U.S. Rep. Al Green was booted from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night after waving a sign reading, “Black People Aren’t Apes!” as the president made his entrance down the aisle.
The Houston Democrat stood near the front of the chamber holding the sign above his head as Trump greeted lawmakers and shook hands. Gasps and boos quickly spread across the room as members on both sides reacted to the sudden disruption.
Fellow Texan Troy Nehls appeared to exchange heated words with Green before throwing his hands up and returning to his seat. Within moments, the sergeant-at-arms moved in.
He’s wrong though. We’re all apes, regardless of race.
This feels like a “read the room” kind of comment.
All humans are biologically considered animals, and there are many times when I feel that viewing human behavior through that lens genuinely encourages compassion and understanding, and yet: there is a long history of people being called “animals” as a dehumanizing measure in order to justify doing the same horrible things to them that humans routinely do to non-human animals. This is particularly true for historically marginalized groups.
Likewise, there is a long, racist history of white people calling Black people “apes” or “monkeys” to justify racist systems and treat Black people the way they view monkeys and non-human apes, as resembling humans but not fully human.
This representative is specifically responding to a video shared by Trump, who has a long history of racist behavior, in which the Obamas were depicted as distinctly non-human apes (I cannot recall the specific ape and cannot readily look it up. Gorillas, I think?), echoing that racist trope.
When someone responds to Trump trafficking in racist tropes with “Black people aren’t apes,” they are not getting into the nitty gritty of taxonomical clades, they’re countering that trope. “Well, actually”-ing about humans technically being apes is undercutting the focus on countering Trump’s racism. Time and place.
Yeah, but it feels weird for the pro science party to be doing this…
It wasn’t meant as a serious statement, more so like another commenter put it, we’re not not apes.
I know what he meant, and it’s why I specifically mentioned that it’s not a question of race.
Context.
So let’s govern like they govern on the discovery channel
Monki~
We’re all boney, ray-finned fish.
I for one identify as a hagfish
Yes. Unfortunately, racists deny that little technicality and think they’re the superior other. So their usage of “apes” is offensive in this context.
Came here to say this. I get what he’s trying to say, but we are all definitely apes. And that’s pretty cool - apes are awesome.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominidae:
Ah, just like the vicious gaggle of dinosaurs who laid some dookie by the pond while intimidating any ape that approaches.
The least trustworthy dinosaurs are those found around water. Tasty though
Most apes are awesome. I can think of a few I wouldn’t miss.
Ackschually, that’s a common misconception. Humans and apes merely share a common ancestor
Edit: sure is reddit in here
Humans are apes, specifically members of the great ape family, Hominidae: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominidae
Like, going actually we’re all apes! In response to this is missing the point. But we’re not not apes.
The point of my statement was to miss the point, because I know what he meant.
Obviously when we talk about apes, we’re not thinking of humans, we’re thinking of chimps and gorillas. But like you said, we’re not not apes.
It was a tongue-in-cheek pedantic statement.
Can’t evolve out of a clade and all that jazz
Exactly, you can’t evolve out of a clade, and Trump is also a giant racist for calling black people apes. It doesn’t have to be just one!
Oh absolutely. It’s definitely both
bro you don’t get to say that when you’re part of the problem, save the Meta analysis for your mama and speak like a normal person here
Maybe adhere to your own advice before you shit out your neckhole again
An ape-like ancestor