From the "Let's see if we can outdo Los Alamitos mayor Dean 'Watermelon Patch' Grose" files

I mean this seriously: Racial satire is generally funny only to the people not being satirized (and even then, it's not funny to all the non-satirees). You'd be surprised how many people don't understand that.

Many African-Americans in and around Orange County were miffed (rightly so, IMHO) about Los Alamitos mayor Dean Grose's insensitive suggestion, spread rather imprudently via email, that President Obama would have the White House lawn turned into a watermelon patch. 

Not to be outdone, an anonymous person using a news listserv at Dartmouth College, which recently named the first Asian-American to head an Ivy League school, disseminated an email which contained references to the new president being a "Chinaman," as well as other racial comments:

Yesterday came the announcement that President of the College James Wright will be replaced by Chinaman Kim Jim Yong. And a little bit of me died inside.

It was a complete supplies.

On July 1, yet another hard-working American's job will be taken by an immigrant willing to work in substandard conditions at near-subsistent wage, saving half his money and sending the rest home to his village in the form of traveler's checks. Unless "Jim Yong Kim" means "I love Freedom" in Chinese, I don't want anything to do with him. Dartmouth is America, not Panda Garden Rice Village Restaurant.

Y'all get ready for an Asianification under the guise of diversity under the actual Malaysian-invasion leadership instituted under the guise of diversity. It's a slippery slope we are on. I for one want Democracy and apple pie, not Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen. I know I sure as $hit won't ever be eating my Hop dubs bubs with chopsticks. I like to use my own two American hands.

As you can guess, some people are royally cheesed. The new president's first week should be a time of celebration, but instead it was marred with childish racial taunts. The president, Dr Jim Yong Kim, has been gracious in forgiving the anonymous sender: "I don't want this lapse in judgment to limit his prospects for the future. Dartmouth students are very talented, but we all make mistakes — especially when we are young."

Editors of the listsever, called Generic Good Morning Message, said that the writer is "full of regret" and "did not intend to offend anyone." See my opening comment. 

I'm loath to say that reaction to incidents like these is an example of over-sensitivity by minorities in America, especially since I've seen this kind of thing go both ways. When I was in college, for example, there was a brouhaha when one of the campus papers posted a tongue-in-cheek ad in which White students were seeking Asian students to take their chemistry, physics, and biology exams for them, perhaps in exchange for writing English papers. 

That stated intent was to poke fun at the stereotypes that abounded, but various campus agencies, led by the fraternities, complained that the paper was making fun of Whites and the students involved should be forced to step down. They did not see the humor or appreciate the satire. 

Was there a purpose in this email? Were the writers making fun of archaic views about Asians held by many non-Asians, or were they simply using the elevation of Dr Kim as an opportunity to make fun of Asians? If it's the former, I say they shouldn't back down. Stand up and defend your original intent. But if it's the latter, it was good that you apologized. Now shut up and learn.