Political Cartoons

I’ve never really been one to get offended by political cartoons because I realize that all political cartoons target a select group of people, more or less small interest groups. So I take that into consideration when I see a cartoon that could be perceived as offensive. I just think that this cartoon wasn’t speaking to me; it was speaking to people who agree with it. That being said a lot of political cartoons are meant to be offensive. I especially dislike political cartoons aimed at war, particularly the war on Terror. It just seems very arrogant of someone to be making fun of something that is costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars. I can understand having an opinion on the war that you would like to express, but I have no patience for making fun of this issue, or making it out to seem lesser than what it is. Because the fact is, we are in a war; I think that is often forgotten among our citizens. I think recent event have changed that somewhat, and I guess we need reminders here and there to help us realize. These political cartoons aimed at war, are often aimed at Middle Eastern citizens and Middle Eastern cultures. Because we are in a war in the Middle East, we affiliate all Middle Eastern countries and put them into one group, we generalize them. If this wasn’t going on I think we might feel sympathy for the innocent citizens and want to help them, like we help some other third world countries. After reading this book I do feel somewhat more of a connection to what is happening in the Middle East, as well as the day-to-day struggles they face. This book has brought to light issues that I was unaware of. For example I had no idea women were and are treated so badly, as they are in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. It sort of puts into perspective what we here in the US take for granted, like education. We wake up everyday and go to school like it is a chore that has been forced upon us by “the man” when women and children from other countries would go to the ends of the earth for an education. The little freedom of being able to buy and wear any clothes we want to, and eat any food we want. We expect these things, and we would be shocked and upset if they were taken away from us, but the truth is we are just a percentage of people in the world who are able to do that. I think the lessons that we can learn from reading this book as well as modern articles and magazines relating to this topic, is that we are blessed and we need to extend a hand who those who might not be as blessed. I am not saying that America should get involved in everybody’s business, but I think the advantages we have could do a lot of good in the world, and we need to realize that.