Apparently, Only Tea Party'ers Should Have a Voice

I ran across this letter to the editor in the Tooele Transcript Bulletin (http://tooeletranscript.com) of Tooele, Utah, printed on April 13th, 2010. Again, I felt the need to comment! Soooo, I did.

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Cartoonist Shows Skewed Opinion

On March 30, your cartoonist, John Christian Perkins, once again showed that he doesn’t deserve the right to be published. More than once he’s shown that he thinks more of his own skewed opinion than he does the facts or the feelings of others. The Tea Party is a valid group of concerned citizens who believe that government spending is out of control, and there’s a general disregard for our great Constitution in D.C. The Tea Party has clearly articulated concerns that most of us share. They’re everyday citizens who give their time and resources attempting to change the direction of a “runaway” Congress and White House administration. One of the things I love about our current form of government is the right of law-abiding citizens to try to make a difference in our nation’s affairs. I am not a part of the Tea Party groundswell, but I believe they’ve been very respectful in their actions. I am offended by Perkins’ direct attack on the character and thoughtful process of those in the Tea Party. I’m also offended by the Transcript allowing such a caustic attack. When you first came to the Transcript, you said that you were going to change the tone of the “Letters to the Editor.” You did not believe that name-calling and caustic comments were appropriate. I agree with that. Perkins’ cartoon appears inconsistent with your stated goals for the Transcript, and I ask you to reconsider your association with him.

Jon McCartney

Tooele


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Here is what I had to say to Mr. McCartney....
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Hmmmm. Wait a minute here. It sounds like Mr. McCartney is not familiar with the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, a document that those in the Tea Party hold so close and so dear as they remind us time and time and time again.

Truthfully, Tea Party-ers are making their own bed to lie in. Sure, there are some good people involved with the movement who care about the United States and it's future. But there are also, unfortunately, a good number of "bad apples", as the saying were, and these folks are tarnishing the groups standing among many. It is not accurate, and is in fact insulting, to paint a rosy picture of the entire group.

John Christian Perkins has fulfilled his role as an editorial cartoonist perfectly. He did what he should do. He created a satirical visual representation of his opinion. He appears to have stirred up some debate, has prompted people to think, and has entertained. Good job, Mr. Perkins! I don't see any reason why he does not deserve to be published. He is an excellent artist and has a keen sense of news and politics. To call on the Tooele Transcript to stop printing his cartoons is, again, insulting. A good newspaper presents a wide range of ideas. Not every reader will like what they read. That's the way it is in a free nation. To debate his point of view is perfectly fine. Calling for his voice to be silenced is shameful.

Chris

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THERE! I said it, dammit! Man that letter made me angry. Boy did it make me angry. Did I mention how angry it made me? It made me ANGRY I tell ya!