Op-Ed: Political cartoon encourages discrimination
The newspaper's July 31st political cartoon "California Redistricting" is racist. It panders to those who are already feeling severely alienated from the realities of modern society. Some of the alienated wind up taking refuge in potentially violent political extremism (look at what happened recently in Norway and the Oklahoma City bombing). Cartoons like this use "multiculturalism" as the latest code word to spread their racist poison. Responsible newspapers should avoid pandering to them and stop printing absurd cartoons such as this one. This is just the type of xenophobic rhetoric responsible for creating an environment which enabled maniacs like Breivik and Timothy McVeigh to believe they were acting in the interests of their respective countries.
In the 1995 movie "The American President," actor Michael Douglas plays a president who walks into the White House briefing room and delivers a powerful response to a political opponent's personal attacks on his character.
"We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them," he begins. "And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it ... " He could have been speaking about this cartoon.
It would be great if editorials and political cartoons were calculated to spur debate that explores potential answers, focuses our concerns, reaches for a solution. Instead, cartoons like this merely spark debate that plays off of our fears and concerns and drives out rational discussion and reasoned debate. Cartoons like this solely serve to drive us apart and to turn human beings into caricatures ... easier to hate cartoon representations than real people. It inflames and endorses the racist attitudes of others. If you don't believe me, just read some of the posts on the newspaper's website that make it up there before they are taken.
I can predict the criticism this opinion piece will receive from the anonymous posters on the A-D website or the paper's refutations of my critique. I know that whenever someone is challenged on their crass appeals to fear, anger, and hate, they counter by charging me and others with "political correctness" and claim objections like mine are attempting to censor them or that we simply are "missing the point" of a cartoon like this. As if we aren't smart enough to "get it." It is a strategy that has hindered many who take offense at cartoons or comments that are obviously racist, sexist, etc. I believe most folks in the Yuba-Sutter area would completely embrace reasoned, honest debate on the issues, but they don't know how to stop the hogwash and personal attacks.
Let's face it — many of the editorials and cartoons in newspapers thrive on arousing people's passions. They are designed to make our problems seem even worse. They make us afraid of the challenges we face; they disparage and demonize those who are different ... whether it be race, religion, sexual orientation or those with a different point of view and cast them as enemies. This hurtful display scares good people away from getting involved in politics.
The First Amendment to the Constitution gives everyone the right to speak or print without fear of government censorship or reprisal. It allows me to be on a local radio show doing what I love to do — talking about the issues and items of interest to our local audience. Of course, it does not guarantee there will be an audience when I exercise that right. But I recognize I have a duty to the community when I am on the radio to not say things that are abusive, disparaging, hateful, or malicious.
I don't make statements that promote hate, discrimination or violence against any people on account of their race, national origin, religion, age, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. This cartoon violates that duty and obligation to the community. But most importantly, it gives more ammunition to those who would disparage and discriminate against the groups depicted on that cartoon map and that is beneath us — we are better than that.
Angel Diaz is a Yuba City resident and founder of the North Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Editor's note: Editorial cartoons offer readers visual commentary on situations including social and political issues. The cartoons published by the Appeal-Democrat on its Opinion pages are indeed meant to arouse passions: we want readers to be engaged. The cartoon in question, republished with this column, depicts some of the "communities of interest" in the California redistricting effort, and challenges the success of the endeavor.
