Accused of racism on door

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Today,the manager of the home came,and said that am have to take down one of the pictures on door-or cover up part of it, she said someone has complained about am being racist so she has to do something about it--here is photo of the door: http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1494 ... oorqk4.jpg
-the picture she was going on about is the big one in the middle-which is the logo for the Maine Coon cat club.
Am have used it on the door in every home am have been in,and no one has ever had any problems with it [that includes many black staff],am have been told who the person who made the complaint was by staff-it was staff, he's never even working up here,he only came up to phone sky for am to get tv and broadband installed as the staff who were on with am couldn't do it.
Am have a support and keyworker here that have known for a long time and she has just found out about this off other staff downstairs,she says she cannot believe anyone would accuse am of allowing racism as well as the person focusing in on coon only and not seeing that it also has other words attached which make it something completely different,she is black and can see no problem with it at all.

Is it right that am was asked to cover up the 'coon' bit [have not fully covered it,have put a line of blu tack across it-what makes this even worse is the fact it has been covered makes person focus on the word and looks like it means something bad when it isnt] as this is own home,shouldn't people just not look at it if they have a problem? especially when it's someone who rarely works up here?
If it had said coon on it's own,and a swear word or something else nasty,then am would understand why people would not want to see it,but the fact is it doesn't say that,it says Maine Coon CC [Cat Club],and it's got a drawn picture of a massive bushy tailed coon.
Many American people refer to cats of this breed as just 'coons' as the term originates from 'racoon',am wonder whether the problem with the word is more of a UK thing, don't even know what the word means-in a racist way yet am accused of being racist-it's silly.

Also,why is it people do not go to those who they have a problem with,and ask them about it,but instead go to someone else about them?
If this person had come to am,would have shown them books or the wikipedia article on Maine coons immediately.

I'm not offended by the picture. It seems some people lack knowledge of certain things. When I saw it, even before reading the rest of your post, I knew the 'coon' refered to racoon, just by looking at the cat. Some people look for offense in any little thing they can. Just shows that we haven't come as far as some people like to think.

Difficult one.

Obviously it DOES offend the person that complained.
The fact that that person is quite amazingly stupid... I'm unsure what you need to do about it.
If you were actually a member or (or even vaguely affiliated to) the Maine Coon Cat Club, I'd suggest that you ignore the "complaint" completely.
Partially covering the "Coon" serves, as you say, to highlight that word, and is probably not a good idea.

I think you could add, below the picture: "Honky-tonk piano fan". That should balance it out:

Honky: U.S. Black slang. A white man; white men collectively. Disparaging in all applications.
Tonk: a. To strike. b. To beat or defeat.
Piano: quietly; delicately.
Fan: A fanatic.

I.e. you are also a strong advocate of beating up white people, without being too noisy.

*sarcastic* How brilliant of them. A truely knowledgable individual knows egsactly what their are accusing about.*ends sarcasum*

I bet the reason they don't want to go to you, is because they are a scardey puss. This idiot you're dealing with needs to mentaly grasp the fact that it's in 3 Cs not 3 Ks.

I don't there is anythin wrong wid da pic 2 b honest.

I wouldn't hide it. I'd make a little addition so that it reads: Maine Coon-Cat Club.

Maybe even print up something about the Maine Coon with a real picture and stick it there for those ignorant about it's education.

That's political correctness gone barmy!

Following Lau's idea I would leave the Maine Coon Cat Club picture on the door and below it paste the lyrics to 'White Boys Can't Control It' (Culture Club) next to those of 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' (nursery rhyme), 'What Up Gangsta' (50 Cent) and, if you're feeling brave, 'White Trash' (Marilyn Manson).

That would give them something to read, and as the Manson stuff is rather explicit, something to complain about. They'd be glad to see the Maine Coon Cat Club back on the door

This reminds me of the idiots that called snapple antisemetic because they had the "slave ship", and the K in the circle("Which is obviously a reference to the KKK")

Well, it was a CLIPPER SHIP, NOT a SLAVE SHIP!! !! !

The K in the circle meant KOSHER("Made according to rabbinic or jewish law"!)

The people that started snapple were JEWISH!! !!

Frankly, the person that took offense is living up to a stereotype that does more harm to his cause than YOU could ever DREAM of doing!

Ummm...I think this idiot just don't understand that the Maine Coon is a type of cat. He's ignorant, and you can educate him or the staff, but I wouldn't feel pressured to take it down. It's his problem, not yours.

I like your kitty pics! Very cute!

don't let them take it down. It's a type of cat! Explain that.

Sometimes Lau... well, actually most of the time... I really like the way your mind works!

Just what I needed this morning! Thanks.


Do not take it down because of one person's ignorance.
The picture I saw couldn't be construed as racist in any logical way I can see.

I do understand, having been raised in the 'South', the term coon when connected with black people.
But in the form you have it, there is no doubt that the word coon is being used appropriately.

I would suggest that the person who complained has problems with racism in that they cannot allow proper usage of a word simply because in a totally different context it may be racially offensive.

You're in the right on this one.

Come and listen to my story 'bout a man named Jed Poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed Then one day he was shootin at some 'coon When up from the ground come bubblin' crude Oil that is...

BTW This is the theme song for a popular sitcom in the 70s(beverly hillbillies). The picture CLEARLY shows him shooting a raccoon!

BTW I have NEVER heard the term coon used to refer to blacks. I HAVE heard that some do, but have never actually heard it.

It took me a moment to realize what it was that might have offended. When I saw it, my first thought was something like "Oh God, that's ret*d." The image on your door is not offensive in any way, and you need to tell the manager that.

And as for the guy who's offended by it, he just needs to look up the Maine Coon Cat Club and stop being ignorant.

I have never heard an explanation behind why the term coon and why the term cracker are used to be racially hateful.

I mean yea, crackers are white and thats why some use it to refer to white people. It still doesn't make any sense though....

I can KIND OF understand why somone would accuse you of being rascist - except for the fact of the cat pictures. I know that coon is a VERY rude word for a black, but the cats aren't rascist.

Maybe you can print out a FAQ sheet about maine coon cats, makine it clear that they are really just types of cats named for their size and their resembelance to racoons. Or maybe you can change the wording to 'Maine Racoon Cat Club;' even though that's not technically the correct name, it might make the word seem less offensive.

I agree, though - it's a silly thing to get worked up over. A person who picks up on something like that probably spends a lot of time being paranoid and looking for things to be offended by.