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Doctor On Racist Obama Email: "I Sincerely Apologize"
David McKalip -- the Florida neurosurgeon and healthcare reform opponent who sent a racist email showing President Obama dressed as a witch doctor with a loin cloth and a bone through his nose, which was posted yesterday by TPMmuckraker -- has apologized directly to the president.
Through a P.R. representative, McKalip put out the following statement:
DR. DAVID MCKALIP SENDS APOLOGY DIRECTLY TO PRESIDENT OBAMAMcKalip apologizes for sending insensitive image via e-mail
St. Petersburg, FL (July 23, 2009) - David McKalip, M.D., brain and spine neurosurgeon of St. Petersburg has never been shy in expressing where he stands regarding President Barack Obama's health-care reform. Despite McKalip's position on health system reform, he sends a sincere apology for a forwarded image of President Obama in an e-mail depicting the president in Papua New Guinean tribal garb with a logo beneath it saying, "Obama Care."
"I genuinely regret the decision I made in passing this e-mail message along. Directly to President Obama, I sincerely apologize for offending him. This was, in no way whatsoever, my intention. The image has nothing to do with my feelings or thoughts on any race or culture. I recognize that this image is offensive and hope that the nation refocuses on assuring all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable health care with no party interfering in the patient-physician relationship. My intention is to focus directly on the issue at hand, which is putting financial and decision-making power into the hands of patients and taking it from government and insurance companies," said McKalip.
The image forwarded was from a long chain of e-mails and not created by McKalip.
Late Update: It's worth noting that McKalip wasn't always so contrite in his response to the flap.
Josh
Zachary
McKalip SAYS:
Why didn't you recognize its offensiveness when you first saw it?
July 24, 2009 9:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, and he doesn't say why it's offensive, i.e., explicitly acknowledge that it is racist.
Also I like this:
with a logo beneath it saying, "Obama Care."
Doesn't acknowledge that the "logo" includes a hammer and sickle. Might also have apologized for that. Red baiting is not less offensive simply because it is asinine on its face.
.
July 24, 2009 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
He got the wrong politician,Palin has a witchdoctor
remember?
July 24, 2009 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
No, Palin has a witch hunter, which is much better. No, wait a moment, that's actually much worse than a witchdoctor.
July 24, 2009 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
He admits that the image was "insensitive" but never admits that it was racist.
Verdict: Fail.
I also thought Dr. McKalip spent too much time plugging his dislike for health care reform.
Verdict: Insincere.
July 24, 2009 9:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ell at least he didn't say, "I am sorry if I offended anyone."
July 24, 2009 9:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, I think the correct non-apology apology form is "I'm sorry if some people were offended by my remarks." I.e., it's their fault for taking offense at my wholly innocent and well-intentioned actions.
July 24, 2009 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well isn't that special.
July 24, 2009 9:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is there a moral component in getting an MD like the Bar Association has?
July 24, 2009 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Typical conservative Republican. McKalip has all the empathy for others of a rattlesnake for a mouse. But when he finds he is recognized for stepping over the line he wants to say that he didn't mean to be a thoughtless fool.
His self-centered views on health care for others are an example of his true level of public consciousness. He is entirely self-centered and only feels regret when he is caught out.
July 24, 2009 9:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ha...are you really apologetic or do you see your "paying referrals" drying up. Horrors...what would remain are your ED emergency calls that often times turn out to be indigent...no mney for you. Idiot.
July 24, 2009 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fuck you. Not accepted.
July 24, 2009 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
that is an astonishingly dishonest 'apology':
This was, in no way whatsoever, my intention. The image has nothing to do with my feelings or thoughts on any race or culture.
good grief. i don't even know what more to say than what a total d-bag he is.
July 24, 2009 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
"I genuinely regret the decision I made in passing this e-mail message along."
... because I got caught, and it attracted such media attention.
You know what? This might not have been a racist thing. This guy might've sent the same image around w/Clinton's face if it had been available (and e-mail as ubiquitous) in '92. Frankly, if he's of the opinion that Obama's healthcare plans are witch-doctoring, then I've got no problem with him being offensive about it. But the very fact that he apologized tells me that's not the case at all.
We should be honest with one another, even if that sometimes means saying things that offend someone. And that, ironically, is what offends me about his actions here:
If this was your sincere opinion of the plan, and you sent this around as out-and-out mockery of government-run healthcare, then be a goddamn man, not a mouse, and step up and say it. Don't apologize, don't try to smooth things over. Be straight with the media, and the President, and just say 'no, screw you, this how I feel and I will apologize for neither my opinions, nor the free speech I choose to exercise in voicing them.'
Be sincere, or shut the hell up. The fact that he's apologizing at all shows that he's a sniveling little bastard who thought the picture was funny, and the wording of his apology makes me think that his first reaction to seeing it was to laugh because it demeans the President, and makes him seem less dangerous - and that it plays so strongly (and... wrongly, considering it's Papua New Guinea, a pacific island) on his race to do so makes me think that racial aspect is one of the things this guy finds scary.
Be sincere, be honest, or shut the hell up, Doc. You were honest when you didn't think people would call you on your opinions, have the balls to be honest when they do.
July 24, 2009 9:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Strongly disagree with the above commenters. True, he didn't explicitly acknowledge the photo was racist, which it is. True, he didn't apologize for the hammer and sickle. True, he is still on the wrong side of this issue.
But Jesus Christ, people, he didn't originate the email, he forwarded it. Tell me you've never forwarded something and regretted it later. This was as about as contrite and sincere an apology as I can imagine. WTF do you want from him anyway, self-immolation?
July 24, 2009 9:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. No, I've never forwarded a racist e-mail. Can't imagine doing it.
July 24, 2009 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have honestly never forwarded anything so profoundly offensive. And I'm not even smart enough to be a doctor.
July 24, 2009 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Self-emolation. Yep. That would be nice. I'm not worried that he would do that. Why? Because he's just happy he's getting so much publicity among like-minded people; he isn't sorry -- he sent it THROUGH A PR FIRM FOR CHRIST SAKE!
July 24, 2009 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes...he could have deleted the e-mail, as I often do. He did not have to caption it and send it on.
July 24, 2009 9:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
"WTF do you want from him anyway, self-immolation?"
Yes.
July 24, 2009 9:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Have you or a family member ever needed the care of a neurosurgeon? Self immolation, yes.
July 24, 2009 9:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Does repeating a racist joke less offensive than being the creator of it??
Why do people have such a hard time calling racism, racism...
and why do they feel the need to rationalize and excuse the most toxic examples of racism?
July 24, 2009 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Are you kidding?
1. I have never forwarded something and later regretted it. Forwarding generally is a bad idea, and on the rare occasions I've thought it justified, it did not involved something racist, sexist or otherwise hateful. Sorry.
2. This guy is out front on opposing health care, fronting an organization, writing op-eds for major newspapers, etc. That he has that public role, and still thought nothing of doing this ... well, it proves that even brain surgery ain't brain surgery, apparently.
.
July 24, 2009 10:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK well I see there's been a late update to this story about how Kalip was defiant before he was contrite.
Be that as it may, it still bothers me that this apology is dismissed so out of hand. As such apologies go it was much more contrite and sincere than most. It wasn't worded "I apologize if anyone was offended" or anything like that.
Several people (MCPBoston, Severus, Gee) responded to my comment to the effect that they had never hit the send button by accident. Must be nice to be so perfect -- I aspire to your awesomeness.
nanorich implies that by accepting such an apology, I or someone else would be "having a hard time calling racism racism", and "rationalizing and excusing racism". Who says accepting an apology for something rationalizes, excuses or minimizes the sin? In your world, are apologies just not necessary or relevant, no matter what the offense?
My challenge to these responders: Please draft an apology that you feel would be sufficiently sincere, for our review. If you can't, then ask yourself whether that's because this one actually was sincere, or whether it's because the offense is unforgiveable.
If the latter, then please ask yourself what kind of world you wish to live in. In the US, our prisons are filled to overflowing because of misguided zero-tolerance laws and ever-increasing minimum-sentencing directives. It seems as a society we have decided that the smallest infraction is to be dealt with by the harshest penalty. Nothing short of perfection in the civic sphere is acceptable. Sending a racist photograph is a very bad thing to do, but it falls short of mass murder.
My point is this: perhaps Kalip's apology wasn't as contrite or sincere as it first appeared. But just as apologies should not be offered casually, neither should they be rejected casually, and that's what almost all of the commenters in this thread have done.
July 24, 2009 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fuck him and fuck you. I would rather he didn't bother to give a non-apology. He fucking got caught and now this weak apology.
No I don't forward racist or sexist emails and I usually write the person who sent it and tell them to remove me from their list. Maybe if everyone did this, there wouldn't be so many of these disgusting emails going around.
He's is sorry alright. He's a sorry ass
July 24, 2009 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
I see. So you only accept apologies from people who haven't done anything wrong. OK then.
July 24, 2009 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
So just saying "sorry" is ok in any case for you? Sometimes it's appropriate to ask for a bit more proof than just sorry. You know, actions speak louder than and all that.
July 24, 2009 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
No you're right. It is a judgment call, and to apologize is to ask for acceptance but not necessarily to get it. My initial impression was that it was sincere. Maybe it (my impression) was wrong. The comments here struck me as not very thoughtful, as knee-jerk rejections of the apology.
As for actions speaking louder, not sure what he could do in that regard but let's see what he ends up doing. He can't undo the damage, what has been said cannot be unsaid, what has been seen cannot be unseen. Everyone who's visited TPMMuckraker now has the image in their cache. He can certainly do more, and resignation from St. Anthony's and other orgs would be a good first step.
July 24, 2009 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I happen to believe that when you choose to forward an email you take just as much responsibility as does the email's creator, and the choice is a reflection on some combination of your character, or a least of your sense of accountability.
The only exception would be where you forward and denounce in the same sending, which would compare to publishing it here to illustrate the controversy.
July 24, 2009 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
nedbalzer, you're joking, right?
July 25, 2009 3:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
The apology sounds like it was written by a lawyer. What he is actually sorry about is that his world view, stupidity, and racism is now known to the public, including his patients, co-workers, and peers.
July 24, 2009 9:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Put out as a Press Release that includes the helpful detail of exonerating Dr. McKalip from creating the racist image. Sigh. The Half-Blood-Prince is still am embarrassed for his pallid, pale brethren.
July 24, 2009 9:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
We live in a time when people can commit horribly offensive (even criminal) acts and the only repercussion they face is a disingenuous, half-baked apology.
July 24, 2009 9:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Come on. Everyone knows that regardless of the apology, the idea and racist picture are now circulating. Damage done and mission accomplished.
It is a tactic used all of the time. In this clip O'Reilly says that a public option will infringe upon civil liberties. Totally false, but who cares after it has been said?
http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2266
July 24, 2009 9:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
He offended all right thinking people, not just the POTUS.
July 24, 2009 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
He's sincerely sorry he was exposed....Just another example of what so many conservatives really think and feel....
July 24, 2009 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
I especially like that it was sent THROUGH a PR firm! Didn't want to get his own hands dirty I guess. And that first sentence is just an advertisement for the guy!
What an asshole!
July 24, 2009 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
I can't believe no one has said it....
Knowing your racially oriented photo is offensive isn't brain surge.....
Sigh.
July 24, 2009 9:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obvious, yes, but quite funny.
Some surgeons are really nice people. Some surgeons interact best with the anaesthetized. Excuse my occupationism.
July 24, 2009 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Apparently the panhandle rednecks are migrating down to central Florida.
July 24, 2009 10:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
And apparently even brain surgery ain't brain surgery, if this guy can do it.
.
July 24, 2009 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fizzy beverage to ccubeman ....
July 24, 2009 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
He's an anti-tax activist. Quoted here as
"I'm being told I have to give to others who refuse to work for themselves. I'm sick of it."
http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/don_t_sleep_so_close_to_me/Content?oid=386176
His spare time is spent founding the group "Cut Property Taxes Now". Surgeons, outside of the grossly competent or personally repugnant, do OK financially.
Posing here, with his brain removed, to better aid him in formulating governmental policy. Next to copies of (wait for it) Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/politicalwhore/2009/07/23/st-petersburg-anti-tax-activist-david-mckalip-sends-out-barack-obama-as-witch-doctor-e-mail-photo/
July 24, 2009 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, we're sorry to Dr. Mckalip. We sorry that we will have to sack you as president-elect of the Pinellas County Medical Association and as a board member of the Florida Medical Association!
July 24, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed. Contrition without resignation is malarkey.
July 24, 2009 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Anybody notice the odd mix of image and printed message? The health insurance reform plan is witchdoctory-quackery AND Communist. It's primitive AND totalitarian. A neat trick.
July 24, 2009 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sometimes an apology doesn't obscure the fact that a person is essentially and irredeemably a bigoted asshole. This is one of those times.
July 24, 2009 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dr. McKalip's political, or editorial, judgement is so beyond the pale I would think it fair to question his medical competence as well.
July 24, 2009 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
ha Thanks for the picture of the doctor posing with two Ayn Rand books. Now that's funny!
July 24, 2009 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Check out my blog, on the ground here in St. Pete
http://bit.ly/575MT
I've got reaction from the local hospital:
St. Anthony's Hospital is aware that an independent physician who has staff privileges at Bayfront and St. Anthony’s posted an inappropriate image on the internet that is not in keeping with our values. The physician is not employed by our organization and is certainly not speaking for us."
React from State Rep. Darryl Rouson calls on McKalip to resign.
React from Florida Medical Association blasts McKalip.
Previous: McKalip's criticism of Obama's health care plan: here, here and here.
April 11 - McKalip's op-ed on Health Care
July 24, 2009 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good stuff on your blog--and a tip of the hat for the Sriracha Bloody Mary recipe on the side!
July 24, 2009 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of course, then, there's this:
http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Bushmen-Pre-Release-EP/dp/B0019J2HPW
But, hey, he was a white guy.
July 24, 2009 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I swear, sometimes I get nostalgic for the racism of my youth when racists knew they were racists and, believing racism was a good thing, made no bones about it.
What we've got nowadays, especially among rich white people, is a racism composed of an almost entirely internalized set of unquestioned assumptions--"white is "normal," Americanism=whiteness, poverty is due to moral or genetic inferiority--combined with an almost complete inability empathize with anyone outside one's own race and class. It's not at all surprising that these people are always anti-tax activists.
It no more occurs to these guys that images like this are genuinely hurtful to actual human beings--or, for that matter, that there was any reason to care about how it might make anyone except his peers feel to see it--than it occurs to me to care about how a dollar bill feels about being spent.
And forgive me for not believing that this episode has resulted in any soul searching on his part. Handing it over to flacks to write a non-apology apology that fails to acknowledge the real problem? Yeah baby, feel the contrition.
July 24, 2009 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
I miss the days when members of my family would say "He's black, but he's a good guy."
Since I refuse to talk politics with them anymore for obvious reasons, I can't imagine what they say about our president.
July 24, 2009 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
This guy's not a racist. He's a capitalist. If he loves Ayn Rand, why not advocate the elimination of medical license? Get rid of state-sponsored medical exams which show you can do surgery and let the market decide. If your medical techniques are not top-notch then you will have a legacy paralyzed and impaired patients that your competition can pass-around. Eventually.....you loose business...forcing you to lower your prices. But he doesn't want that now does he.
July 24, 2009 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps, he recognized how offensive this email was when the appointment cancellations started rolling into his office.
July 24, 2009 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Too little, too late. I'm sure he's sorry, NOW. Now that he has been flooded with e-mails and phone messages calling him the racist pig that he is. How craptacular!
And he wants us to believe that there were no racial implications intended. Sure, and I have a bridge I would love to sell to you. I'll even paint it any color of your choice (except black, of course).
July 24, 2009 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's a classic wingnut. I found a pdf of an administrative court case he brought in FL back in 2005, where he fought against a statewide program for hospitals to submit data for Surgical Infection Prevention (SIP). Even though it was voluntary, and the hospital, not the physician was responsible for submitting data, McKalip found this to be outrageous. Despite his righteous indignation, the court disagreed.
http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/schs/pdf/FinalOrder9_26_05-AgendaItem3.pdf
July 24, 2009 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
this is hardly the most outrageous example of racism i've ever seen.
i'm not even sure it's all that racist.
obama is black. taking heed of that fact is not racist.
imagine if the ad had been a picture of bush's face super-imposed over that of a snake-handling hillbilly faith healer advocating abstinence only and outlawing abortions.
perfectly appropriate.
it was my impression that the point of the above ad is to make the argument that obama's plan is not good science, not well grounded in reason and will be ineffective. that's hardly a racist argument.
it's wrong on the facts, it's not funny, but i wouldn't say its particularly racist.
July 24, 2009 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
To show real contrition, he should now devote his time to finding and destroying every copy of the image.
July 24, 2009 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
And he'd do that how?
July 24, 2009 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why is he apologizing? Case he was caught? If he knew it was racists, why send it out?
July 24, 2009 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink