Civility and its discontents: the nazification of Senator Murphy

Update:  Our friend from Corner House Comments stopped by to comment and to leave the URL where the cartoon is available for viewing.[end update]

We didn't see the cartoon, but apparently the Red Wing Republican Eagle's cartoonist depicted State Senator Steve Murphy, who proudly served in the U.S. Marines, in a Nazi uniform. The cartoonist was  objecting to Murphy's calls for  Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau to resign  as MnDOT commissioner.

Murphy writes a letter saying The line of decency was crossed.  Earlier, a reader agreed, complaining that Cartoon insults Murphy, all vets.  One reader didn't take offense: Veteran likes cartoon, gets point. We think it's lazy cartooning and bad taste for a newspaper to run the cartoon. 

The incident recalls another graceless moment in Minnesota politics: in 2006, a Coleen Rowley intern posted a Photoshopped image of Congressman Kline as Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes on a blog. Like Murphy, Kline served in the Marines.

Given that Red Wing is in the Second--though part of Murphy's district in in the First--we would think the town paper would use some common sense--and common civility.

Comments

[MinnesotaCentral]

Thanks for providing the link to the cartoon. It provides a better understanding.

I must disagree with your assessment that the newspaper should not print the cartoon.

What was your reaction when the Danish newspaper published a several cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed that many Muslims found offensive ?

Every year a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning is awarded … now Mr. Livingstone may not win it, but he has used his skills to convey a message.

In the spirit of "I Detest What You Say, But I Will Fight to the Death to Preserve Your Right to Say It", the newspaper should not censure the cartoonist.

I am reminded of this tribute to our soldiers :
It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the organizer, Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protestor to burn the flag.

In LTE or by canceling subscriptions, people can express their opinion of Mr. Livingstone’s message, but not the editor of the paper.

Newspapers are different than political activists (the Kline/Hogan's Heroes comment) ... candidates will be held accountable by the voters so they must control their messengers.