Read the commenting rules carefully because they will be enforced!
Looks like an Obama shirt?
Some people are very easily offended!
What is printed is exactly correct.
We have gone from "No Blacks Allowed" to "No Whites Allowed."
Since I have not had a chance to voice my side of the situation to anyone with clarity, I would like to have everyone read the following:
This was my reply to the Washington Post Reporter who questioned me why I sent out a copy of my recent T-shirt creation. I am just forwarding my response so that individuals know what i replied before it finds it's way to being distorted in any way.
Good afternoon Mary Ann, my name is Kelly Newcom and I print t-shirts at Spring River Tees in Ash Flat, Arkansas. I just finished reading the article on the shirts I sent yesterday and I am sorry that I had not replied to you as I was extremely busy yesterday and did not get a chance to check e-mail. So, that is the answer to who sent it, now as to why, I will explain. I was the person who printed the shirts that made the national news in Georgia recently and came under fire for them. the shirts I printed were protested and I was accused of being a racist for the printing. I was extremely vexed over the fact that individuals who have no idea who I am and no idea what my motives were to sit and accuse me of being a racist. I am far from it and I care not what race, sex, or religion a person is and have no problem living, working, or befreinding anyone. The message I sent with the first shirt was that Senator Obama resembled a cute little monkey, and in my opinion, it was and affectionate resmbelance made with out deragatory intentions. So for all the protesters and other people out there that blew a gasket over it, they have no idea what they were talking about and were offended, just because they want to be offended.
Now for the shirt I just recently made and sent out, the reasoning behind it is simply this. I have been accused of being a racist and I know my heart and know I am not, but the fact that I was accused thereof has disgruntled me to the point where I felt it was time for me to make a statement. The shirts meaning is quite simple, It is a cute monkey, hiding his face as not to get confused with some other form of artwork which he may or may not resmble, not some lynching bag or any other crazy idea that once again, people who want to be offended, will read into it. The back however, is my real statement. How can people accuse me, me, a disabled veteran who works 3 jobs, waiting over a year now for a rating increase from the VA, who doesn't even know if I can get out of bed in the morning sometimes, who lives every day trying to treat each and every human being I come in contact with love and respaect, who loves all human beings unconditionally, of being a racist when they do not even know me, when quite simply put on the back of the shirt, the definition of racial discremination is as it says and does not have any sembalnce to my life. The point I am making is further made by demonstrating how , here in America, the minority groups are allowed to demonstrate racial discremination without a bat of the eye. I sent the shirts out to different organizations because I had listed them on the back of the shirts and I felt it only fair for them to know I had did it. They be full of wonderful people and to those who do not get it, well, that is there problem. The statement being said is exactly what it says, and those organizations just happen to be the first to pop up on the net engine search. Of course I had to throw in the United Church of Christ in Chicago because of his undeniable racist attitude toward America and is the perfect example of what I am talking about. I feel the question at the bottom is duly asked because, why can people not just belong to an organization without it being deemed as set apart by race. Why are the minority groups allowed to have these organizations? Because this is America, and many men such as myself have given their lives and all to defend their right to do so, however, just let a white organization be formed and it causes an uproar. By the way, just try finding a white one on the net, listen to the crickets chirp. I find the fact that this is the way it is reprhensible, and am tired of just sitting around and saying, "well, that is just the way it is". So i made my statement. And i guess by you emeailing me, I was heard. If people really want equality, well let all things be equal, and quit pulling the race card out of the pocket every time there is a problem. I truly beleive that most people are like my self and could care less about race, however, to have it constantly shoved down our throats all the time does get a tad old. Well, thanks for your time and feel free to contact me if you have any more questions. Kelly
This is a copy of the email exchange between Mary Ann Akers at the Washington Post Sleuth blog site and myself. I am forwarding it once again to make sure responses are known, and in the future can be shown as what they were in case someone finds it neccesary to distort them in any way. It is in reference to the article on the Tshirts i created and mailed out. Thanks for your time.
Mary Ann,
As of right now, i am supporting Mr. Mcain. The reason for that is not based on race however. I have people tell me, "You are not voting for Obama or Clinton because he is black and she is a woman". Which is absolutely not true. I would easily have voted for Collin Powell or Condaleezza Rice if they were candidates. The reson Mr. McCain has my vote as of right now is because of his expierience. I feel he has been around for quite a while and knows and understnds the way things are and what it takes to get things done. I also look at his military expirience and think that given the way things are in this world right now, his knowledge and expirience there have to be a great asset for him.
As far as choosing between the 2 democratic candidates we had recently, and I know this not the question you asked, however I want to clarify this, I would have been torn. I would have been inclined to vote for Obama just based on the facts I knew to be true, as I have heard them from thier mouthes. I will explain. I watched only one of the democratic debates early in the year and it was when Edwards was still in the race. The three of them were asked a question regaurding troop withdrawl in Iraq. Clinton and Edwards both made statements to 6 months to a year, which in my opinion, having been in the level of the government that they were, and knowing how things work, that those statements being made were them standing in front of Americans on National Telivision and lying to the people's faces. Just because they know that Americans have been conditioned to beleive that we do not need to be in Iraq, which I beleive we do, but that is another story. Mr. Obama on the other hand, and I am not sure of the exact response, but it was to the effect of safety first, commander's decisions, and so forth. Now mind you, I have heard all the questions that have arisen as to Obama's patriotism, his membership in that apparently racist church in Chicago, and the beleifs of his wife and so on and so on, however as far as things that I have heard him make a statement on myself, I heard him tell the truth there on that stage and watched the other two lie. So if it had been for me to choose between Clinton and Obama, he may have received my vote. I know this is a long drawn out answer to your question, but I have found it best in these situations to explain things in detail, as to ensure that things are understood. Often times in the recent past, I have been misquoted or had my words twisted around. I thank you again for your time, and once again, feel free to contact me if you have any more questions. Thanks, Kelly
bject: RE: Enquiry from Spring River Tee Shirts
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 08:18:23 -0400
From: MaryAnn.Akers@washingtonpost.com
To: shirtdude@live.com
hey, kelly - last question, i promise: but who are you supporting for president this year - is it McCain, or who? Thanks much.
Mary Ann Akers
"The Sleuth"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/thesleuth/
-----Original Message-----
From: Shirt Dude [mailto:shirtdude@live.com]
Sent: Sun 6/8/2008 11:09 PM
To: Mary Ann Akers
Subject: RE: Enquiry from Spring River Tee Shirts
Mary Ann,
Yes I sent the shirt and yes i sent to some to the other groups. Right off hand i am not sure as to which ones exactly, but i know for sure i sent one to the Black Coaches Association, The Fitness Group for Black Women (not sure of the exact title right now, but it is on the shirt), and four shirts to the United Church of Christ in Chicago. The reason it was sent is because I used their names in the making and i thought it fair to send them and let them know. No it was not in correlation to Mr. Obama's nomination, and no, it had nothing to do with Kennedy, and no, it is not a lynching mask, and no, it was not anomyous, I had Spring River Tees listed as the return sender. Apparently, someone is out to make it a scarier and far bigger deal than it was meant to be, lol. Imagine that. The message is pretty simple, and you can read the comments on your blog and see where i engaged in comment exchange with some of your posters. i would like to say, i was shown an error, in that there are white organuizations when you type in White American Organizations, although they are mostly white power types and such, which are examples of my point actually, which is racial discremination will be continuously a problem as long as people make the division, and by including the race name in the title or name of the organization, it makes it a discreinatory factor in the way people view it. I served in the Army in "91 thru '94 till i was medically discharged.
I am not sure as to what i registered as when i voted, however i tend to choose the best candidate i beleive for the job, no matter what party affiliattion.
Thanks, Kelly
________________________________
Subject: RE: Enquiry from Spring River Tee Shirts
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 200
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