
Nowhere in the Middle East, the littoral of the Indian Ocean, or south Asia, is there anything like Haiti, Jamaica, or even Alabama.
What do you think happened?
Racist… yeah, it makes him an object of fun on the basis of his ethnicity so I’d get behind that. Also, given the background of the jester in question he’s not exactly beyond doubt. Sexist? No, don’t think so. The joke insulted a woman, but I don’t think that that constitutes sexism. It wasn’t making generalisations about all women (or men) and it didn’t insult her on the basis that she was a woman. Either way, I’m not sure it matters. Its a pretty horrible joke and given the man’s position, sending that joke on by email could not have… Read more »
Certainly, some (if not many) of those who would find the “joke” to be funny have racist attitudes; but the “joke” in and of itself …
Well, after reconsideration (since I suffer from a chronic sleep disorder, which sometimes affects my reasoning), I must conclude that the lousy “joke” is not racist, but is an extremely vulgar and provocative smear on President Obama’s mother. I say this, even though the judge himself says it’s racist. I’m just looking at the “joke” by itself, apart from the reasons why some would think it’s funny. It’s still dishonorable and extremely offensive. Fighting words …
Alright well, so I sit with the “it is racist” crowd…but I think it’s racist in a very complicated way. The joke doesn’t explicitly say – all black people are like this, or all white people are better than black people because of such-and-such. What it does is play on a lot of historical cultural ideas surrounding African-Americans. When I read that a few things immediately stuck me – it was comparing a black man to a dog, and it playing into the tired trope of an over-sexed black guy who knocks a woman up then leaves. It didn’t do… Read more »
Both of B. Obamas family of origens owned and traded black slaves. What did you think East African Muslims did for a living in the 19th century?
Oops!! Did I just say too much truth for the truth-carrying capacity of this blog?
Woops. Thought the first one didn’t hit.
Sorry
This guy is not fit to be in my house. The criteria for federal judgeships are considerably less restrictive. Unfortunately, I am not consulted about these decisions. That said, this is a horrid joke. Pretending there’s racism in it demonstrates an odd view. If it isn’t racist, it isn’t bad. It’s a terrible thing to say. But apparently if you can’t claim it’s racist, there isn’t anything else to say about it. If I point out that there is no racism in the joke–the only person to have done anything wrong, depending on your point of view, is white–I’m a… Read more »
Joanna. This guy is not fit to be in my house. The criteria for federal judgeships are somewhat less restrictive. Unfortunately, I am not consulted in such decisions. Point is, the thing is bad enough without pretending it’s racist. In fact, pretending it’s racist is so obvious that it discredits other criticisms of the joke and of the joker. Jake and others seem to think that if I claim it’s not racist, I must be thinking it’s okay. In fact, if you look at it, the only person who could be considered as having done something wrong–presuming you don’t argue… Read more »
Why does it seem to bother you so much that others think the joke as racist?
Wellokaythen:
It’s funny because white people really love their dogs. It’s a common stereotype that people of color have about white people, about how we treat pets like people. I love my cats, but I don’t LOVE my cats.
Julie. More particularly, the mother got so wasted she couldn’t be sure…. Now, we can, if we wish, presume this putative mother was exaggerating for effect, or that she was saying she really, really had no idea, no idea at all.
Racism, as the Swiss Army Knife of arguments for those who have no others, wore out long ago.
What would you argue the joke was? Is this a person you’d respect?
Oh heavens.
Aubrey, even if you take race out of the joke, is this a joke you want a FEDERAL judge making about the president and his mother?
Bestiality?
I mean, come on.
PS I do NOT think race should be taken out of it. Just for the record. This is a racist joke.
I, for one, am delighted to hear that racism is no longer an issue or problem in America. Who knew?
I don’t get it. Dogs can’t get humans pregnant. Is the humor based on ignorance of biology?
It’s a dig at the mother for having so much sex she’s not sure if a dog was involved. Or that she doesn’t know how biology works.
I think wellokaythen is joking, but as I said above (in case he’s not) – the joke teller is saying non-whites are barely a step above animals.
I was joking. I was attempting in a clumsy way to suggest that besides being offensive the joke is pretty lame anyway. Change the name “Barack” to something else, and say the mother is white and the son in black, and there’s no improvement in the quality of the joke. It’s lame on many levels. I am even more offended by a racist joke that’s not even a good joke, because then the racism seems purer, somehow. If a racist joke makes me laugh and then I feel guilty, I could say it was getting a laugh at the expense… Read more »
Jake. Remember. The audience knows better. We do. We know you do.
Bill. Jake’s probably a dem who voted for Obama which is why he’s looking for some way to give republicans a hard time.
Julie
“sexist, inhuman. Rude. Mean. Nasty. Political” Correct. Although I don’t know about sexist. Lots of feminists might object to the implied reproach for a woman who was merely exercising her sexual agency. Something like that.
But not racist.
Yep because it’s always about giving someone a hard time. It’s never about pointing out racism. Or sexism. I’ve seen Democrats pull stuff like this and I call it out too. If a Dem made a joke about a woman having some kind of multi species sex night, I’d call him or her out as RUDE and SEXIST to the subject’s mother. If a Dem (for there are racist dems out there, there are) made a racist joke in my presence, I’d call them out. Because I don’t swallow partisan koolaid when it comes to civil rights, social justice, and… Read more »
I think you raise the salient point here, a point that’s being drowned in the racism chant: to so flippantly throw out such insults about another man’s mother is not only childish, but cheap as well, and shows not just a lack of respect for Obama, but more specifically for the woman who gave birth to him. This is a woman who gave birth to, and under less than perfect circumstances helped raise a child with such proficiency that he grew up to become President of the United States. It’s obvious here the judge has no respect for this simple… Read more »
I’m neither a liberal Democrat nor a conservative Republican. I gave up on politics a long time ago (which, incidentally, is not something that I recommend others do, too).
Aubrey, we are arguing opinion at this point and that’s a waste of time. You just proved my point by saying the audience knows. You are right…in this case you are my audience and you disagree it is racism. You are right. In the other case I was a member of the Judge’s audience and I call racism. I am right. We are all right.
Everyone seems to be on Jake’s side here…
Take a moment, Aubrey, and think deeply about who you’re defending.
Hey Aubrey, the Judge himself admits this was racist.
I’m not going to waste my time trying to respond to multitude of times you make unwarranted claims in your comment. Instead I’ll just say, you are wrong. I think it’s racist, the accused thinks it is racist, and dozens of outlets who published this story agree, it’s racist.
Richard Aubrey is probably a Republican who voted for Bush; so, he’s giving you a hard time.
It’s racist, sexist, inhuman. Rude. Mean. Nasty. Political. Shows his true feelings. Good times, America.
We can always ask ourselves this: If Barack Obama were white, would his mother have been accused of having gotten knocked up at a biracial, bestiality sex party?
Umm no.
A lot of things were said about Bill Clinton, but never was his mother called a purveyor of bestiality.
The judge and whomever first came up with this “joke” is equating non-whites (specifically black people) with animals.
“You’re lucky you’re not half dog’ is saying, “You’re barely above being half-dog”.
What a jerk! Here comes the judge’s official apology: “If I have offended anyone, I apologize.” (eyes roll) I sure hope the Bush appointee doesn’t handle any civil rights cases.
By the way, I’m not a supporter of President Obama; so, my comments here are not driven by ideological bias. I just don’t like racist bigots. I voted for McCain in 2008, but will definitely sit this election out.
“If” XD
Wrong. Not racist. Distasteful. Obscene. Nothing to do with race. Literally speaking a white woman got so whacked at a party that she screwed another guy, who happened to be black. Racist? Nope. Mentioned something awful about a dog. Racist? Nope. A Bush appointee says something terrible. Opportunity to bash him for racism. Priceless. Try again. I don’t know where folks have been for at least the last ten years. Bogus accusations of racism are transparently manipulative scams, and, more to the point, everybody knows it. If it weren’t for the fact that all caps is impolite, I’d all-cap it.… Read more »
Judge Cebull himself says the e-mail was racist.
“There is no doubt it’s racist. It wasn’t forwarded for that purpose,” Cebull said. “If anything, it was political.”
http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/richard-cebull-says-he-sent-racist-obama-email/article_63df0eef-dd3a-549c-ba11-4729413d044a.html?oCampaign=hottopics
“…I don’t know where folks have been for at least the last ten years.” Mr. Audrey, what makes a bogus accusation? Does racism usually get outed as such, and what -if you have any idea- does white privilege mean today? I’ve heard bogus accusations of racism before, but they were never linked to a man who’s supposed to show more wisdom and restraint than most of us, so please enlighten me and Judge Cebull who already admitted it was racist.
The Judge himself said it was a racist thing…..so what do you tell him? That he is not really making a racist statement WHEN HE HIMSELF SAID IT WAS RACIST. Tell me please what the hell does that make you and your train of thought?
For the record, I’m thinking he was feeling his ‘gavel’.