Black man kissing white woman causes stir
On the cover of today’s Go! magazine, a regular section of Friday’s Post-Dispatch, there is a photo of a couple kissing to go along with the story “The 7 Best Places To Smooch”. The story hasn’t generated a ton of buzz, but the photo has. Why? Because the man is black and the woman is white. The reader comments at the end of the online version clearly showed us that at least some folks out there are not comfortable with interracial relationships.
The April 10 GO! cover generated disapproving story comments from some Post-Dispatch readers.
Here are a couple of examples:
From 1buschstadiumplz: “Haven’t read the story but dont like to see blacks and whites kissing;”
From taxpayer came this remark: ”This doesn’t surprise me at all. Libs take every opportunity they can to shove miscegnation in our faces. Now that TV has to show blacks in every commercial, notice that they are always posed beside a blonde woman. Not a brunette, a blonde. Its done for shock value. Sickening that a once proud newspaper would resort ot this. Joe Pulitzer is turning over in his grave in shame.”
Reader greggh tried a middle-of-the-road approach: “I’m not judging the concept of biracial couples at all, but in a city as racially polarized as St. Louis, I’m shocked that the PD would go so out of its way to be so gratuitously provacative. This completely undercut the message of the article.”
“You people make me sick! What a disgustingly racist community we live in. My husband is black, I am white, we have beautiful children and we are both educated. We teach our children tolerance and acceptance of others, even the meth smoking, trailer park rednecks portrayed in these comments. Keep your nastiness to yourself!”
(28 votes, average: 4.39 out of 5)
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Doug Moore has been a reporter with the Post-Dispatch since February 2000. For the last two years, he has covered diversity and demographics. 
I can’t believe that it is 2009 and people who read the Post have a problem with people of different colored skin kissing. Get over it.
So, on this acceptance topic: I am supposed to accept that some people choose to have interracial relationships. That is fine with me, do what you want. However, I choose to think it is not something I would expose myself to. The PD is a public news media, just like television. Why does this have to be shoved down my throat? Why isn’t everyone else supposed to accept my opinion on the matter? I am not supposed to do, say or show pictures of things that offend you, but why can you say, do and show pictures of things that offend me? Can someone please come up with an intelligent answer?
Next year it will be two people of the same sex. Not that there’s anything wrong with that….
In addition, if there were a picture of a guy with a bloody deer carcus he had just processed to feed his family, it would offend PETA supporters. If there were a picture of an all white baseball league supported by the KKK we know that would offend many people. If it were a picture of 2 men kissing, that would offend some people. If it were a picture of a pickup truck with confederate flags painted on it, it would offend some people. I just don’t understand why it is ok to offend one group of people and not another. I believe people should just let people live and do what they want. That includes allowing me my beliefs and feelings. The only reason I raise issue with this is because people are always raising issue with my beliefs.
Well, John, I think the issue for some people is simply this: Why is it distasteful to see an interracial couple kissing? It is simply unfathomable to some people why that would be in any way akin to a “bloody deer carcus.”
It’s what happens when you let your message boards and comment threads be taken over by a bunch of right wing freaks.
The decision to not moderate comments at the site is a welcome mat for loons and the extreme. Today is a natural outgrowth of that.
The simple fact is that interracial couples aren’t controversial, but because St. Louis Today gives these people a forum, it gets overrun with their ignorance.
As a 23 year old I am completely blown away that people are still looking at each other’s skin color in a negative light. I would hope that by the time we have desegregated schools and elected Barack Obama as president that we could get over two people of different races kissing. Kissing, of course, not being destructive or harmful to anyone else.
Furthermore, the two pictured on that cover are awesome people who contribute a lot to the St. Louis community and I hate that they get to read your negative comments about them. And I highly doubt an article named, “The 7 Best Places to Smooch” was suppose to bring up the topic of interracial dating. For some of us, it would have never crossed our minds that people would be disturbed by that picture. I, for one, am not and think it is none of my business who other people are dating as long as they’re happy. Clearly, those two are.
Ok, Kurt, why would a pickup with a Confederate flag offend anyone? Its unfathomable to me why anyone would object to a display of this honored representation of a noble cause, Americas second War of Independence. Touche’
Ok, enough about the interacial stuff. Persoannly, i don’t see anything wrong with it.
What I DO want to know is..where are the best places to smooch?!
When I saw the picture, I thought the kiss looked genuine and I just found out they are a real couple. How nice. They look like a happy couple, good for them. Too bad for the people who think the world should only behave in the way they think is best.