||| EDITORIAL by LIN MCNULTY, EDITOR |||
The Occam’s Razor cartoon published on Friday on theOrcasonian was focused on both the proliferation and recent thefts of political signs around our island(s). It would be a topic of conversation if we could still gather and have actual conversations. The fact that all the signs depicted in the cartoon had Rick Hughes’ name on them, I interpret as figurative name-recognition to stress a point. Cartoonists often will stretch to absurdity to deliver their message — because it is effective.
I’m not aware of any animus on the part of our cartoonist, S.C. Watson, nor from me toward San Juan Councilmember Rick Hughes. It’s my personal opinion that Rick is an intelligent, ambitious, good, kind, decent human in a somewhat thankless job for which he is offering to continue in the public interest.
It’s just a cartoon, folks, in an online local news site. One cartoon!
But wait; there’s more. This has been quite a week around here. Someone lamented that theOrcasonian is providing a forum to a far-right voice. Another email chastised our liberal viewpoints, wondering why we don’t ever print anything from the right. An advertiser pulled their yearly ad, subscribers cancelled their support. Sigh…
We all know that we are experiencing some pretty incredible historically-relevant events right now. Each of these is heightened by the ever-growing, rampant divisiveness that each separate event brings. Is it okay if I’m happy theOrcasonian provides a forum for community voices, even those I don’t agree with? If the voice of Orcas community doesn’t include your voice, then speak up.
You know, what unites us (to unabashedly promote Jens Kruse’ recent book review) is much stronger than what divides us. It has to be.
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You might want to unpack the classic “It’s just a joke folks” defense a bit more…
Lin- I’d say the fact that you have people fussing from both sides of the political spectrum is a great thing, keep up the good work.
Nothing brings on obsolescence faster than when “Offend no one” becomes the primary mantra.
I want to thank Lin for providing a forum where all of us can be heard, no matter our opinion. We are so fortunate that Lin is willing to do this work, and I would kindly ask folks to refrain from criticizing her for simply providing a forum where disparate voices can be heard. If we lose our 1st Amendment rights of free speech and freedom of the press, we lose the most important rights we have.
I would agree with Lin that many of the political campaign signs put up this year have been “removed” (that is, stolen, which is a misdemeanor, as the sheriff has reminded us), including many of the signs I have placed. While I don’t like the profusion of signs cluttering our roadways any more than anyone else, they are a fact of life for campaigns bringing added legitimacy to the the candidates, and I make it a point to collect mine the day after the election.
I hope we can all get through this election season in good shape. This is an emotional, angst-producing time, and we need to be kind to each other, as we will still be living in the same community with the same neighbors after the election.
There is political satire which pushes the line and then there is a personal shot disguised as political satire that crosses the line. In my honest opinion, this cartoon crosses the line of political satire (on the issue of signage) and is an unnecessary personal shot. Choosing to serve a community in a volunteer or elected capacity is challenging, many times thankless and takes a special care and dedication for the betterment of their community to endure marginalizing, shame and character attacks at the same time. I am grateful to all who choose to serve and give to our beautiful community. I am also grateful to anyone willing to provide a forum for voices to be heard. By providing that forum comes responsibility. In this instance, it is ultimately the responsibility of this forum’s editor that the cartoon was posted and remains. It also sends a message when an editor responds to concerns expressed by readers, subscribers and advertisers with “it’s just a cartoon”. Vote with your ballot. Vote with your where you choose to place your purchases and advertising dollars… and please pause for a moment…breathe in and breath out…and personally examine how our behavior choices are influencing the adults of tomorrow.
Luther Bliss’ statement is exactly what is wrong with the media today, including this site. “Offend no one” SHOULD be the primary mantra for any platform reporting the news.
The material posted to this site is often opinionated, divisive, and one-sided. We must all demand impartial journalism and nothing less. Let personal opinions come out in the comments but not in a publication’s content. Just report the facts from ALL sides. It’s not hard!
Thank you, Lin. I would suggest that you choose to become non-partisan yourself. If you take a side, it is no longer an unbiased forum, and I notice that my comments on here are routinely deleted, because I appear to be on the “opposite side” as you.
But, let me say to you: We are all on the same side! Do we not all want the same things? Clean water, happy children, beautiful life-affirming social contracts? We do all want the same thing, everyone who posts here. We want a beautiful thriving Earth, and a beautiful thriving America Now, we may have different opinions, based on our own experiences, on how to get to hat goal..
Let us hash them out, we all love Orcas Issues/ The Orcasonian, that is why we are on here, and keep coming back.
I believe you posted a quote awhile ago that went something like, “when a free society respects all points of view, and is able to hash them out in the public forum, we get the best answers, boiled down by that public discussion.” Something like that.
Thank you for this forum, let us have our free speech, we all know it is the best road. in the end.
It’s like book burning, would you rather read it, or burn it? We all know where the latter ends up…
Peace, all the best, domenic.
“Scientific truth is marvelous, but moral truth is divine and whoever breathes its air and walks by its light has found the lost paradise.”
Horace Mann
(: Be Well, People. Relax, Enjoy The Show. (:
“It’s just a cartoon”…. it’s pretty clear from the majority of negative comments that most folks don’t agree.
On the issue of political ads (the kind that come in the mail, addressed to ‘resident’)…
I am mightily offended by any ad, political or otherwise, that comes unbidden to my mailbox encased in plastic. I suppose it protects it from rain or mud or, well, I don’t know. What I do know is plastic laminated paper or card stock is permanent. It cannot be burned or recycled or composted. If it can be reused, I’m not sure how. It’s too small to be a place mat. Could possibly be as a coaster for my coffee cup, if I didn’t mind looking into the face of someone I did not vote for every morning until I die. Or maybe I could use it to clean up after my dog, if I had a dog, to deposit said doggy waste into a plastic bag that also goes into the landfill to wait out the eons. But that’s another subject. In any case, plastic coated political ads go eventually into the landfill where they stay, well, forever. Dear candidates. If you want me to vote for you, please use paper to tell me about your charms or your interest in my welfare. Don’t send your face to the landfill by way of my mailbox. I support your free speech. But not so much when it’s wrapped in plastic. Thank you.
Now, as for S. C. Watson: I think he is an extremely talented illustrator, who is expressing his free speech in a powerful way. (I might be flattered if he made a cartoon about me even if it was unflattering.) I don’t know if political posters are encased in plastic. If so, I have the same objection to them. If not, I think anyone who posts (or steals) a biodegradable political sign should be responsible for collecting it after the election and burning or composting, or disposing of it in some way other than sending it to the landfill. And anyone who produces or posts a non-biodegradable political ad should be willing to wear it hanging around his or her neck at least until the next election. We could all be more mindful of what we produce and/or use briefly, before it makes its way to our overburdened landfills.
And, um, as for editor Lin McNulty, she does an heroic job heroically. I’m sure all of us are able to make up our own minds about the information posted here, whether in her rare editorials or in the comments by others. Editors publish and write editorials that contain opinions. That’s why they are called editorials.
I spent some time trying to discern the import of a cartoon that shows Rick Hughes putting his own signs into the trash. I assume it is a commentary on how many signs he’s put up around the island? I’m not completely certain, because it’s a poorly composed editorial cartoon, but the “me, me, me” depicted on the signs tilts me in that direction.
I am a supporter of Rick Hughes, by the way. As a 31 year island resident who has worked with vulnerable populations, including veterans, those with mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders, Rick has been a long time ally. He has created and maintained myriad personal relationships on the local level as well as those at the country and state level that DIRECTLY BENEFIT ISLANDERS. These relationships are not inheritable. They are the result of hard work and the amount of time Rick has invested in this community.
So here’s my take on editorial cartoons: by their nature, they often are controversial. No matter how poorly executed, I completely support the right of Watson to draw a visually, if not editorially, striking cartoon. I support the Orcasonian and Ms. Mcnulty publishing whatever editorial cartoons they deem desirable. For the record, given the exemplary line work, as Watson develops her/his craft, I believe they have a bright future. I look forward to their next creation.
As the controversy is about a political cartoon, I can only say “I am Charlie Hebdo”.
Well said, Jackie, Dave and Michael.