The Indianapolis Star's editorial cartoonist Gary Varvel created quite a firestorm with a depiction of a white family sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner with Mexicans climbing through their window to join them in response to President Barack Obama's sweeping executive order on immigration. The caption read, "Thanks to the President's immigration order, we'll be having extra guests this Thanksgiving." After the newspaper began fielding complaints over the cartoon, the Star airbrushed out the bushy mustache on what appears to be a Hispanic man climbing through the window. Later, executive editor Jeff Taylor removed the image altogether from the newspaper's website and admitted an error in allowing it to be published. Taylor writes today:
On Friday, we posted a Gary Varvel cartoon at indystar.com that offended a wide group of readers.
Many of them labeled it as racist. Gary did not intend to be racially insensitive in his attempt to express his strong views about President Barack Obama's decision to temporarily prevent the deportation of millions of immigrants living and working illegally in the United States.
But we erred in publishing it.
The cartoon depicted an immigrant family climbing through a window of a white family's home as Thanksgiving dinner was served. I was uncomfortable with the depiction when I saw it after it was posted. We initially decided to leave the cartoon posted to allow readers to comment and because material can never truly be eliminated once it is circulating on the web. But we are removing the cartoon from the opinion section of our website, as well as an earlier version posted on Facebook that showed one character with a mustache.
This action is not a comment on the issue of illegal immigration or a statement about Gary's right to express his opinions strongly. We encourage and support diverse opinion. But the depictions in this case were inappropriate; his point could have been expressed in other ways.
Cartoons are seldom intended to be read literally. And Gary did not intend this one to be viewed that way. He intended to illustrate the view of many conservatives and others that the president's order will encourage more people to pour into the country illegally.
The illegal immigration issue evokes strong opinions and emotions. And it's important to encourage a vigorous public debate on issues of this magnitude, but with respectful discourse. That is what we believe at IndyStar and that is what we will continue to do – to publish views from all sides as we explore the important issues that will define the future of our nation, state and city.
16 comments:
This is where "PC" takes us... cowering editors too quick to abandon the First Amendment....
If I had not cancelled my daily and Sunday Star circa 2006, Jeff Taylor's folly regarding the Varvel cartoon (it's a CARTOON, Jeff!) would move me to do so were I still a subscriber.
Gannett took a marginal paper and turned it to complete rubbish.
It should have been pulled for sheer stupidity.
It was an accurate caricature of the outrage that citizens feel about Obama's disregard of his duty to faithfully discharge the laws of the country. The Star's liberal editor needs to grow a pair or get out of journalism.
I feel it's in bad taste, but you'd think the Star's readers would be more offended by what passes as journalism than a cartoon.
After Kravitz left to go to Channel 13, Varvel is the only asset left at the Star.
Gannett is just a Propaganda voice of the Left. Gannett has no connection with the people of Indianapolis or Central Indiana.
Gannett is at a record low in newspaper sales....so Gannett tries to appeal to the Liberals???
Gannett might as well close shop in Indiana.
Gary Varvel's cartoon was Right-On!!!
Cartoon expressed my views ON THE MONEY!
I'm trying to remember the pre-black-Friday version of the thanksgiving story. Something about hungry immigrants and generous citizens.
Caricature has resided in political cartoons. I recall a political cartoon from the mid 1960's depicting LBJ's head on a tank. LBJ's nose was elongated to form the tank gun. The message I got was LBJ was now firmly in Hawk Camp. Some cartoons of that era depicted the Anti-War demonstrators as ragged, unwashed, lacking basic hygiene, in some cases with flies flying around their heads.
This Varvel Cartoon has it's obvious appeal to racism. The home invasion of a Lily White Family (read America)by the swarthy hordes. The only thing Varvel left out in the first cartoon is the man wearing a sombrero.
There is no real Journalism at the Star. The Star is just a propaganda out let for the Shadow Government.
The guiding principle for Wall Street and the Chamber of Commerce is if you cannot off shore bring the Third World's cheap labor here.
I can recall in my youth the flood (Migrants) of Hispanic workers at different times during the year. Following the crops as my Dad said. They lived in shacks as I observed. Agri-Business big and small was the new "Massa."
Yeah right you loon; because there are Mexicans crawling in your windows RIGHT NOW trying to steal your Thanksgiving!!! BTW - in the race for "Thickest Thing in This Thread," the irony of claiming Thanksgiving only for those who were here first is so thick your skull has to take 2nd place...
I don't like Varvel much at all but
I do understand that this was his attempt at satire.
Wow, liberal butthurt, much?
Chilling on all levels.
How is it racist? It isn't Armenians who are surging across our southern border.
Obama has given the green light for millions and millions more illegals to come here.
I don't get the outrage over this political cartoon.
Should have made the family black. African-Americans are the ones who will be screwed over the hardest with this.
Chilling? Hardly, but it is an accurate statement of the average citizens feelings on the subject.
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