Cobb United for Change Coalition

By Talia Mollett
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer

MARIETTA - Civil rights organizations formed a coalition in Cobb County this week in response to media buzz surrounding the sale of T-shirts by Mulligan's owner Mike Norman.

The shirts, which sparred national and international attention last week, read "Obama '08" and depicted cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana.

Cobb United for Change Coalition, which is comprised of eight civil rights organizations and said to be focused on unity, healing and justice, conducted a press conference at Marietta Square Tuesday denouncing the T-shirt, which has been called racially offensive.

Jerry Gonzalez, of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, called on community leaders to officially condemn the Marietta food and spirits establishment that has been in business for 16 years.

"I come here today as an American citizen who no longer wants to tolerate this division. Where are (Cobb Board of Commissioners Chairman) Sam Olens and Sheriff Neil Warren today? They are part of the politics of division," Gonzalez said among the near dozen protestors.

"I call on these leaders to denounce Mulligan's. The good people of Cobb County deserve better. I come here today as a citizen expecting more out of our elected officials," he said.

Though absent from the protest at the Square Tuesday, Olens issued a statement last week, saying, "The T-shirt and its overt racist tenor have no place in our society."

Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway also issued a similar statement. Warren could not be reached by press time for comment. Calls were placed Tuesday evening.

Rich Pellegrino, of Cobb Immigrant Alliance, said Cobb Police are investigating a package he found on his doorstep last week after returning home from a protest outside Mulligan's. The package, encased in a manila envelope, is said to have contained racially offensive material.

Pellegrino said hazardous materials workers removed the package and its contents are being tested.

Cobb Police Sgt. Dana Pierce said the incident is under investigation and police are looking at the situation as a criminal trespass or terroristic threat charge. Georgia does not have a hate crime law after it was repealed in 2004, he said.

Norman said his business was also receiving death threats last week and he was forced to take the phone off the hook since the controversy over the T-shirts began.

(One thing the article from the Marietta Daily Journal did not include is that the Nation of Islam, a radical group led by Louis Farrakhan has jumped on the band wagon. Now does anyone besides me smell a rat? VN8)