Attack on cartoonists no laughing matter

by ANTONIA ZERBISIAS
May 11, 2004

They even attack the cartoons.

Last week, lost in the uproar over the photos from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison — where, it must be said, the torture was no worse than what U.S. bombs have done so far in that country — was yet another fuss, this time over comic strip.

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Calling Trudeau "a committed leftist" and "a rabid anti-Bush partisan" in the Los Angeles Times, O'Reilly opined he was exploiting tragedy to further his political agenda.

"A case can be made that Trudeau is attempting to sap the morale of Americans vis-à-vis Iraq by using a long-running, somewhat beloved cartoon character to create pathos," O'Reilly railed. "Dissent in a time of war can be noble, but it also can be irresponsible."

In other words, you're either with us, or with the terrorists.

-snip-

But probably none of them has invoked greater ire — or attracted more death threats — than Ted Rall (http://www.rall.com) who gets more strident by the strip. Last week, he infuriated both sides of the political spectrum with one about pro football player Pat Tillman. Tillman was killed last month in Afghanistan, after turning down a multimillion-dollar NFL contract to join the war on terror. Rall's strip called him an "idiot" and "sap" instead of a "hero."

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Perhaps their critics prefer to believe that good old Beetle Bailey, who is more likely to drop a broom than a bomb, is what war-making is about.

Talk about having a funny view of the real world.

http://tinyurl.com/2haks

That's the irst time I've seen it. And yes, it's powerful and thought- provoking. Something journailsm is not these days.

Cartoonists are Patriots, the ones with the guts to speak to the sensitive "REAL" issues that blowhards like O'Reilly dance around.

It is amazing that cartoonists can be so maligned while Limbaugh spouts his slime to such fanfare.

use tragedy to further his own political agenda. Give it up Bill. You're a jerk.

Let's turn some things around.
He said: O'Reilly opined he was exploiting tragedy to further his political agenda.
How about O'Rielly using 9/11 to exploit his right wing philosophy.
Or
"A case can be made that Trudeau is attempting to sap the morale of Americans vis-à-vis Iraq by using a long-running, somewhat beloved cartoon character to create pathos," O'Reilly railed. "Dissent in a time of war can be noble, but it also can be irresponsible."
How about:
"A case can be made that O'Rielly is attempting to sap the morals of Americans vis-à-vis Iraq by using a long-running, somewhat pathetic TV show to create pathos," O'Reilly railed. "Blind patriotism in a time of war can be noble, but it also can be irresponsible."

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They won't take the blame