{
              "html" : "<!-- cb: 1668208868322 -->\r\n                <ul class=\"pres-CommentLayout uk-list\">\r\n              \r\n              \r\n\r\n              <li class=\"fdn-margin-vert comment\"\r\n      id=\"Comments-comment-8199654\">\r\n              <a name=\"8199654\" id=\"commentId-8199654\"><\/a>\r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-column uk-card uk-card-default uk-padding-remove commentText\">\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-tile fdn-comment-author-block uk-padding-remove\">\r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n          <div class=\"uk-margin-small-right\">\r\n            \r\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Profile?oid=8193138\" class=\"memberThumb\">\r\n                 \r\n                <div class=\"fdn-comment-user-image\">             \r\n                  <img src=\"https:\/\/graph.facebook.com\/1758869784200105\/picture\"\r\n                       class=\"memberThumb\"\r\n                       width=\"40\"\r\n                       height=\"40\">\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                \r\n              <\/a>\r\n            \r\n          <\/div>\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-middle uk-flex-wrap uk-padding-xsmall uk-padding-remove-horizontal uk-width-expand uk-margin-small-left commentAuthor\">\r\n          \r\n            <div class=\"uk-margin-xsmall-right\">\r\n              Posted by:\r\n            <\/div>\r\n           \r\n          <div>\r\n            \r\n              <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Profile?oid=8193138\"><span class=\"reviewer fdn-comment-author-name\">Clark Luster<\/span><\/a><\/strong>\r\n            \r\n            on <span class=\"dtreviewed fdn-comment-posted-date\">05\/07\/2018 at 5:40 PM<span class=\"value-title fdn-comment-posted-time\" title=\"2018-05-07\"><\/span><\/span>\r\n          <\/div>\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-margin-small uk-margin-small-left uk-margin-small-right description fdn-comment-text uk-text-break\">\r\n        Everyday I try to remember words of inspiration from those I admire. I try to be color blind just like them. Three seconds after you die you won't be remembered because you were black, white, or any other color. You will be remembered for what you did. I admire the composer, song writer, singer, and performer Michael Jackson. Try to tear down his statues and destroy his legend and I can promise you I will fight you with every breath I can while I'm alive. But what about 100 years from now? Who will fight for him then? Who will say he wasn't just an inspiration for black African Americans to those that might want to remove everything about him from history? They might say he dressed funny, owned wild animals (chimpanzee, tiger, etc.), and his videos about criminals, street people, and zombies offend us here in PC 2118. We want to replace him with a statue of a mulatto Transvestite American because there aren't enough statues of them. And it will be argued as perfectly legal thanks to the Art Commissions precedent regarding statues set in Pittsburgh, PA in 2017. Next time just ask for an inspiring black African American statue to be added and stop tearing down the white statues with a clearly racist divisiveness agenda to replace them.\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n      \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-between uk-flex-middle uk-tile uk-tile-muted uk-padding-small uk-padding-remove-top uk-padding-remove-bottom commentToolbar fdn-comment-toolbar\">\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n            <div id=\"reportThisComment\" class=\"commentPublicControls\" style=\"position:relative;\">\r\n              <div id=\"8199654_report\" class=\"reportCommentContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <div id=\"8199654_report_result\" class=\"reportResultContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Tools\/ReportComment?oid=8199654\" \r\n                 id=\"8199654_reportLink\"\r\n                 class=\"fdn-comment-report-comment-link reportCommentLink\"\r\n                 rel=\"8199654\"\r\n                 onclick=\"return false;\">report<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n          \r\n                \r\n            \r\n\r\n            \r\n\r\n            <div id=\"8199654_likeLinks\" class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row likeLinks\">\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"8199654_rating_likes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">2<\/div>\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"\" \r\n                   class=\"likeLink like uk-text-success fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"8199654\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon:fdn-icon-thumbs-up; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-like-text\">like<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"8199654_rating_dislikes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">0<\/div>\r\n                <a href=\"\"\r\n                   class=\"likeLink dislike uk-text-danger fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"8199654\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon: fdn-icon-thumbs-down; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-dislike-text\">dislike<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n              <\/li>\r\n\r\n              \r\n            \r\n              \r\n\r\n              <li class=\"fdn-margin-vert comment\"\r\n      id=\"Comments-comment-4770846\">\r\n              <a name=\"4770846\" id=\"commentId-4770846\"><\/a>\r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-column uk-card uk-card-default uk-padding-remove commentText\">\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-tile fdn-comment-author-block uk-padding-remove\">\r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n          <div class=\"uk-margin-small-right\">\r\n            \r\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Profile?oid=4770845\" class=\"memberThumb\">\r\n                \r\n                 <div class=\"fdn-comment-default-user-image\"> \r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon:user; ratio: 1.5;\"><\/span>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                \r\n              <\/a>\r\n            \r\n          <\/div>\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-middle uk-flex-wrap uk-padding-xsmall uk-padding-remove-horizontal uk-width-expand uk-margin-small-left commentAuthor\">\r\n          \r\n            <div class=\"uk-margin-xsmall-right\">\r\n              Posted by:\r\n            <\/div>\r\n           \r\n          <div>\r\n            \r\n              <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Profile?oid=4770845\"><span class=\"reviewer fdn-comment-author-name\">Stuart McHardy<\/span><\/a><\/strong>\r\n            \r\n            on <span class=\"dtreviewed fdn-comment-posted-date\">10\/17\/2017 at 4:18 AM<span class=\"value-title fdn-comment-posted-time\" title=\"2017-10-17\"><\/span><\/span>\r\n          <\/div>\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-margin-small uk-margin-small-left uk-margin-small-right description fdn-comment-text uk-text-break\">\r\n        Mr. Hileman, \" Im tired of being a part of this. Part of what, sir? Of inert decades to centuries' old statues oppressing people who walk by? Who made you a part of it? What have you done that made you part of Stephen F. Foster's legacy? Get over yourself, Mr. Hileman. Did you own slaves? Did you profit from slavery? Are you even a grown up, a real man? STOP trying to include yourself where you have no place. Virtue signaling, looking for attention, with fascist tactics to elevate yourself somehow? Get lost, you worthless piece of scheiss - go back to your little halls of academia and kill a few more trees with some worthless treatise.\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n      \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-between uk-flex-middle uk-tile uk-tile-muted uk-padding-small uk-padding-remove-top uk-padding-remove-bottom commentToolbar fdn-comment-toolbar\">\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n            <div id=\"reportThisComment\" class=\"commentPublicControls\" style=\"position:relative;\">\r\n              <div id=\"4770846_report\" class=\"reportCommentContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <div id=\"4770846_report_result\" class=\"reportResultContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Tools\/ReportComment?oid=4770846\" \r\n                 id=\"4770846_reportLink\"\r\n                 class=\"fdn-comment-report-comment-link reportCommentLink\"\r\n                 rel=\"4770846\"\r\n                 onclick=\"return false;\">report<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n          \r\n                \r\n            \r\n\r\n            \r\n\r\n            <div id=\"4770846_likeLinks\" class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row likeLinks\">\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"4770846_rating_likes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">3<\/div>\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"\" \r\n                   class=\"likeLink like uk-text-success fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"4770846\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon:fdn-icon-thumbs-up; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-like-text\">like<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"4770846_rating_dislikes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">0<\/div>\r\n                <a href=\"\"\r\n                   class=\"likeLink dislike uk-text-danger fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"4770846\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon: fdn-icon-thumbs-down; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-dislike-text\">dislike<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n              <\/li>\r\n\r\n              \r\n            \r\n              \r\n\r\n              <li class=\"fdn-margin-vert comment\"\r\n      id=\"Comments-comment-4605947\">\r\n              <a name=\"4605947\" id=\"commentId-4605947\"><\/a>\r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-column uk-card uk-card-default uk-padding-remove commentText Comment\">\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-tile fdn-comment-author-block uk-padding-remove\">\r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n          <div class=\"uk-margin-small-right\">\r\n            \r\n              <div class=\"fdn-comment-default-user-image\"> \r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon:user; ratio: 1.5;\"><\/span>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            \r\n          <\/div>\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-middle uk-flex-wrap uk-padding-xsmall uk-padding-remove-horizontal uk-width-expand uk-margin-small-left commentAuthor Comment\">\r\n          \r\n            <div class=\"uk-margin-xsmall-right\">\r\n              Posted by:\r\n            <\/div>\r\n           \r\n          <div>\r\n            \r\n              <strong class=\"reviewer fdn-comment-author-name\">Denise<\/strong>\r\n            \r\n            on <span class=\"dtreviewed fdn-comment-posted-date\">10\/08\/2017 at 12:44 PM<span class=\"value-title fdn-comment-posted-time\" title=\"2017-10-08\"><\/span><\/span>\r\n          <\/div>\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-margin-small uk-margin-small-left uk-margin-small-right description fdn-comment-text uk-text-break\">\r\n        I am so tired of hearing people claiming 'racism' on everything. The statues in particular depict a part of our history. You can't change history. That's the way it was then. We must move on and concentrate on the now. Removing, or moving to another location, doesn't change history.  <br>\n              <br>\nSome have mentioned how it will affect the children. It will show them how it used to be and how far we've come since then which is a good lesson to teach them!\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n      \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-between uk-flex-middle uk-tile uk-tile-muted uk-padding-small uk-padding-remove-top uk-padding-remove-bottom commentToolbar fdn-comment-toolbar\">\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n            <div id=\"reportThisComment\" class=\"commentPublicControls\" style=\"position:relative;\">\r\n              <div id=\"4605947_report\" class=\"reportCommentContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <div id=\"4605947_report_result\" class=\"reportResultContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Tools\/ReportComment?oid=4605947\" \r\n                 id=\"4605947_reportLink\"\r\n                 class=\"fdn-comment-report-comment-link reportCommentLink\"\r\n                 rel=\"4605947\"\r\n                 onclick=\"return false;\">report<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n          \r\n                \r\n            \r\n\r\n            \r\n\r\n            <div id=\"4605947_likeLinks\" class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row likeLinks\">\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"4605947_rating_likes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">3<\/div>\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"\" \r\n                   class=\"likeLink like uk-text-success fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"4605947\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon:fdn-icon-thumbs-up; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-like-text\">like<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"4605947_rating_dislikes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">0<\/div>\r\n                <a href=\"\"\r\n                   class=\"likeLink dislike uk-text-danger fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"4605947\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon: fdn-icon-thumbs-down; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-dislike-text\">dislike<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n              <\/li>\r\n\r\n              \r\n            \r\n              \r\n\r\n              <li class=\"fdn-margin-vert comment\"\r\n      id=\"Comments-comment-4592878\">\r\n              <a name=\"4592878\" id=\"commentId-4592878\"><\/a>\r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-column uk-card uk-card-default uk-padding-remove commentText\">\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-tile fdn-comment-author-block uk-padding-remove\">\r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n          <div class=\"uk-margin-small-right\">\r\n            \r\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Profile?oid=1724334\" class=\"memberThumb\">\r\n                 \r\n                <div class=\"fdn-comment-user-image\">             \r\n                  <img src=\"https:\/\/graph.facebook.com\/1370556700\/picture\"\r\n                       class=\"memberThumb\"\r\n                       width=\"40\"\r\n                       height=\"40\">\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                \r\n              <\/a>\r\n            \r\n          <\/div>\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-middle uk-flex-wrap uk-padding-xsmall uk-padding-remove-horizontal uk-width-expand uk-margin-small-left commentAuthor\">\r\n          \r\n            <div class=\"uk-margin-xsmall-right\">\r\n              Posted by:\r\n            <\/div>\r\n           \r\n          <div>\r\n            \r\n              <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Profile?oid=1724334\"><span class=\"reviewer fdn-comment-author-name\">Mark Choi<\/span><\/a><\/strong>\r\n            \r\n            on <span class=\"dtreviewed fdn-comment-posted-date\">10\/07\/2017 at 6:51 PM<span class=\"value-title fdn-comment-posted-time\" title=\"2017-10-07\"><\/span><\/span>\r\n          <\/div>\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-margin-small uk-margin-small-left uk-margin-small-right description fdn-comment-text uk-text-break\">\r\n        The statue no more depicts a \"caricature of an African American man\" than it depicts a caricature of Foster.<br>\nThe comments on implicit racism are wholly misinformed, and are even more reprehensible coming from academics who should know better. in particular, Kirk Savage's comments evince the logic, or lack thereof, of this twisting of truth.<br>\nThe fact that \"it was designed by a handful of civic elites who 'lived in a white supremacist, segregated society,' in no way, shape, or form proves it is racist, and the fact that he hangs his hat on this logical fallacy is telling. That he adds, The idea of the faithful slave dies so hard  its a really, really powerful myth in our society, further underscores the lack of logical reasoning and factual history being employed here. While this sentiment might be appealing to some, being that the statue does NOT depict any such thing, what, exactly, is his point?<br>\nAll that is being done here is a rather juvenile, superficial, and sophomoric level analysis of intent based almost solely on the topological relationship between the two figures in the piece. But that arrangement does NOT imply what the critics are claiming it implies. Rather, as the subject of the statue in the first place, Foster figures the most prominently. Why is this surprising? Nevertheless, the sculptor wished to acknowledge Foster's reliance and dependence for his popularity on the musical legacy that preceded him, and in particular that of African American slaves, in the art he later created (leaving aside the fact that Foster's music actually owed more structurally to his Irish roots than to the music of African American slaves).<br>\nFar from being racist, this is an expression of racial indebtedness, interconnectedness, and acknowledgment.<br>\nThis knee-jerk reactionary nonsense is little different than the current blowup over the statue of J. Marion Sims, whose <br>\nmisinformed, or uninformed detractors are slandering and libeling with charges of racism, when even a cursory examination of the claims on the one side show them to be vacuous at best, if not wholly erroneous.<br>\nPersonally, this reminds me directly of criticism I received when wearing an old T-Shirt with a picture of BuckWheat from \"Our Gang\" with the caption \"O-Tay!\", as racist. Nothing could be further from the truth. People making this claim are wholly uninformed. In fact, the character of Buckwheat, far from being racist, was the first depiction of and African American in American mass media as an equal character, the first to receive any sort of speaking role, and the directors faced a rather large amount of resistance to even including him.<br>\nHis speech was not as a result of making a mockery of African American speech, but rather to emphasize the fact that in the original short films, he was intended to be (and in fact was) a toddler.<br>\nBut facts don't receive much attention in such emotion laden, reactionary, reason-free debates.\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n      \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-between uk-flex-middle uk-tile uk-tile-muted uk-padding-small uk-padding-remove-top uk-padding-remove-bottom commentToolbar fdn-comment-toolbar\">\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n            <div id=\"reportThisComment\" class=\"commentPublicControls\" style=\"position:relative;\">\r\n              <div id=\"4592878_report\" class=\"reportCommentContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <div id=\"4592878_report_result\" class=\"reportResultContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Tools\/ReportComment?oid=4592878\" \r\n                 id=\"4592878_reportLink\"\r\n                 class=\"fdn-comment-report-comment-link reportCommentLink\"\r\n                 rel=\"4592878\"\r\n                 onclick=\"return false;\">report<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n          \r\n                \r\n            \r\n\r\n            \r\n\r\n            <div id=\"4592878_likeLinks\" class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row likeLinks\">\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"4592878_rating_likes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">6<\/div>\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"\" \r\n                   class=\"likeLink like uk-text-success fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"4592878\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon:fdn-icon-thumbs-up; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-like-text\">like<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"4592878_rating_dislikes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">0<\/div>\r\n                <a href=\"\"\r\n                   class=\"likeLink dislike uk-text-danger fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"4592878\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon: fdn-icon-thumbs-down; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-dislike-text\">dislike<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n              <\/li>\r\n\r\n              \r\n            \r\n              \r\n\r\n              <li class=\"fdn-margin-vert comment\"\r\n      id=\"Comments-comment-4592667\">\r\n              <a name=\"4592667\" id=\"commentId-4592667\"><\/a>\r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-column uk-card uk-card-default uk-padding-remove commentText\">\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-tile fdn-comment-author-block uk-padding-remove\">\r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n          <div class=\"uk-margin-small-right\">\r\n            \r\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Profile?oid=1724334\" class=\"memberThumb\">\r\n                 \r\n                <div class=\"fdn-comment-user-image\">             \r\n                  <img src=\"https:\/\/graph.facebook.com\/1370556700\/picture\"\r\n                       class=\"memberThumb\"\r\n                       width=\"40\"\r\n                       height=\"40\">\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                \r\n              <\/a>\r\n            \r\n          <\/div>\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-middle uk-flex-wrap uk-padding-xsmall uk-padding-remove-horizontal uk-width-expand uk-margin-small-left commentAuthor\">\r\n          \r\n            <div class=\"uk-margin-xsmall-right\">\r\n              Posted by:\r\n            <\/div>\r\n           \r\n          <div>\r\n            \r\n              <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Profile?oid=1724334\"><span class=\"reviewer fdn-comment-author-name\">Mark Choi<\/span><\/a><\/strong>\r\n            \r\n            on <span class=\"dtreviewed fdn-comment-posted-date\">10\/07\/2017 at 6:28 PM<span class=\"value-title fdn-comment-posted-time\" title=\"2017-10-07\"><\/span><\/span>\r\n          <\/div>\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n      <div class=\"uk-margin-small uk-margin-small-left uk-margin-small-right description fdn-comment-text uk-text-break\">\r\n        The statue no more depicts a \"caricature of an African American man\" than it depicts a caricature of Foster.<br>\nThe comments on implicit racism are wholly misinformed, and are even more reprehensible coming from academics who should know better. in particular, Kirk Savage's comments evince the logic, or lack thereof, of this twisting of truth.<br>\nThe fact that \"it was designed by a handful of civic elites who 'lived in a white supremacist, segregated society,' in no way, shape, or form proves it is racist, and the fact that he hangs his hat on this logical fallacy is telling. That he adds, The idea of the faithful slave dies so hard  its a really, really powerful myth in our society, further underscores the lack of logical reasoning and factual history being employed here. While this sentiment might be appealing to some, being that the statue does NOT depict any such thing, what, exactly, is his point?<br>\nAll that is being done here is a rather juvenile, superficial, and sophomoric level analysis of intent based almost solely on the topological relationship between the two figures in the piece. But that arrangement does NOT imply what the critics are claiming it implies. Rather, as the subject of the statue in the first place, Foster figures the most prominently. Why is this surprising. Nevertheless, the sculptor wished to acknowledge Foster's reliance and dependence on the musical legacy that preceded him, and in particular that of African American slaves, in the art he later created.<br>\nFar from being racist, this is an expression of racial indebtedness, interconnectedness, and acknowledgment.<br>\nThis know-jerk reactionary nonsense is little different than the current blowup over the statue of J. Marion Sims, whose <br>\nmisinformed, or uninformed detractors are slandering and libeling with charges of racism, when even a cursory examination of the claims on the one side show them to be vacuous at best, if not wholly erroneous.<br>\nPersonally, this reminds me directly of criticism I received when wearing an old T-Shirt with a picture of BuckWheat from \"Our Gang\" with the caption \"O-Tay!\", as racist. Nothing could be further from the truth. People making this claim are wholly uninformed. In fact, the character of Buckwheat, far from being racist, was the first depiction of and African American in American mass media as an equal character, the first to receive any sort of speaking role, and the directors faced a rather large amount of resistance to even including him.<br>\nHis speech was not as a result of making a mockery of African American speech, but rather to emphasize the fact that in the original short films, he was intended to be (and in fact was) a toddler.<br>\nBut facts don't receive much attention in such emotion laden, reactionary, reason-free debates.\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n      \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n        <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-between uk-flex-middle uk-tile uk-tile-muted uk-padding-small uk-padding-remove-top uk-padding-remove-bottom commentToolbar fdn-comment-toolbar\">\r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n            <div id=\"reportThisComment\" class=\"commentPublicControls\" style=\"position:relative;\">\r\n              <div id=\"4592667_report\" class=\"reportCommentContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <div id=\"4592667_report_result\" class=\"reportResultContainer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/div>\r\n              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pghcitypaper.com\/pittsburgh\/Tools\/ReportComment?oid=4592667\" \r\n                 id=\"4592667_reportLink\"\r\n                 class=\"fdn-comment-report-comment-link reportCommentLink\"\r\n                 rel=\"4592667\"\r\n                 onclick=\"return false;\">report<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n\r\n          \r\n          \r\n                \r\n            \r\n\r\n            \r\n\r\n            <div id=\"4592667_likeLinks\" class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row likeLinks\">\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"4592667_rating_likes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">4<\/div>\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"\" \r\n                   class=\"likeLink like uk-text-success fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Like\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"4592667\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon:fdn-icon-thumbs-up; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-like-text\">like<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n\r\n              <div class=\"uk-flex uk-flex-row uk-flex-middle uk-margin-small-left uk-padding-xsmall\">\r\n                <div id=\"4592667_rating_dislikes\" class=\"uk-label fdn-comment-like-count\">0<\/div>\r\n                <a href=\"\"\r\n                   class=\"likeLink dislike uk-text-danger fdn-comment-like-link\"\r\n                   rel=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-rating=\"Dislike\"\r\n                   data-commentOid=\"4592667\">\r\n                  <span uk-icon=\"icon: fdn-icon-thumbs-down; ratio: 1;\">\r\n                  <\/span><span class=\"fdn-comment-dislike-text\">dislike<\/span>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n              <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          \r\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n              <\/li>\r\n\r\n              \r\n            \r\n                <\/ul>\r\n\r\n                \r\n\r\n                \r\n                <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n                  updateCommentTotals('5','5');\r\n                <\/script>",
              "nocomments" : false
            }