the audacity of racism

Supposedly, these pins first started appearing at Texas Republican convention but now it seems as though they- along with hatred and bigotry- have crept across the nation. I'm not naive and so I won't say that I'm shocked but seriously people, have some shame. I will personally offer to buy anyone, I see wearing this button a copy of bell hooks' killing rage: Ending Racism.

The source of the pins is largely anonymous as they could be recreated by any idiot with a button machine and too much time on their hands but now it seems as though there are people willing to publically capitalize on this racialized anti-Obama sentiment.
The SockObama Co. has created this "toy", a Curious George inspired Obama doll. Yes it is 2008, just in case you were getting confused. When asked why they would ever think that in this day and age, comparing a person- more specifically a Black person- to a monkey was okay, the company issued this statement:

We simply made a casual and affectionate observation one night, and a charming association between a candidate and a toy we had when we were little. We wonder now if this might be a great opportunity to take this moment to really try and transcend still existing racial biases. We think that if we can do this together, maybe it will behoove us a nation and maybe we'll even begin to truly communicate with one another more tenderly, more real even.

I'm sorry, what? Affectionate observation? Charming association?

Somewhere in the distance, I hear Nina Simone and Langston Hughes singing The Backlash Blues.