If you check the link, you see that the author has retracted that statement.
UPDATE: The claim in the first sentence in my post was incorrect. I had been told this was happening, but these claims have turned out to be unsubstantiated. I therefore retract them -- but stand behind everything else I wrote without reservation.
Yet, most likely, this statement will go on to a new life as an urban legend.
This, in fact, is one of the problems of blogs and the Internet. Did the author check the source or did the author just go for a sensational one-liner?
The author is credited as: "Randall Robinson is a social justice advocate and author whose works include The Debt -- What America Owes to Blacks."
Unfortunately this one line discredits to much more than the essay in question.
27 -
fredko
Sep 04, 2005 at 1:25 pm
They hang meat in third world countries in fly infested street markets. And then humans buy the meat, cook it and eat it. Horse cuisine is common in Europe. Live bugs, live monkey brain and other disgusting nourishment are common in Asia. Point is, food is cultural.
Eatin' yer fellooo man or wuhman iz jest uhnuther eyetim on da menyew....
28 -
HumptyDumpty
Sep 04, 2005 at 3:04 pm
The author has retracted his cannibalism statement.
29 -
hrm....
Sep 04, 2005 at 4:41 pm
yep - food is definatly cultural...
however, most cultures find canabalism repungnant - I know for a fact that there is enough food (canned, dried, or in jars) in the Swamp to last people several weeks now, especially since there are a lot less people in that area now.
I remember having a waiter offer Hunan baby-back ribs once -- we all burst out laughing, since we thought he'd said, "HUMAN baby back ribs."
31 -
Leon
Sep 05, 2005 at 7:51 am
After four days, I really couldn't help myself; I needed some ribs! By the way...Cajun ribs taste like chicken..
32 -
Alfie
Sep 06, 2005 at 8:15 am
Africans have been eating each other for thousands of years, and in some parts of Africa, it's still going on, as is wholesale slavery, so it's reasonable for the Author to presume that African Americans were simply reverting to their savage ways.
Now you have a little taste of why Southern Slave owners were terrified of the idea of African's being given equal rights.
They weren't just whistling "Dixie."
33 -
Eric Olsen
Sep 06, 2005 at 8:51 am
after one week, I can see the stark evidence that racism -- in all directions -- is still a tremendous problem in this country. You don't see as much of it casually expressed on the surface anymore, but in any crisis situation, it is still the fallback position for an alarming number of people.
Hey Alfie (among others) - how many of the Donner Party were black?
Jesus, Alfie. Cannibalism is characteristic of south american and polynesian cultures, but is notably absent from the African continent. If you're going to be racist at least be accurate.
And Eric - keep this in mind. Alfred E. Packer only ate democrats. I know it's weird, but it's true. The quote from his trial judge was "I'm one of three democrats in this county, and you just ate the other two of them".
Dave
35 -
Eric Olsen
Sep 06, 2005 at 9:15 am
classic Dave!
36 -
Sunny
Sep 07, 2005 at 3:13 pm
Fuck all you people who say that youre not surprised this is happening...how are you not surprised..are you that racist that you think blacks would resort to shooting and killing for the hell of it in a time like this,,,especially against other blacks...it is because of dumbfucks like you we have a shithead running the country, and by the time his term is over, this country will not have any dignity anymore..
I doubt that they have started eating each other. that is something kanye west would say. if not kanye west, al sharpton
40 -
watson
Oct 06, 2005 at 12:29 pm
I have spent a great deal of time combing the web and reading as many reponses to Randall Robinson's post as possible and frankly I am appalled and deeply saddened. Perhaps I live in a sheltered universe, but I had no idea that such overt, rampant racism and cultural ignorance persisted.
What is incredibly frustrating to me is that this cultural ignorance is manifesting itself through accusations. Accusing people of savagery, accusing others of race-baiting etc. This does nothing to help the situation. It does not really matter whether or not Randall Robinson's post was true, because he succeeded in drawing attention to the seedy underbelly of American society. His hyperbolic statement drew out so much latent racism and blame that I am astonished.
Cannibalism is obviously not to be condoned, but contrary to the opinion of many of Mr. Robinson's readers, it is not a definitive element of savagery. To state that cannibalism is "characteristic" to any culture is a ridiculous assertion. There has been a great deal of scholarly research which demonstrates that, although cannibalism has occurred in nearly every society, the "sources" which reveal it are highly questionable. No act of cannibalism as EVER been witnessed or recorded by a reputable source. Please take the time to read up on cannibalism before attributing it to a culture (or a continent). Obviously, I am not defending cannibalism, but I am making a claim for cultural relativism and sensitivity.
41 -
john
Jun 13, 2006 at 3:18 pm
its a year later, and crackers still hate us. and nobody in the hood eats people. cmon now...we ARE human
42 -
Nancy
Jun 13, 2006 at 3:29 pm
I once had an anthropology professor who claimed he'd dined on human flesh; said it tasted just like chicken, but with a texture like pork. How depressing to think everything tastes like chicken.
Article comments
26 - Purple Tigress
If you check the link, you see that the author has retracted that statement.
Yet, most likely, this statement will go on to a new life as an urban legend.
This, in fact, is one of the problems of blogs and the Internet. Did the author check the source or did the author just go for a sensational one-liner?
The author is credited as: "Randall Robinson is a social justice advocate and author whose works include The Debt -- What America Owes to Blacks."
Unfortunately this one line discredits to much more than the essay in question.
27 - fredko
They hang meat in third world countries in fly infested street markets. And then humans buy the meat, cook it and eat it. Horse cuisine is common in Europe. Live bugs, live monkey brain and other disgusting nourishment are common in Asia. Point is, food is cultural.
Eatin' yer fellooo man or wuhman iz jest uhnuther eyetim on da menyew....
28 - HumptyDumpty
The author has retracted his cannibalism statement.
29 - hrm....
yep - food is definatly cultural...
however, most cultures find canabalism repungnant - I know for a fact that there is enough food (canned, dried, or in jars) in the Swamp to last people several weeks now, especially since there are a lot less people in that area now.
children's corpses = babyback ribs?
yummy!!
30 - DrPat
I remember having a waiter offer Hunan baby-back ribs once -- we all burst out laughing, since we thought he'd said, "HUMAN baby back ribs."
31 - Leon
After four days, I really couldn't help myself; I needed some ribs! By the way...Cajun ribs taste like chicken..
32 - Alfie
Africans have been eating each other for thousands of years, and in some parts of Africa, it's still going on, as is wholesale slavery, so it's reasonable for the Author to presume that African Americans were simply reverting to their savage ways.
Now you have a little taste of why Southern Slave owners were terrified of the idea of African's being given equal rights.
They weren't just whistling "Dixie."
33 - Eric Olsen
after one week, I can see the stark evidence that racism -- in all directions -- is still a tremendous problem in this country. You don't see as much of it casually expressed on the surface anymore, but in any crisis situation, it is still the fallback position for an alarming number of people.
Hey Alfie (among others) - how many of the Donner Party were black?
34 - Dave Nalle
Jesus, Alfie. Cannibalism is characteristic of south american and polynesian cultures, but is notably absent from the African continent. If you're going to be racist at least be accurate.
And Eric - keep this in mind. Alfred E. Packer only ate democrats. I know it's weird, but it's true. The quote from his trial judge was "I'm one of three democrats in this county, and you just ate the other two of them".
Dave
35 - Eric Olsen
classic Dave!
36 - Sunny
Fuck all you people who say that youre not surprised this is happening...how are you not surprised..are you that racist that you think blacks would resort to shooting and killing for the hell of it in a time like this,,,especially against other blacks...it is because of dumbfucks like you we have a shithead running the country, and by the time his term is over, this country will not have any dignity anymore..
37 - DrPat
Like we have so much dignity right now, Sunny?
38 - dave felty
only comment....stupid nigers
39 - steve
I doubt that they have started eating each other. that is something kanye west would say. if not kanye west, al sharpton
40 - watson
I have spent a great deal of time combing the web and reading as many reponses to Randall Robinson's post as possible and frankly I am appalled and deeply saddened. Perhaps I live in a sheltered universe, but I had no idea that such overt, rampant racism and cultural ignorance persisted.
What is incredibly frustrating to me is that this cultural ignorance is manifesting itself through accusations. Accusing people of savagery, accusing others of race-baiting etc. This does nothing to help the situation. It does not really matter whether or not Randall Robinson's post was true, because he succeeded in drawing attention to the seedy underbelly of American society. His hyperbolic statement drew out so much latent racism and blame that I am astonished.
Cannibalism is obviously not to be condoned, but contrary to the opinion of many of Mr. Robinson's readers, it is not a definitive element of savagery. To state that cannibalism is "characteristic" to any culture is a ridiculous assertion. There has been a great deal of scholarly research which demonstrates that, although cannibalism has occurred in nearly every society, the "sources" which reveal it are highly questionable. No act of cannibalism as EVER been witnessed or recorded by a reputable source. Please take the time to read up on cannibalism before attributing it to a culture (or a continent). Obviously, I am not defending cannibalism, but I am making a claim for cultural relativism and sensitivity.
41 - john
its a year later, and crackers still hate us. and nobody in the hood eats people. cmon now...we ARE human
42 - Nancy
I once had an anthropology professor who claimed he'd dined on human flesh; said it tasted just like chicken, but with a texture like pork. How depressing to think everything tastes like chicken.