Thanks to George Ford at Addanac City comic for supplying the idea behind this editorial cartoon. I was just thinking of what to do around the swine flu when he emailed me with this idea. Thankfully he didn’t have the time to (pink) flesh it out so I got to.
I may post another idea I had later in the week (or I might not).
I am late on posting these but it is never too late for a “refund” or an “audit”
OK…the drought is over. As promised here is a new cartoon. Looking at the top of the box office charts, the number one and two movies in the US this past week were the Fast and Furious and Hannah Montana.
What does it say about us?
This editorial cartoon is going to need some background for all my non-Cincinnati readers and those who are from Cincinnati who don’t know what is going on. I apologize for the length.
*** The short explanation ***
If you don’t want to read it all the simple background is the white guy in front (named Chris Finney) said some anti-gay things in the past and the guy on the right just appointed him to leadership role in the NAACP. When asked why sexual behavior should affect who can eat in a restaurant back in the early 90’s, he supposedly said “Because there may be some who don’t want their family dining next to a homosexual couple whose actions they find offensive.” Understanding this quote helps you understand the gist of the cartoon.
*** The Long Explanation ***
The Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP is headed by its President Christopher Smitherman (shown on the far right), a former city councilman. Christopher Finney is a local lawyer who is a member of a group called COAST which fights against what they deem as unnecessary government spending and taxation. Finney has been a member of the local NAACP for three years as COAST and the NAACP teamed to prevent a sales tax increase to build a new jail locally.
This article from CityBeat (the local alt paper) has the best recap so I’ll quote from there.
Before voters repealed it in 2004, Article 12 prohibited Cincinnati City Council or any other city entity from enacting or enforcing measures to give “minority or preferential status” to homosexuals, in effect preventing gays from seeking protection against discrimination or hate crimes.
The amendment, pushed by people affiliated with Citizens for Community Values (CCV), including Finney, was unique: No other city in the nation had enacted such a measure. Article 12 opponents called the law unfair because no other category of citizen was specifically prohibited from seeking redress from their government.
After the amendment created a public relations nightmare for the city nationwide and caused $45 million in lost convention business, a coalition of city officials, business CEOs and Cincinnati’s Catholic archbishop led a successful repeal campaign.
Article 12 was CCV’s response to the city’s human rights ordinance after an earlier court challenge failed. During testimony in a 1994 court hearing, Finney was asked why sexual behavior should affect who can eat in a restaurant or be employed by a company.
Finney replied, “Because there may be some who don’t want their family dining next to a homosexual couple whose actions they find offensive.”
So now Finney who has been volunteering his lawyering skills to the local NAACP has been appointed to their Board (in a non paying job)
Of course the local gay community is upset that a civil rights organization would appoint someone who is so anti-gay. Smitherman is upset with the local gay community because he feels they have never stepped up to support civil rights when its about issues that are important to African Americans. So who is right? IMO, both of them.
I have my opinions on hot topics such as abortion, gay marriage, global warming. I am open to other’s views as they remain open to mine. However, the statement Finney made was intolerant and the least he could do is comment on whether he still agrees with the statement he made so long ago and if not be able to renounce it so the NAACP and the local gay community could move forward in joint initiatives.
The Cincinnati Beacon has an exchange of emails between Finney and when given an opportunity to address it, the Beacon was told by Smitherman that he was the official NAACP spokesman and he had said all he was going to say on the matter.
I am happy to be international in that several of my regular viewers are NOT from the United States. Maybe I am like David Hasselhoff or Jerry Lewis where my talent is appreciated more elsewhere.
Anyway, one frequent visitor is Chirag Chamoli from India. His blog is “Indian’s Second Finest News Source, award-winning publication covering every aspect of Indianness and cultural potpourri.”
He asked me if I could draw an editorial cartoon to support an article he was creating called “India 101 – Quick Guide For Indians and Foreigners Alike” which very sarcastiscally outlines many tidbits, personal thoughts and misperceptions of India.
Check out the article now and I’ll post the cartoon here sometime tomorrow.
****** UPDATE ********
Here is the toon:
OK..the headline was just for shock value (and to get the conspiracy theorists to visit my blog too) In my unquenching thirst to know the viewers of the Bearman Cartoon Blog, I thought it important to see what news former United States Presidential Candidate Ron Paul has been making.
Well it seems he (and his supporters) have caught the eye of the Missouri Information Analysis Center. A recent report titled the Modern Militia Movement, implicated several groups as a potential domestic terrorist threat, including those who oppose the Income Tax (who doesn’t) and Illegal Immigration.
Under the heading “Political Paraphernalia,” the report states, “Militia members most commonly associate with 3rd party political groups. It is not uncommon for militia members to display Constitutional [sic] Party, Campaign for Liberty, or Libertarian material. These members are usually supporters of former Presidential Candidate [sic]: Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, and Bob Barr.”
Since the report was published, it appears that a retraction and apology was made. Duh! While I am sure as you could find in any group there are those on the fringe, it’s a wonder that this could even have been published in the first place. Thus comes the most recent editorial cartoon.
A few days ago I published an editorial cartoon about how the US government is wasting taxpayer money but wants us to be angry at AIG for doing the same. One of my frequent commenters, Woman in Black, is from Britain and had this to say
“Is it possible to offer us Brits an Anglicised version (Royal Bank of Scotland and Gordon Brown)? We are a simple race, and need things spelled out to us.”
Then she said no one knows what Gordon Brown looks like. Across the pond their Uncle Sam is known as John Bull. so for you WIB…I present (I did it down and dirty and quick so not quite up to my crap standards.):
I mentioned a few months ago how a guy named Rhino linked to my site from the Daily Paul, the website dedicated to former Presidential Candidate Ron Paul. His linked spiked my hits to a record level.
Well thanks to Rhino, it looks like he has been keeping up on my little crack ass blog and posted this gem calling out their resident toonist Kevin Tuma (it’s not a Tuma) that maybe he has competition. Rhino sorry, no competition. His stuff looks good.
Anyway, saw a record number of hits yet again thanks to Rhino and those DailyPaul readers who checked me out…as well as my own usual gang of posters. Now if I could only get Keith Olbermann or Bill O’Reilly to pay attention (honestly I have no shame)
Thanks!!
Please don’t look behind you.
I am sure there are plenty of cartoonists doing editorial cartoons this week on AIG.
Barack Obama went after AIG looking for them to not pay the retention bonuses that someone sneakily made a legal obligation. Unfortunately he was too late as the money had already been paid out.
