Letter: Cartoon found objectionable

I was appalled to find a very objectionable racist and stereotypical political cartoon in the July 31 edition. It depicted a map of California made up of "groups" the editor and his cartoonist friend evidently find objectionable.

The groups? Blacks, Latinos, Jews, along with pot smokers, environmentalists, gays and lesbians. The editor made this decision to put this offensive racist cartoon in the paper, so that tells me his real feelings toward nonwhite people.

In a corner of the map, there is a small inset, which states "the rest of us," which is evidently code word for white people, the one major group left out of the rest of the map picture.

If the editor doesn't recognize this as offensive and insensitive, then I question his ability to be an effective editor of a newspaper for a diverse community. The judgment is questionable, and evidently the newspaper is pandering to the tea party "people."

This paper is simply an extension of the hate and extremism exhibited by other tea party outlets. Instead of promoting our diversity, the newspaper is trying to divide us with this hate cartoon.

I don't see how that helps the newspaper's circulation, which of course, should be the main concern as this paper has had to file bankruptcy in the past. I don't see any future for this type of "journalism" if that is what you are calling this blasphemy. I expect an apology to the readers for this insult to our diverse community.

Gabrial Singh

Live Oak

Editor's note: The illustrated commentary depicts the special interest groups and "communities of interest" believed given special consideration in the California redistricting initiative. The "everyone else" noted in the map is to indicate those voters not in a special interest group, thus presumably not taken into consideration.

Also, Freedom Communications, the Appeal-Democrat's parent company, entered and exited bankruptcy. The A-D is financially viable and proudly serves this diverse community.