A man attending the Wisconsin State Fair was shocked when he came across a prize-winning cow with a name he found deeply offensive.
David Blake, from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, was exploring the dairy barn when he stumbled upon the nameplate that stopped him in his tracks. He described being "taken aback" and compared the offensive name to the N-word, stating, "It's one of those words, one of those few words that should be totally off limits."
Blake took a photo of the cow's name and shared it on social media, expressing his disappointment in the fair's lack of oversight. He called out the Wisconsin State Fair, saying, "Shame on the state fair. I'd assume there'd be policies in place where they kind of look at the names and everything, why this was allowed to get through." The image was later shared by Vaun Mayes, known as "Milwaukee's Malcolm X," who demanded that the offensive term be removed immediately.
Upon learning of the concerns raised by Mayes, Blake, and others, fair organizers swiftly took action. They changed the cow's name to "Puzzle" on the official list of junior show awardees and removed the animal from State Fair Park. In a statement, fair spokesperson Tess Kerksen emphasized that such behavior is not tolerated or condoned. She also mentioned plans to review the entry process to prevent similar situations in the future.
The family who owned the cow also issued an apology, expressing their sincere regrets to the Black community, the Wisconsin State Fair, and fellow dairy farmers. They acknowledged the racial insensitivity of the name they had chosen and immediately changed it upon learning its meaning. The family stated their commitment to further educating themselves on such matters.
Images circulating online revealed that the cow's original name was the same offensive word that former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III had used on ESPN's "Monday Night Countdown" last December. Griffin, a black football analyst, had used the term while discussing Jalen Hurts, stating, "I think he proved all those j******s wrong."
Griffin later apologized, clarifying that he had intended to say "'Bug-A-Boos' in reference to haters and doubters." He acknowledged the historical context of the term and expressed remorse for using it.
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