Last updated on January 3, 2023
Slate cartoon gets racist hate
My swine flu cartoon (H1N1 cartoon), was up on the first page of Slate on April 27, 2009, because they picked me as Cartoon of the Day! It has gotten some attention from Google, new followers on Twitter, and my first hate mail. See, now this is being a REAL editorial cartoonist.
Swine flu originated in Mexico. That’s a fact. Apparently they were hit bad, unfortunately, but swine flu in the US looks to be about the size of a head cold. It seems to kill only there – so far. I guess it’s getting weaker. In any case, I’m not a physician, and am not very interested in disease.
However, I read in the LA Times which I got hardcopy every day (update: not for a few years now) how the only incidences of tuberculosis in LA County were from Latino immigrants. (This was important to me, because a close relative died from TB, and they tested me for it.) The Times is a very liberal,minority-loving paper; it must have just killed them to admit that Mexico was the source of anything bad…like disease. And now it’s happening again.
As an editorial cartoonist, I have to report on the national news, not wild hypotheses like 8 kids in NYC had a sniffle. And Mexico has been in the news lately for other sad things, has it not? Think of me as the sundial for cloudy days.
Thanks to Mashable (on Twitter!) I found this article in CNN on
Swine flu creates controversy on Twitter:
Some observers say Twitter — a micro-blogging site where users post 140-character messages — has become a hotbed of unnecessary hype and misinformation about the outbreak, which is thought to have claimed more than 100 lives in Mexico.
For example, some Twitter users told their followers to stop eating pork, he said. Health officials have not advised that precaution.
Etc.
That will be nice, won’t it, when the USDC has some actual facts. Besides calling it H1N1 flu, to try to make it look like they’re working on it. :)
Why do white people get called racists?
Okay, let’s go to my mailbag -or hate mail, in this case – OOPS, just got another one. Blanca writes
…..and old problem for Mexico, ignorant americans like you
And Mr. del Rio writes:
Donna, you recent cartoon paints Mexico with a series of “sins” that frankly could apply to practically any other country in the world. Particularly accusing Mexico of “guns” when it is a well known fact that over 90% of all the guns in Mexico come from the US; not to mention that a 40 Billion Dollar drug consumption market is fueling the Mexico cartels. Your depiction of Mexico as bad neighbor is both offensive and ignorant. It must liberating to be able to express so freely and so un-funningly (I thought cartoons were supposed to have at least some element of humor?) your own prejudices on the face of a healthcare crisis that could have emerged from anywhere.
Shame on you!
Oh, and a third:
What do u know about mexico Lady!! U are the bad neighbor!! wee dont need ya at all!!!
(I didn’t have room to write Poor Education as a problem in the cartoon.)
In answer to my own question above…I guess white people get called racist because they’re easy targets. Often they have more money, more education, and time to volunteer. But you can’t call another race a name…and racist is the worst possible title in today’s world…without being a racist yourself! The name-calling becomes irrelevant.
Illegal immigration is Mexico’s worst problem for the US
But notice I didn’t include that in the cartoon list of bad neighbor activities! I guess I wanted to save that for next time.
No commenters here or in my comments said whether they have a trip planned there soon, or whether they would have written if I had made the map of Canada, our other neighbor. Mexico is a national problem for the US – it’s not personal! That’s why there aren’t any people in the cartoon. THEY ARE A PROBLEM NATION.
Swine flu is not Mexico’s biggest problem – notice that I put it last in the cartoon. And obviously, no one BLAMES a country or a person, for that matter, for getting a disease. But the US has been issuing warnings not to drink the water in Mexico for decades. Maybe, just maybe, their health department, run by the corrupt government there, are not the best.
About the map of Mexico drawing
I don’t know if anyone remembers the State Farm jingle that goes, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” Apparently not. Maybe I was trying to be too clever, turning it around like this for the caption.
And this will only be interesting to a small slice of readers, but while I was drawing this I was suddenly remembering an embroidered framed linen that I think my grandmother made in crewel embroidery of Cape Cod, which is somewhat similar in shape. It was done on taupe linen, and I think the wool was only in red and black – so simple and handsome. I think it even had a whale like this! And it had a very fancy compass pointing north that I can’t remember, and didn’t have time to research when I drew this. Yay for embroidered linens.
You can also leave comments anonymously on GoComics for this. Please note that this cartoon was picked as BEST CARTOON OF THE DAY for Slate by the editor – that’s why everyone saw it. So….guess Slate is racist, too, eh?
I’m form Spain and we are being invading by Latino inmigrants too, they bring to our country diceases like tuberculosis etc. Tehy increase criminality and they are racist, becuase they hate white people like us.
Sorry for the mistakes: from* invaded* they* because*
Thanks Donna!
Yes I remember the gingle. Quite a funny little cartoon you have. It is such a shame that we have to be so politicaly correct not to have a laugh…especially if what you say is true! People now-a-days cannot speak the truth and others cannot accept the truth as well. Keep up the good work! From Iraq…
I like this one! Being vegetarian I just look at it as the pigs getting back at us!
No one is arguing that Mexico doesn’t have a lot of problems right now. As mentioned above, the problem is the tag line (and yes I remember the jingle and get the joke). By inserting “(still)” you are implying a “why don’t they just go away” type of attitude. We live in a society that wants to wall off our southern neighbor rather than help them even though a lot of the problems on your list are created/worsened by us (Swine flu has come to the US and Europe from people who traveled to Mexico, not Mexicans who crossed the border and the drug cartels are fueled by American money and guns). Your message is loud and clear: Mexico ought to just go away. It is not that you list Mexico’s recent problems that is bothering people. It is the fact that you are perpetuating the idea that we need not help Mexico because Mexico is not worth our time, rather it should just dissapper into oblivion.
Don’t you wonder why the first comment on this blog calls Mexicans invaders, diseased, criminals, racist, and white-people haters? Or is it that you agree with this assessment of Mexicans?
Hey, I got comments!
To Spain and Iraq, thanks so much for reading and writing!
Anonymous vegetarian, you would be pleased to know that I am eating fish almost entirely now. I feel better.
Pg, you sound a little racist.
Maybe I wasn’t clear: I don’t blame Mexico for getting a disease, but I certainly blame them for their bad health department and all their other problems. Hello, paper masks? For a virus? It’s laughable.
I think hate mail and hate comments are perfect for someone like you, who suggests I have something against autistic children. Your whole post looks ridiculous, from that jump alone!
They wouldn’t need guns if they didn’t have the gangs and continue to export illegal drugs.
Alyssa, I allow anyone to comment. Even you.
But only a true blue Liberal would suggest that we help Mexico, rather than that they should try to help themselves! After how much money thrown their way? After how many illegal immigration the US has absorbed, which also sends billions of dollars back to Mexico?
In your comment you said twice that Mexico should just go away. I never said that. I said STILL because nothing seems to change in that country. All the problems remain, as usual.
I would love it if they would step it up and become a great country! That would be a neighbor I would welcome.
Chris,
I don’t agree with Spaniard.
I don’t agree with you.
I allow you both to comment.
Is it okay that I don’t fit into a box in your limited world?
I don’t know, but you sound a little jealous that I’m a political cartoonist.
Yes, Still is in that position, because that’s how the ditty goes. And yes, I think everyone in the US should learn basic English.
I’m a little hurt that Donna didn’t respond to my comment like she did to some of the others. Perhaps because I wrote a sentence in Spanish she got the impression that I don’t speak English and wouldn’t understand.
If the flu had broken out in the land of our good neighbors to the North, I probably would have written that Barstow had her illegal au pair deported for saying, “Je ne comprends pas votre bande dessinée,” but then I would have had to explain to her that Canada has its share of drugs, unemployment and guns…
“Chris,
I don’t agree with Spaniard.
I don’t agree with you.
I allow you both to comment.
Is it okay that I don’t fit into a box in your limited world?”
Of course that’s OK. But you actually made it clear what parts of my statement you disagreed with, as you did with PG and the others who have disagreed with you. Not only that, you’ve resorted to personal insults, like calling PG a racist and me somehow jealous of your job, both comments that have no basis in reality. On another site, you behaved even more petty, threatening to take legal action against people whose only crime was to call out your racist behavior.
Yet this is what the Spaniard gets from you:
“To Spain and Iraq, thanks so much for reading and writing!”
That doesn’t exactly show disagreement, and your lack of condemnation implied that you agreed with the Spaniard’s hateful tirade. If you thought that didn’t warrant a tough response, but the legitimate points PG made critiquing your work were worthy of baseless personal insults, then I don’t see how I’m not supposed to interpret that as you agreeing with the Spaniard. And given your history of racist cartoons, I’m already inclined to believe you are a racist. If you disagree with the Spaniard, now is your opportunity to say which parts exactly you disagree with. Anything else is just more deflection from you, like your litigious threats, personal attacks, and quick topic changes. I mean, you really thought I was saying that if you didn’t agree with the Spaniard, you shouldn’t have published his comment at all? Really? I just don’t buy it. You think we believe that you were angry over the cartoon not being credited to you, rather than the accusations of racism? No. You’re trying to deflect the legitimate critiques of your work here. That’s just cowardly. You need to develop a thicker skin and a sharper mind if you want to be in this business.
“Yes, Still is in that position, because that’s how the ditty goes.”
OK, but if the joke isn’t implying that Mexico should go away, then the ditty doesn’t apply. Seriously, good political cartoonists get this stuff. And even your explanation doesn’t make sense. Better luck next time. But reactionary politics just don’t make good political cartoons. Reactionary politics uphold the status quo, and art that upholds the status quo just isn’t all that interesting.
The U.S. is lying about the so called swin flu, for political reasons (as always, they need someone to blame) in order to save face. “50 people have contacted the swin flu and not one has dead in the U.S.?” In Mexico, 159 people have died? The U.S. has more or less about 35,000 cases of the flu deaths per year, way more than Mexico. Those people in Mexico have dead for a smart flu Bomb that kills only Mexicans and spares Americans? The people who are dying from the flu in the U.S., the Medical establishment for Embarrassment and blame, In order to save face and promote the lies will simply say “it was some other flu. Is this some type of intelligent test? “MAN ARE AMERECANS STUPID” do you think you’re kidding the world? You’re not. Mexico knows exactly what you doing; they have a long History of Americas stupidity and crap. I don’t care if it’s the lizard flu the American who died or dead
Here’s some facts American should know, you will not be told by the U.S. Media
The U.S. is more dangerous then Mexico
Your street and prison gangs are mostly Americans, born and or raised in the U.S.
The so-called El Salvadoran MS-13 gang is from the streets of America, not El Salvador
Mexicans from Mexico are more will behaved then Americans
Americans not all, but many do not know how to act in Mexico, many act like animals
Most of the drugs, people and arms smugglers are Americans and or have legal statues in the U.S. port of entry
the Mexican Mafie is not from Mexico, thair from the U.S. Americans are the only people I know, who call oher Ameican “Mexicans”
Mexico is the U.S. Second largest Trading partner and California’s no. 1 customer
10s of thousands of U.S. Jobs, in the U.S. rely on Mexico exports for their jobs
Now Americans are losing jobs, because Mexico is putting high tariffs on U.S. imports, because the U.S. does not respect their own trade agreements and it could get allot worse
In conclusion, most Americans or ignorant of how important Mexico is to your Economy, Including your stupid American politicians
The U.S. is cracking and it’s going to get much worse, so much for stupidity. What you don’t know will not hurt you? In this case “WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW WILL HURT YOU”
I’m deleting all comments that talk about my drawing or cartoons. If you’re an artist and have something constructive to say, okay, but not when you just want to fight and insult – boring. You can critique my cartoons at GoComics.
Summer, I don’t know what you’re trying to say. If someone sneezed on a linen?? As far as Canada, if you think they have the same problems and crime as Mexico, link it.
Chris, your post accuses me of hate or racism 5 times. And like it was a proven fact, when it’s just your own opinion! And while this is about one cartoon, you just want to spread your lies over all my cartoons. I believe that’s called GENERALIZATION.
Yes, I absolutely pursue all legal remedies to stop the STEALING that a couple of blogs have done this week, or even search engines. How do you think I make a living? Do you think it’s honest in any way to steal my livelihood?? I’ve even discussed this with ICANN, who asked if I wanted to be on a privacy committee and I even blocked and stopped a major internet. Stealing my cartoons as content for your blog because you can’t think of anything interesting to say is pathetic.
Thanks for those facts, G.A. It looks like it took a lot of work to put those together.
Cartoons “for the upper class AND the masses”…what ‘masses’? Certainly not the masses who live in Mexico, or who have family there. So…the masses of servants in the upper classes dinner halls? Or the masses of slate viewers? Certainly you don’t mean the People. I bet you have no idea what real people even eat for dinner.
I even blocked and stopped a major internet.
Wow, you’re powerful.
For the record, no one wanted to steal that racist, geographically painful tripe; we critiqued it. And your response has been to ignore the critiques, ignore the Fair Use arguments, try to threaten people, and leave the pettiest insults (Where did you learn to blog?! Seriously–is there an upscale academy we plebeians don’t know about?)
That is being a REAL cartoonist?
And the shift from I allow anyone to comment to I’m deleting all comments that talk about my drawing or cartoons is further evidence of how you feel about criticism.
I’m kind of thinking State Farm ought to sue you for messing with their slogan.
“Hello, paper masks? For a virus? It’s laughable.”
That statement is consistent with the level of knowledge you’ve displayed thus far. In case research published in the Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases is good enough for you, here’s the info on masks worn by people to prevent their spreading illness:
“In case of a new influenza pandemic, provision of masks to coughing patients could be used to slow expansion of the epidemic. To quantitatively assess the efficacy of different masks, we used an ultrasonic anemometer to measure the velocity of airflow from the mouth in coughing. We found that even the cheapest paper masks reduced the air speed to less than 1/10, implicating their effectiveness in decreasing viral spread.”
With regard to masks worn by people to protect themselves from being infected, there’s the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands, saying, “All types of masks reduced aerosol exposure, relatively stable over time, unaffected by duration of wear or type of activity, but with a high degree of individual variation. Personal respirators were more efficient than surgical masks, which were more efficient than home-made masks. Any type of general mask use is likely to decrease viral exposure and infection risk on a population level, in spite of imperfect fit and imperfect adherence, personal respirators providing most protection.”
Have you looked at the paper masks being used in Mexico? Do you know if the fibers are very tightly close together, so that the H1N1 virus can’t get through? Do you even know what the size of the H1N1 virus is?
I have no fear of political correctness. I wish Mexico would just go away. I really like the 1st Ammendment.
Let us know how that works out for you, Faiimuden.
“I even blocked and stopped a major internet.”
Are you also aware of all internet traditions?
“Here’s some facts American should know, you will not be told by the U.S. Media”
Here are some other facts you should know that you also will not be told by the U.S. Media:
-The Moon landings were faked
-Aliens landed at Roswell
-J.F.K. was assassinated by the C.I.A. because he was going to get us out of Vietnam
-F.D.R. made the Great Depression worse
-9/11 was an inside job
-9/11 was planned and executed by Israel
-Mexico is secretly helping illegal immigration so they can take over the state houses in California and Arizona, secede from the United States and declare the Republic of Aztlan
And there’s more. All true, you can look it up! If I’m lyin’, I’m dyin’!
“Stealing my cartoons as content for your blog because you can’t think of anything interesting to say is pathetic.”
Linking in your cartoons and commenting on their content is fair use.
Linking in your cartoons and saying “Hey, look at this cartoon I just made” is stealing.
Something interesting to say? How about:
Mexico has drug cartels, kidnappings, gangs, and guns because the United States is the world’s largest consumer of illegal drugs. Mexico has unemployment and poverty because American corporations and Mexican aristocrats have combined to prevent Mexican industrial development and thereby ensure a large, replaceable workforce of low-wage labor to make products for importation and resale into the United States. Mexico has basically been treated as a colony of the United States for decades. Mexico may have been the source of this strain of swine flu because this corporate-aristocratic combine has also prevented Mexico from implementing environmental protections and industrial regulations that would have prevented “factory farming” of pigs at the Smithfield Farms plants down there, whereas such farms in the United States face inspections and regulations that would have forced them to clean up their act (and would have cut into profits). So basically, your entire perception of Mexico and the thesis behind your work is completely misguided. Isn’t that interesting?
@Nezua, you may interpret masses anyway you want.
@Elle, do you know anything about copyright law? Check out the DMCA. Fair use is not using an image for debasing – it’s for education or improvement. The hate site you are referring to is just that. And if you feel like a plebiean, take it up with your counselor.
You’re right, I don’t like criticism, Elle. Sometimes I cry about it. But surely my cartoons aren’t ALL bad. I mean, if you are saying they are, isn’t that nonsensical hate talk? And I don’t notice all you haters going to the many other posts on this blog where I talk about drawing, and cartooning and struggling with art. And as I said, feel free to go to Gocomics where they talk about cartoons all day. I don’t have to read you there.
Thanks, @Faiimuden.
@liberalrob, you are ignorant about fair use. Note my comment above about fair use.
1. You used the whole cartoon – already breaking the DMCA which requires PART of the work of art to be displayed.
2. Your purpose was to bash, defame, libel me, and call me a r-a-c-i-s-t approximately 50 times and counting, and because some lazy-ass bloggers can’t think of what to write about. That is not legal fair use either.
Try again.
Donna,
The Japanese article: http://www0.nih.go.jp/JJID/59/179.pdf
Since you’re not a researcher in this area, would you like to cite your sources that say a paper mask is absolutely useless? People aren’t using paper masks because they are a sure-proof way to keep a virus from getting through; they use them because it reduces aerosol exposure. For people who share close quarters with others — for example, standing on a packed subway — just preventing anyone coughed particles from landing on your face is a risk reduction.
If we superior Americans aren’t being told to wear masks, you might want to correct the British press — they think we are: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6173927.ece
I really like the cartoon.
Too bad there wasn’t enough space to add CORRUPTION to the list, since it’s behind a lot of the problems there!
G.A. and Chris – you guys are awesome!
“You’re right, I don’t like criticism, Elle. Sometimes I cry about it.”
Donna, I know criticism can be tough and hurtful, but did you ever once think about the people you were hurting with this cartoon? The Mexican people who live with the stereotypes of laziness and uncleanliness that you promote here? The African-Americans who get teased because of their hair, that you exploited in your Obama Chia Pet cartoon? The gay people you hurt by mocking their sex lives and their efforts to gain the same rights you and I have? You can stop people from criticizing these cartoons by apologizing and vowing to stop drawing discriminatory cartoons. The people you have hurt, on the other hand, can’t stop being Mexican, black, or gay. I refuse to feel sorry for you when you have yet to acknowledge the hurt you have caused others with your insensitive racist cartoons. That is completely selfish and oblivious of you. You are a case study in white privilege.
“But surely my cartoons aren’t ALL bad. I mean, if you are saying they are, isn’t that nonsensical hate talk?”
NO ONE here has said that all of your cartoons are bad. You have accused both Elle and I of saying this. It’s in your imagination.
“And I don’t notice all you haters going to the many other posts on this blog where I talk about drawing, and cartooning and struggling with art.”
You haven’t given us any reason to want to see more! Maybe if you responded to our comments with some sense of reason and maturity, we would want to explore your site further. You haven’t.
And “haters?” Really? Are you a 14-year old fanfic writer? You can’t just label everyone who criticizes you a “hater” without giving actual responses to their points. It’s completely juvenile.
“I don’t like criticism, Elle. Sometimes I cry about it.”
There’s no crying in political cartooning.
At the risk of having this comment deleted, aside from the content, I thought your artwork was clear and the composition whimsical (the whale was a nice touch). It was expressive and showed personality. The presentation of the content (as awful as it was) was clever, rewriting the well-known State Farm jingle. From a purely artistic perspective I have no complaints about your work. (Of course, I am not a professional art critic.) But that content needs work.
I agree, Liberalrob. The cartoon is overall nice to look at and the writing is clever. It’s the message behind it that is wrong.
Donna- Keep up the good work. Your cartoons are well done with an interesting style and perspective. I look forward to reading them. The thing about swine flu in mexico I do not see as an attack on Mexicans. I seems to me to be a criticism perhaps of the Mexican government that they could do more for their healthcare than send illegals to the great and compassionate US. You’ll have to toughen up and put up with your critics though. It seems as they are out of control and can let it go. Anyway, keep up the good work. :)
Donna, I am sincere…..I have friends who actually work for State Farm and I know that the company takes very seriously their commitment to Hispanic employees as well as having then as customers, in addition to their commitment to Blacks, Asians, women, any other variety of minority that you may choose.
They employ them, promote them to high positions within the company, value their opinion, sell them products and value them as customers.
I imagine that if someone in a high level position in this company saw this cartoon, they would be seriously concerned at the implications.
Mexico is a toilet and it’s to the detriment of the United States that it happens to be located directly to its South. Screaming “racist!” may be fun for morons and idiots who can’t stand when the disease, violence, and economic rape of illegal immigration is pointed out, but it’s rhetorically subliterate. Keep up the good work, Donna.
Donna,
I just saw your cartoon. Very funny! and very accurate. Thank you for creating it. Stay strong and know that you have a lot of supporters. We’re just too lazy sometimes to send out our thoughts.
caio bella!
You Go Donna!!
Don’t ever stop the great cartoons.
The truth hurts the haters of truth.
The rest of us just laugh at well placed humor.
The cartoon is dead accurate. Good job.
Wow
The La Raza crowd are out in force-
Here’s a fact that all the racist mexicans forget to mention, they come here in the thousands,… Americans, breaking mexican law and sneaking into mexico….not so much..- that truth is hard to dispute:
mexico is a sewer, always was, alway will be.
LOL, what makes this cartoon funny is that it is true! growing up in socal I know this is true. ask anyone one that has come here from Mexico(not the so called “representatives” of them) that came here to get away from any one of the listed items. like stated earlier, Corruption should have been top of the list.
like the cartoon! keep it up!
haters only hate cause they are jealous. ;)
Many of the Mexican people I have met are the nicest people. I am married to a woman of Mexican decent.
With that said, it is a sad reality that many of the issues are related to the ILLEGAL immigration of those from Mexico and other Central and South American countries.
Over crowding on our roads and freeways; crowding in our ghetto schools – causing deflection of the attention of our educators away from our citizens, including Black Americans; and the failure of many of our health facilities because of the requirement to treat these people for free; just to name a few issues.
The Mexican government, a.k.a the best government that money can buy, is at the heart of this problem. Their poor, inept, and corrupt politicians have:
1. Made working conditions poor (thus the exodus of their people north)
2. Made health care poor (thus helpful making the spread of Swine Flu grow more quickly.)
3. Refusal to deal with drug trafficking (thus allowing the cartels to grow out of control.)
People like me get so frustrated when we are called raciest because want better control over the border. Because we oppose ILLEGAL immigration, we are called anti-immigrant. But most of use are either LEGAL immigrants or decedents of LEGAL immigrants. So we know how important LEGAL immigration has been to America.
We are frustrated with the fact that people are quick to blame America for how we treat these ILLEGAL immigrants. Members of our own government have stated it is wrong and unAmerican to want to enforce our immigration laws.
WE NEED TO SHIFT THE BLAME ON THIS TO THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT, NOT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, FOR THE PROBLEMS FACING THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. IF THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF THEIR PEOPLE, PERHAPS THEY SHOULD PULL THEIR HEADS OUT OF THEIR ASSES TO IMPROVE LIVING CONDITIONS FOR THEIR CITIZENS.
The unfortunate thing is that there are people who just want to earn money for their family who are caught up in this issue.
I LOVE IT, I WISH SOME1 WOULD TEACH ME HOW TO SUBMIT MY CARTOONAGE. WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN. I’M NOT GIVIN MY STUFF UP TILL I KNOW IT CAN’T BE STOLEN OR COPIED. I HAVE TONS OF IDEAS FOR POLITICAL CARTOONS, BUT I WANT TO GO T-SHIRTS OR BUMPER STICKS. WHERE EVER I CAN GET PAID. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, WOULD LOVE TO BRAINSTORM YOU. I HAVE STUFF I WANT TO GET OUT BEFORE MAY 19TH. SCREW CA.GOVT, AND INCOMPITENT U.S GOVT.
chris, pg, elle, nezua, liberal rob and all the others like you. you are nuts! nezua get over the class envy. nice drawing donna! its so true. i wish wish we would put up a huge wall so there would be no illegal immigration!
I heard you interviewed by John & Ken today and agreed with everything you and they said, including, most importantly, how vilified you will be if you speak the truth. Still, the reactionary accusations of some of these people throwing around labels not only towards you but towards the guy from Spain who is actually just sharing his direct experience are astonishing. It’s also interesting how all the people writing the brutal criticism are so hypersensitive (and illiterate) and easily offended by what is the obvious truth. Would it be possible to have a more negative neighbor than Mexico? When exactly are things going to change for the better and when is Mexico going to be accountable? Our enabling behavior has only allowed it to continue to be a very violent,corrupt, disease-ridden, illegal drug-trafficking country that exploits and neglects its people and demands us to rescue it, all the while displaying an attitude of contempt and entitlement. Very much like several of the folks that have commented. I liked your cartoon. Amusing and accurate.
You are not a racist!! You are just speaking the truth and people are so politically correct that they will call you a racist. Your cartoon is hilarious and made my morning, so thank you and don’t let any idiot stop you from speaking and drawing your mind!
Donna, You are right on. Try to ignor the great raza people, they are a throw back to Hitler (professing their race,not allowing folks to speak the truth,etc.). Why don`t they fix mexico and be proud to stay home? All their problems are `someone elses fault`, this mentality allows them to take no responsibility (sad,huh?).
Pointing out the problems of a government is not racist.
Expressing dismay that an entire country is “still there” IS racist. It’s also called eliminationist rhetoric.
I find it amazing how many people are blaming the US for Mexico’s problems. Big bad us, creating so much mayhem in our neighboring country. Canada watch out you must be next. So what you are saying is that Mexico is so weak that it is at the mercy of every sneeze that the US makes. Those of you making those post, get real.
As for the cartoon. It is fantastic. All the hate speech in response too it only shows how close to the mark you hit. Truth hurts.
Oh, just wanted to add; A sure way NOT to get any hate mail and actually get rave reviews maybe even win a Nobel Peace Prize….Bash the US. It’s all the rage.
Lets see…Salvery…the slaughter of millions of africans, native americans, racism, the klu klux klan, all this by the U.S…..the PERFECT country.
and you’re worried about the flu….
Oh did I mention
gangs
crime
guns
drugs..
lol…you’re one funny lady.
KKK
a nazi slut…yea the u.s. is such a perfect country. Its too bad Mexico didn’t capitalize by enslaving and killing millions of africans, native americans, other Latinos and nuking Japan… white people have to be the most evil and vile people on the planet……
(the last line is a tedious vulgar expression that no one needs to see, but it did include the word whore, which speaks volumes about this commenter- edited by DB)
I just wanted to say thank you thank you thank you to the many John & Ken listeners and others who have given their support the last couple of days – I am not alone!
Will answer more of the comments Sunday.
All this hand wringing for Mexico is absurd. It’s one of the wealthier Latin American countries. Its GOVERNMENT simply chooses to operate it as a banana republic, starving the poor and coaching them on how to sneak into the U.S. so they’ll be our problem. When did Mexico, a country, become this sacred cow that can’t be criticized (the same way ever other nation on globe is once in a while criticized)? Anyone who dare complain is branded racist. In fact Mexican is not a race. I have Mexican relatives, third generation, who happen not to be Latino. Get over yourself Mexico. You’re either a sovereign nation who can take your lumps like everyone else, or you’re a welfare basket case that needs to be coddled and managed by outside forces. Which is it?
“When did Mexico, a country, become this sacred cow that can’t be criticized (the same way ever other nation on globe is once in a while criticized)?”
No one is saying they can’t be criticized. But as I just explained, the “still there” is what bugs people. It’s eliminationist rhetoric.
Great job Donna, All of this is just proof that people cant handle the truth. Corruption south of the border is a fact and anyone who wants to dispute that fact is a fool. Close the border, its the only way to fix the problem. Legal immigration is something that everyone can agree with.
@ Alyssa & Mr Del Rio. Get your facts straight. The truth is that 90% of the weapons that can be traced have come from the US. Only weapons made in the US have serial numbers used to trace the weapon. Its a fact that only 17% of the weapons confiscated have come from here. Of course if you watch ABC<CBS<NBC<CNN, very liberal stations, you will get a twisted story. Do alittle research before you open you mouth.
US killing Native Americans huh? lets see who where the conquistadors? and what did they do again?
Chris,
Some basic history? oh refresh my memory, what history do you have to share, am sure its completely untwisted and neutral.
“US killing Native Americans huh? lets see who where the conquistadors? and what did they do again?”
No one said the US were the ONLY people who killed the Native Americans. My god.
“Chris,
Some basic history? oh refresh my memory, what history do you have to share, am sure its completely untwisted and neutral.”
It’s all been explained here already. The U.S. has played a very large part in Mexico’s current state. This isn’t about “hating America,” it’s just facts.
Yes you do sound racist or what else, We have the same thing here is the USA drugs, gangs, guns, ignorance, disease and people like you who open their mouth just because they can If you knew anything about Mexico you would not have said these things it just shows your own ignorace, Only the racist would agree with you, those who hate all of latin America; Do you not think that americans have spread any viruses or disease any where in the world, how about AIDS just to mention one Maybe you should step out of your gated community or rich neighborhood and smell the roses along with the good people, poor people bad people, ignorant pleople, sick people, gang bangers, prostitudes, drug adicts, killers, thieves, not that they don’t exist in your neighborhood they just keep it highly conseal.
@PG, I have no sources that say a paper mask is absolutely useless. I didn’t say that. I said it was laughable. I’m sure if someone is coughing sputum in your face, it would help some of it not to get up your nose, but not all of it. Viruses are sneaky little devils.
But it’s been common knowledge for at least a dozen years that almost all flus & colds are passed through the hands. WASH YOUR HANDS.
From your site you appear to be a lawyer. That I’m not, though I did spend a dozen hours studying fair use and defamation this week. I think I have a good grasp of it now.
Of course you can defame someone or ruin their reputation at any time. That’s why these laws exist. And one of the biggest, if not the point is damages.
I’ve been doing general cartoons for respectable mainstream publications for 15 years. I’ve been doing editorial cartoons for 2 months. In one week from hateful blogs, my name is gone.
Trust me, I’m not frivolous.
@Colleen, I know, I wanted to put govt corruption in there! And thanks.
@Chris, nope never thought once about hurting anyone, since I never mentioned anyone. If one is ashamed of one’s country, then your work is set out for you.
Never mentioned the Mexican people. Lazy and unclean? Stop, you’re killing me.
I would have “exploited” Bill Clinton’s hair or Jimmy Carter’s or Geo Wash, had I been doing cartoons at that time. McCain didn’t have it. So, I can tease them, but not Obama? Now THAT’S racist.
Another African-American woman has been ranting at me all week and pillorying me on her blog. I will definitely have to quote her. She talks about privilege all the time. Is this a racist word for whites?
@liberalrob: You can’t use part of a cartoon, and that’s your problem, not mine. I have seen the gagline of a cartoon quoted, so that might work, however. Yes, proper attribution definitely helps. Didn’t get it, not naming the cartoonist, links, where it was found,nothing.
Copyright is enforced to encourage artists to continue. Fair Use is to allow the public to express criticism, and add to the art. It’s for education. And it has to meet this criteria:
1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; DOES THAT BLOG HAVE ADVERTISING?
2. the nature of the copyrighted work; FICTION GETS MORE PROTECTION THAN FACTS
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole;
4. and the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
This last one means that you are taking a cartoon with the life of a fruit fly, as swine flu is already fading, and showing it to 1000s of people, in spite of the © on it. Revolting.
Sorry, don’t remember who called me what.
@liberalrob and Chris, thanks for comments on the art.
@Dan, thanks for compliments! It’s not an attack on the people, but definitely on the government. And I don’t like illegal immigrants at all, but I’ll have to get prepared, I guess, before I publish THOSE ones.
@varway I’m sure State Farm is a very nice company. You may tell them about this cartoon, if you wish.
@Anonymous, thanks for reading.
@paolo, thanks for writing! And I can feel your support!
@Anonymous, I believe this cartoon is totally true and based on facts, thanks!
@Bob, much appreciated.
@Poncho Villa I have definitely felt under seige and beseiged this week.
@kombie, it sounds like you agree with my list of the problems there. I agree, many of the angry commenters are jealous, but I don’t know why! They can do their own cartoons!
@Mark, excellent excellent points.
@JLS, thanks! Sorry to say it CAN be stolen, as I found out this week. I hear tshirts do well for some online cartoonists, so go to Cafe Press and set up a store! And try local mags or paper for your cartoons – they love them.
@Kyle, that is a new phrase to me, class envy, but it appears that some people suffer from it. Strange.
NSupport, John & Ken were great!!! They definitely helped me feel stronger. Agree, it would be almost impossible to have a worse neighbor unless it was some of the mideast countries. Thank you again.
@Valerie, I’ve been called racist so often this week that a word that holds such stigma has become almost meaningless. Wow. They use it like a cliche. Thanks.
Russ, thanks for your support.
Chris, you are ridiculous, and tending towards racist yourself. Do no white people live in Mexico? No people from other countries? I call it nationalistic, and I didn’t suggest bombing it. But I’m tired of nothing ever changing. Does it ever? Did I miss something good?
David, I do support the US, as do you! Thanks for writing.
@JR, you are vulgar, and you’ve used up your swearing here. One more nasty expression and you’re banned.
Californian, I so agree. Why should Mexico be exempt from criticism? I imagine we in this state can see the problems much more clearly than other states. Thanks for writing.
Chris, did you make that up, eliminationist rhetoric? I never heard that before. Have you never wished one of your neighbors would move on or shape up? Or did you buy a gun and kill them? I didn’t either.
@Mike D, not sure if you mean 90% or 17% are from the US?
@Who cares, it sounds like you live in a bad neighborhood. I wish you better.
Donna, keep it up. The silent majority always has their ears (eyes) on- even if their mouth are shut.
——-
Remember prop 187. It was the begining of this end.
No you are not a racist….I am so sick of that argument. I am of Mexican decent and I strongly oppose illegal immigration and amnesty. When will the Mexican govt step up and start accepting some responsibilty for the mess down there and now here?? And how in the world is it that we are responsible here in the US to take in every vagrant in the world and cloth, feed, educate, employ and medicate them? Yeah the argument they do jobs we won’t is as tired as I am. I want to order at the drive thru window in ENGLISH for god’s sake. I AM NOT A RACIST, I have strong dislike for criminals of all races, creeds, colors and sexual orientations. I’m tired of the govt picking and choosing which laws to enforce. I’m tired of Calif footing the bill on this while our education system is in the toilet, emergency rooms are now primary care clinics and home improvement stores are overflowing with daylaborer/street-walkers. Mexico should build schools, housing and hospitals for these people instead of blaming the US for everything. It’s never their fault is it now? They smuggle drugs because US wants them, they have guns because US sells them…on and on it goes. They come here and demand services and rights as if they are citizens, try doing that in Mexico if you are a foreigner and see how far it gets you. And if anybody is racist and lives in a clast society it’s Mexico. Thanks for the rant. People need to stop being so lame and pc, stop name calling and tell the truth. Calif is only the first step, wait until they’ve picked us clean, they’ll be coming to your state. Not so funny any more is it. I am a Proud Hispanic Against Amnesty.
Thanks for having the guts to speak the truth. Why is it that the news can say it started in Mexico and no one is picketing about racism outside the news studios but when you put it in color on paper everyone gets mad? Keep Preaching sister…The truth shall set you free
Donna, please educate yourself further on privilege. It is not a “racist word for whites,” it is the reality of the lives of everyone who is not a minority in some way. Also, I find it hard to believe you have never heard of “eliminationist rhetoric.” An AOL search of that term turned up 45,900 items. Please take a look at some of them. No, you didn’t day you wanted to bomb them, but you did express dismay that they are still there. That is almost the same thing.
Again I implore you to educate yourself further if you truly have pride in your abilities as an editorial cartoonist. You have revealed so much ignorance here, all with a “who cares?” attitude. It is not becoming of someone whose job is to be insightful and cutting.
As to your comment about hair, the hair you drew on Obama looks nothing like his. It is an afro, a stereotype of black men. It had no connection to Obama other than race. That is racist.
“Why is it that the news can say it started in Mexico and no one is picketing about racism outside the news studios but when you put it in color on paper everyone gets mad”
Why is it that you can’t see the difference between reporting facts and implying that you want an entire country to disappear?
varway wrote: ” Donna, I am sincere…..I have friends who actually work for State Farm and I know that the company takes very seriously their commitment to Hispanic employees as well as having then as customers, in addition to their commitment to Blacks, Asians, women, any other variety of minority that you may choose.
They employ them, promote them to high positions within the company, value their opinion, sell them products and value them as customers.
I imagine that if someone in a high level position in this company saw this cartoon, they would be seriously concerned at the implications.”
THanks for the idea…I’ll definetely write State Farm and link this racist cartoon with their motto…I’m sure the motto is pattented and they will not apprciate this…
lol…this lady can’t even come up with her own ideas…
I DID N’T KNOW MEXICAN FELL UNDER A RACE OF PEOPLE I THOUGHT IT WAS A NATIONALITY
Mexican are a nationality…It doesn’t mean she’s not racist..
I just sent an email to State Farm. Next I will write to certain media sources like Hispanic Magazine or Univision linking this racist cartoon with State Farm.
Lets see what State Farm has to say about this.
Thanks, TZ. Yes, I remember that.
Sandra, thanks for including your ideas from your own vantage point. You made some great points!
Truthful, that’s why I didn’t think this cartoon was anything out of the ordinary. We saw it on TV every single newscast, as they handed out those silly masks and gave us fake numbers on how many had died!
Chris,
You just made my point. I’M A MINORITY, TOO. There are over 60 cartoonists in Slate and only two other women. Same in every paper in the country. Thanks for your efforts to make sure there are only 2 women in Slate now. (And I’m going to make a big guess that if I were a man, I wouldn’t have gotten half of this hate and name-calling nonsense.)
And I totally do think privilege is a racist word. It certainly is hateful.
Who said I have pride in my ability as a cartoonist? I’m next to Pulitzer Prize winners. I just do my best. Grow some self-esteem yourself.
The plant I drew on Obama looks just like a chia plant – I did my research. Yeah, an afro is a stereotype….IF YOU ARE LIVING IN THE SEVENTIES.
Say, Chris, have you been writing to the Chia Pet Company to complain, too, since they’ve made millions on their Obama chia pet?
Regarding your cartoon “Like A Bad Neighbor…”
Obviously, you have touched a nerve with stating less than flattering things about Mexicans (and other’s So. of the Border). The qualities you have depicted bare some truth and they realize that. My father arrived here as an infant, from Mexico, in 1912. He didn’t hate all Mexicans (as he was Mexican) however, he wasn’t fond of much of the typical behaviors associated, and as expected, found within that group.
There is much about Mexico and Mexicans that even Mexicans do not like. That’s why they’re here instead of there. Problem is with the Mexican stigma, they
do recreate Mexico where ever they go and where ever they are.
In the news, we become desensitized to the murdering, kidnapping, drug lords, etc. All things that just 25 or 30 years ago seemed almost “alien” to our society.
Lay down with dogs, you get fleas.
Although I know many very good Latin people, PROBLEM IS, WE CERTAINLY ARE GETTING MORE THAN OUR SHARE OF THEIR COLLECTIVE FLEAS! Rather insensative to say, but even more unfortunate to experience.
In my judgement, this is the greatest factor moving us backward to one day realize a total break down of modern society and a return to barbarianism.
“Chris,
You just made my point. I’M A MINORITY, TOO. There are over 60 cartoonists in Slate and only two other women. Same in every paper in the country. Thanks for your efforts to make sure there are only 2 women in Slate now. (And I’m going to make a big guess that if I were a man, I wouldn’t have gotten half of this hate and name-calling nonsense.)”
First of all, I haven’t made any effort to interfere with your job at Slate or the jobs of any other female cartoonist. I discourage everyone from doing this, including j.r. I am simply requesting a dignified apology and some kind of understanding that what you did was wrong. That shouldn’t be so hard. I also don’t know where you are getting the idea that this is because you are a woman. Most of the sites that have criticized your work are feminist sites, and have criticized male cartoonists for doing similar things in the past, like the infamous “monkey getting shot” cartoon from a few months ago. Why do you keep pulling reasons out of the air for people to be angry with you, like jealousy or misogyny, when we have made our real motives clear?
“And I totally do think privilege is a racist word. It certainly is hateful.”
No, it’s not. Everyone is supposed to recognize that they have a certain amount of privilege, even minorities. Recognizing one’s own privilege is one of the first steps to being a committed feminist or anti-racist. This is not to make you feel guilty or hated. It is to make you acknowledge the reality of others who don’t have the same privilege you do, so that you can be more sensitive and a more productive member of society. Again, you are revealing a profound lack of education here.
“Who said I have pride in my ability as a cartoonist? I’m next to Pulitzer Prize winners. I just do my best. Grow some self-esteem yourself.”
Um, what? Why wouldn’t you take pride in your work? And if you’re not, isn’t that a sign that you are doing something wrong? And what have I said that makes you question my self-esteem? Are you just making things up about people again? I just don’t understand.
“The plant I drew on Obama looks just like a chia plant – I did my research. Yeah, an afro is a stereotype….IF YOU ARE LIVING IN THE SEVENTIES.”
Are you really going to tell me that you were not playing on the afro stereotype in your cartoon? If not, what was the point of the cartoon? I see no interpretation other than the racist one. Perhaps you can explain to me what your intention was, because it seems to me that if it’s not playing on the afro stereotype, it doesn’t make any sense.
“Say, Chris, have you been writing to the Chia Pet Company to complain, too, since they’ve made millions on their Obama chia pet?”
No, but I have seen it, and it did make me question whether or not it was racist. However, the Chia Pet company has put out Chia Pets of many presidents. It is possible that this was not a pointed comment about Obama’s hair or race. However, again I am going to ask what the point of your cartoon was. Have you drawn cartoons of other presidents as Chia Pets? What is funny about this? If the joke isn’t “Haha, Obama with an afro,” I just don’t get it.
The irony of you ripping off the “intellectual property” of the good folks at the Chia company as well as State Farm Insurance while whining about copyright (which you clearly do not understand) and making idle threats about the DMCA and libel is worth a great big belly laugh. I work for a major daily newspaper, and I’m on friendly terms with our editorial cartoonist. I can tell you for sure, he wouldn’t throw this kind of cry baby temper tantrum over a little online criticism. Now that’s a REAL cartoonist. Get a thicker skin, especially if you intend to be on this, or any other, internet (presumably those you haven’t yet “shut down”).
Hi Donna, Of the 90% confiscated only 17% of them could be traced to the US.
In honoring our 44th US President Barack Obama, the Chia Pet company presents this Special Edition Chia Obama.On the side of the Chia Obama planter are his famous words:”YES WE CAN.”Can you grow one? YES YOU CAN. Easy to do….. Fun to Grow. Full growth in 1-2 weeksContains: Chia Obama handmade planter Chia Seed packet for 3 plantings Convenient Drip Tray Planting and care instruction sheet.
Tacky knows no race.
RH
No, this cartoon is not racist – it is highlighting certain negative traits of a country, not a race. The word racist is hurled by people who want to prevent anyone from voicing an opinion that conflicts with their own agenda. “Enemy of the State”, “Enemy of the People” were used in similar fashion by more than a few nasty Dictators – Stalin and Hitler among them. It is a tried and true way to intimidate one’s opponents into silence – thereby giving the name-callers free reign to pursue their own evil plans.
These people are not liberals, they are fascists. They know that you care and that you have shame and don’t want to be thought of as racist – and that is what they are using against you.
If they were to actually debate you on the issues, they would be hard-pressed to disprove any one of those items on your list – which is why they instead try to discredit you with labels.
Which really begs the question, who is really behind the “If you criticize anything related to Mexico you are a racist” movement. While most Mexicans live in dire poverty, there is a small ruling class that possesses almost unlimited resources and benefits greatly from Mexico exporting its problems to the US.
I think if we pulled back the curtain we would not find a single member of the poor, huddled masses. We would find a member or two of Mexico’s corrupt, ruling class.
Wear “Racist” as a badge of honor – it is what you get called when you are in danger of exposing a tyrant.
RH
Robert, thank you for sharing your family story. A good percentage of felons are Hispanic, but I don’t know if they were born here, or came here. Sad. Education might help, there.
Dylboz, my cartoon of the Obama chia pet came out BEFORE the toy. Before they even had a website, which didn’t start until Feb of this year!! I believe they may have stolen the idea from ME. However, they claim they have done a chia pet for all the presidents.
If you really do work for a paper, and who knows, since reputable journalists would sign their name, you shouldn’t laugh at copyright. Your paper is dying because of the abuse on the internet.
Great that you still have an editorial cartoonist! Say, does he get paid? Have a paycheck? Well, I DON’T, unless people click on my cartoons in Slate. When people steal and don’t link, I lose. So shut up with your judging.
RetroHousewife, you are so right, and the first to point that out to me. They are indeed trying to shame me. A friend of mine called them fascists, too, but I wasn’t sure of that. As I said above, racism in a court of law can also be actions against people in a political group, so you could be right.
I don’t know which blogs you frequent, Chris, but all the blogs I saw were hate blogs, and all of them had nothing to say about the cartoon besides that it, and I, am racist. So yeah, they have ruined my name and my reputation, and I WILL lose work because of what they’ve done.
I also lose money EVERY SINGLE TIME these blogs steal my cartoons, because they are too lazy and ignorant and self-centered to link to Slate and my syndicate Gocomics. No eyeballs, no hits, no money. This cartoon is not in print. I ONLY get paid by who goes to the sites, DUH. Do you people ever think about the creators you steal art from????
And one of those “feminist” sites you refer to, calls itself “a safe space.” Then it allows a commenter to say he wanted to find me and hit me. This is insane!! And totally sexist.
I don’t feel the least bit guilty about this cartoon, and the word privilege has no meaning the way you use it. I explained the chia pet cartoon in detail earlier. I just started doing political cartoons last fall, so no other presidents there. Get it?
Mike D, thanks for the numbers on the guns. Do you have a link?
Jesse Taylor, you run a hate blog, and you defamed my name and reputation. You defaced my cartoon by writing hate words on it. One of your commenters wrote a death threat to me, and you thought that was okay.
You are not welcome here. If you wish to make amends, you have my email.
How can this be racist? It is a fact, the drug lords in Mexico poison the US (our own fault) and how do they live? High on the Hog, pun intended, while the rest of the country either wants to join their cause or leave the country (why else would there be 12 million illegal’s in the US?).
Be strong and don’t let the stupid people get you down!!
After reading most of the comments, j.r. you are the racist. Have you seen some of the news stores in Mexico concerning US? Any of the newspapers? Magazines? This is a bit of an overstatement by almost every page speaks poorly of US. But it’s okay there!
More uninformed people talking out their A*S!
“I don’t know which blogs you frequent, Chris, but all the blogs I saw were hate blogs, and all of them had nothing to say about the cartoon besides that it, and I, am racist. So yeah, they have ruined my name and my reputation, and I WILL lose work because of what they’ve done.”
Neither Alas, a Blog nor Pandagon are hate sites. On the contrary, they are sites that are determined to call out bigotry whenever they see it. Many commenters on those sites have offered legitimate criticism of your work and have pointed out their issues with it. If you are going to lose work due to legitimate criticism, then maybe you should consider what you are doing wrong.
“I also lose money EVERY SINGLE TIME these blogs steal my cartoons, because they are too lazy and ignorant and self-centered to link to Slate and my syndicate Gocomics. No eyeballs, no hits, no money. This cartoon is not in print. I ONLY get paid by who goes to the sites, DUH. Do you people ever think about the creators you steal art from????”
Both sites have apologized for not linking to you, and have rectified the situation by providing links.
“And one of those “feminist” sites you refer to, calls itself “a safe space.” Then it allows a commenter to say he wanted to find me and hit me. This is insane!! And totally sexist.”
Which site was this? That is totally out of line, and I know it is not usually permitted on Alas. That blog has always condemned threats of violence, no matter who they were directed to.
“I don’t feel the least bit guilty about this cartoon, and the word privilege has no meaning the way you use it.”
How does it have no meaning? Do you not believe that people have certain privileges compared to others if they are part of a majority or dominant group? I’m going to tell you one last time, please stop embarrassing yourself by admitting that you don’t understand fairly basic concepts.
“I explained the chia pet cartoon in detail earlier. I just started doing political cartoons last fall, so no other presidents there. Get it?”
When did you explain it in detail? Can you try one more time? Because I still fail to see the connection between Obama and Chia Pets, aside from the afro stereotype, which you admitted you were aware of in your original post on that cartoon. What were you trying to say in that cartoon?
Thank God I made it to the end. I was afraid it would never end.
1. “Racist”… It’s an epithet that people toss around with righteous indignation. It is also a “mud” that tends to stick in that no one can prove that they are not racist, because everyone IS racist. Racism is a part of egoism, and absolutely every person is an egoist.
2. “Hate”… As an adjective, is a first cousin to “Racist”
The problem with both words is that they have lost their true meaning. If one is truely a “Racist” then race has become the dominant issue in their decision making. They chose to DO things based on the race of the person they are dealing with (and always remember that actions speak louder than words).
Likewise “Hate” has become less severe than “Dis” (disrespecting) “Don’t be hating on me!” “Don’t be a hater.” It’s sickens one to see where hate has fallen. Hate is real! Hate is despicable. Hatred is what is is nurtured in people convinced to kill (soldiers for example). When Fred Phelps says “God Hates Fags” he means the real stuff (he’s a lunatic, but he is semantically correct) when one uses the word “Hate” they should keep in mind groups like Aryan Nation, and the Westboro Baptist Church (I could link but I won’t). That’s what unrepentant hate looks like.
Just to be clear, I use the military as an example because it is an organization that is charged with the responsibility of turning otherwise peacable persons into people who will kill when asked to. One major step in this process is to convince the soldier that the killing is justified by virtue of the fact that the target is hate-able.
I remember when I saw this cartoon; my reaction was “Lame.” By the time it hit the Gocomics site there had been dozens of cute little piggies from all over the world in cartoons. There were even a few cartoons that had Mexico “invading” with their “Swine Flu” but they were few and from the less civilized nations.
I thought then as I think now that Donna’s effort was of a decidedly California perspective. Having lived for a while in La Jolla, I am somewhat versed in the DLIMBYBCCMP mind set (Don’t live in my backyard, but come clean my pool) of Ca. Donna shows her dismissal of the whole “Mexicans issue” with this drawing.
But, truth be told, “Immigration” is nothing more than the modern day “Abortion” issue. It’s only an issue for politicians because they can use it to boil your vote down to one “self evident” issue (as opposed to you struggling to find a candidate that will agree with you on a whole host of issues. Donna will see how this works as she reflects on Bush’s stand on wolves). Abortion was the issue that collected the casually and moderately religious along with the fanatically and the financially motivated religious into a huge coalition, which has since started to deteriorate as the scales have dropped from many eyes.
So swine flu came from Mexico, all the other flues come from Hong Kong and the rest of bird loving Asia. Yeah, it’s their fault; they live with ducks walking around the house! But that’s just the way it is, Guns, Germs and Steel baby! (BTW that book is really pretty bad; hopefully someone will come along and do a better job of that theory).
It’s not that Donna Barstow is anymore racist than the rest of us. It’s that this cartoon is unflinchingly mean spirited. As such it seems that one of two things is happening. 1. that DB is trying to get street cred with so called “Right Wing” or 2. That DB is just too clueless to know that they cut off Marie Antoinette’s head for stuff like this.
Personally, I think that it’s the first one. But I don’t know why someone who wants to sell non political cartoons to The New Yorker (you don’t get much more “liberal elite” than the privileged class that identifies with that magazine) would go out of her way to court the Anti New Yorker crowd. The only thing I can figure is that it’s #2, clueless!
I had the first swine flu up on Gocomics. It had just hit the news that weekend, and I was up on Monday. And notice I avoided the pig cliche.
I notice you didn’t deny any of the facts I listed that make Mexico a bad neighbor. They’ve been there for years. I hope they will clean it up someday.
Yes I noted that you had avoided the pig “cliché” (which how cliché could it have been if you were among the first to comment as you assert?).
No I’m not about to “defend” Mexico against your “facts.” I figured the post was droning on long enough and I was attempting to tread the middle ground. Further I think I went fairly far to disprove a racist motivation to the cartoon so why would I then go ahead and dispute the points you made.
It seemed to me that the discussion had devolved into a discussion of your particular personal and professional reputation.
As to Mexico: Mexico is the USA without the New Deal, without Unions and without a regulated market.
Your last name is Barstow, as in Barstow, Ca. as in the town that the Joads wound up in in the Grapes Of Wrath. I don’t know if your family founded Barstow or not, and I’m not blaming what happened to the Oakies in the ’30s on you or your family. But what I am doing is trying to point out to you that what happened here is still happening there (not to mention here before Caesar Chavez organized migrant labor in Ca.. I don’t know if you remember this but it used to be a semi common news story that some farmer in Ca was charged after mass graves were found on his property.) If ever there is a “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” place, it’s Mexico. One might be entitled to snark by paraphrasing Gertrude Stein by that “it’s the only ‘There’ there over there in California.”
Now perhaps you come from a long history of California wealth (not your fault if you did) but if not then you can be sure that your life would not resemble the one you are living one bit.
Mexico is what the US would become if we let the “Free Marketeers” have their way. Mexico is approximately an Ayn Rand Utopia, and what we know from this is that “Libertarianism” is a failed philosophy. This is why “Liberals” are opposed to the self proclaimed “Conservatives” whose idea of “conservatism” is to undo the New Deal.
I hope that you can see from this that there is a lot more that goes into political commentary than just calling names. Or there ought to be anyway.
By way of clarification…
“…discussion of your particular personal and professional reputation.” As such I was more interested in commenting on the semantics of the fray.
“…trying to point out to you that what happened here [In Steinbeck’s Barstow] is still happening there [in today’s Mexico] (not to mention here [In California] before Caesar Chavez… ”
“… your life would not resemble the one you are living one bit.” If not for the reforms of the early 20th century (including the New Deal) and the regulation of markets (keep in mind that child labor laws were instituted in THIS country in 1938 and that was only because it reduced the supply of workers so that adult workers could demand and get a better price for their labor). We’ve come a long way from the basket (as in basket case economy) in a relatively short time.
“… self proclaimed “Conservatives” whose idea of “conservatism” is to undo the New Deal.” And the regulated economy that has created the world’s most stable (up till recently) middle class.
One unrelated, related point… For yourself I would suggest that you watch the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0261392 ) if only the first ten minutes and the last ten.
The crux of the story is that J&SB read what people are saying about “them” on the internet and they eventually start finding those people and beating them up (the movie is pretty foul so I’d hesitate advising you to watch the whole thing.)
To me, a pig was the obvious symbol. I try not to be obvious, with the result that sometimes I’m too subtle. I knew other cartoonists would do pigs, however…
No Barstows left in Barstow, and I’m not from Calif. You’re doing a lot of guessing about policies and the “woulds” and “mights.” Libertarians might take offense at your comparing the result of Mexico to their tenets. Or are you saying they wouldn’t? That any political party or philosophy would be pleased to be associated with that mess?
A good cartoon has a point of view, which is hopefully innovative, and admirably funny. I don’t always succeed on all points, but I have fun trying. Much as I’d like to proselytize, there’s no room in one cartoon. A body of work might work. That’s the ticket, these will be my next book!
As far as going after people on the internet, I surely have good reason. The main person doing this is an “editorial cartoonist” himself, and this is defamation in order to hurt my business. We’ll see how that shakes down.
I don’t think that the Libertarians would like to be associated with the Mexican situation, but that’s their tough luck.
Mexico stands as stark example of what the reality of “Free Markets” would spiral down to. Even the father of the concept of “Free Markets” Adam Smith admits in his tome http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wealth_of_Nations that they are an oxymoron that cannot exist because if the people have no recourse then they cannot challenge the power structure (which is supposed to be the agent of change). Their only recourse is the judicial system, which means there need to be laws (regulations), which means the market isn’t free. In Mexico, a ruling class has run the country for its own benefit since the get go. The only regulations are the ones put in place to benefit those already in power.
The same thing almost happened here! If it weren’t for TR and the Trust Busters, the inheritance tax (which is designed to be a confiscatory tax that prevents an aristocracy from rising in this nation, and is backed today by some of the world’s most wealthy individuals) Child Labor laws and the New Deal, Glass Steagle (which Clinton, Rubin and Weill shattered) FDIC, FNMA, the SEC (an agency designed by one of the most notorious Wall Street inside trader (when it was legal) and short sellers; Joe Kennedy) and a whole host of regulations… one of two things would have happened. We would have become a Fascist state like Italy, or a Communist state like Russia. In either case the US would have been a basket case and Hitler would have won the war (which also almost happened exactly BECAUSE Mexico was a basket case and open to overtures from Hitler).
Libertarians like to say that they are against all of those sorts of regulation but that they are sure that when the time comes, they’ll be able to provide a good military defense.
Winston Churchill said, “If you’re not a Liberal when you’re young, you have no heart. If you’re not a Conservative when you’re old, you have no brains.”
By Liberal, he means “Self determinant” the belief that there is no need for authority. By Conservative he’s referring to the need for a centralized government (In WC’s time the world was still reeling and dealing with the choice between royalty and democracy and WC’s opinion was that there needed to be a strong central figure of absolute truth, a king”ish”. Churchill was a Conservative and a royalist. Keep in mind that the Tsar, who was a “Divine Right” leader, had just been brutally deposed.) Today’s Conservative is just slightly right of the leftest (as opposed to leftist) fringe; Libertarians (who actually see themselves as the purest “Conservative Purists”). Today’s “Liberal” is far to the right of the “Libertarian” (and as such right of the “Conservatives”). It would have made Churchill’s head spin but the assessment remains the same in that the ideology that endorses a strong central government is the ideology that Churchill described those not of the ideology as having, “no brains.” The ideology endorsing regulation is the Liberal ideology.
As to “guessing” “would” and “might;” the “Would” of if you weren’t born rich then your life would be entirely different if it weren’t for the regulations placed on our economy in the early part of the 20th Century (including New Deal). Isn’t as much a guess as it is a conclusion. Given the explication above it is an obvious conclusion that life would be different for all of us. Even if it weren’t for the Great Depression and WWII, the cycle of boom and bust would have continued to depress our standard of living, and there would be no reason for the rest of the world to have invested their money in the US.
As to your Californian status… Well I admit that it seems that you are currently located in Ca, what with the Griffith Park stuff and all ” I’m a volunteer member of a Greater Griffith Park Council, the Parks, Rivers and Open Space Committee (PROS).” I mean I guess one “Might” do that from a distance but I don’t know why one “would”. At some point I had read your blog that said you had a nice weekend in Northern (er) Ca only to have come home to the fight over the cartoon of Obama as a car salesman(?).
Anyway, I don’t know, don’t care how long you’ve lived in Ca or if you live there now. Except that you see that my guesses are based on more than just blue sky. My “Guesses” about “Would” and “Might” are actually conclusions that are drawn from the available evidence not from “fact” made up.
Meanwhile you “From The Right”ers will, (I guess) go right on with your “facts” like F.D.R. actually extended the Depression. And those of us who believe that facts must be based on valid evidence (which includes all of the evidence and not just the data cherry picked to beg the question) will continue to see you as the rhetorical sophists that you seem to be so proud to be.
YOUR HATING ON MEXICANS. HUH??
WE WORK HARDER THAN YOU.
I AM PROUD OF BEING A MEXICAN
YOU DUM HATER
GO MEXICANS!!!!!:]
It’s hard to know where to begin, Gymnast…but it sounds like you agree with me that Mexico has many many problems.
Lol “I don’t blame Mexico for getting a disease, but I certainly blame them for their bad health department and all their other problems. Hello, paper masks? For a virus? It’s laughable” I found funny that it was and it is a effective way to reduce the risk of this kind of diseases. I think you should read a little more before make a political cartoon of this type.