An example of the RW Distortion/intimidation machine in action [View all]

[n2doc]

EDITOR'S NOTE
Valid point of Lee Judge cartoon has been distorted
February 17
BY MIRIAM PEPPER
Kansas City Star Editorial Page editor

A week ago Saturday, Lee Judge drew a political cartoon on gun control. The idea for the cartoon came to him from the news. The honored “American sniper,” Chris Kyle, one of the nation’s best wartime shooters, was tragically gunned down by a troubled veteran whom he was attempting to help. Judge viewed the fact that Kyle became a gun victim as a direct contradiction to NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre’s much-publicized statement: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

Judge’s point: If a clear “good guy with a gun” can be killed by a gunman, can more good men with guns lessen violence?

Immediately after publication, local reaction was scant. But by Thursday, after more newspapers picked up the cartoon for publication, and after Glenn Beck misinterpreted the cartoon on his website, distorting the “good man” reference to a slur on the murdered hero, the emails and calls started raining down, largely from out-of-state readers.

There was no intention to disrespect Chris Kyle. As is the purpose of all good political cartoons, the message was to raise a hard issue that is worth discussion and thought.

Here’s what resulted: 2,000-plus emails and hundreds of calls. Many argued the cartoon was disrespectful, most in less-than-respectful terms. Hundreds followed Beck in misinterpreting the point of the piece. The majority were obscene, hateful, crude and sexist, laced with unprintable obscenities. They included slurs, threats of lynching and of surprise attacks, wishes for slow painful deaths by cancer, and not-so-veiled threats to family members.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/02/17/4071806/editors-note-valid-point-of-lee.html