I did the above cartoon five years ago, in honor of the ordeal that young woman had to endure for even suggesting that cartoonists should not put up with threats from extremists. I hear that Molly was eventually able to come out of hiding and resume a somewhat normal life. (I don’t know if that is really an option for cartoonists.)
But today we have another reminder of how dangerous it is to put lines on paper. The reports of the terrorist attack on the offices of the French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo (Hebdo is french for weekly) are still coming in, but there are at least four dead cartoonists who were specifically targeted among the ten journalists and two police officers that were butchered by three masked murderers.
The dead cartoonists are; Stephane Charbonnier (known as Charb), Jean Cabut ( known as Cabu), Bernard Verlac (known as Tignous) and Georges Wolinski.
Witnesses claim the terrorists shouted out that they were acting on behalf of Al Qeada, but that has yet to be confirmed as of this writing.
Some people claim that for every terrorist we kill, another ten are created. That goes for cartoonists as well. We will never shut up, and we will meet the challenge with ink instead of bullets, until they drown in it. Go to hell, assassins.
You were the first person I thought of after reading the headlines. It doesn’t seem reasonable to think of you first thing given this small town….but, then again some of the anger and differences of opinion flying around makes one want to duck and cover. Love your defiance in the face of pending death.
Ted Rall gets it… https://medium.com/the-nib/political-cartooning-is-almost-worth-dying-for-5fb3a0e79370
Hell hath no fury like a religious idiot scorned.
or
From hell they came, and to hell they shall return; all those who kill in the name of their God.
A black day indeed; a slap in the face of freedom and an affront to every free spirit who ever put pen to paper. Here is a link to Salman Rushdie’s (an earlier target of Islamic ire) response to the attacks: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/salman-rushdie-charlie-hebdo_n_6430904.html. I don’t understand how anyone can defend these allegedly peace-loving Muslims nor continue to tolerate their viscous behavior towards anyone and everyone who isn’t tolerant of their violent and repressive ideology. They are NOT a religion, they are a cult and their intentions are NOT in the interests of peace, but domination and destruction of all “infidels”. In case there’s need for clarification, that’s us folks.
Well, here you go, from a newspaper cartoonist:
http://www.ted.com/talks/patrick_chappatte_the_power_of_cartoons?language=en
Looks and feels like we are in the beginning stages of war with the islamists. How in hell can you adjust to their needs. People learn to live together. The part that pisses me off is that the Muslims that don’t like what the islamists are doing aren’t doing much to control the bad guys.
Eric, Your point is well taken with one exception: They are not asking us to “adjust to their needs” they are DEMANDING that we abandon our core beliefs and subject ourselves to their way of thinking and behaving. I say again that they are demanding our tolerance for their barbarianism and offering no tolerance for our beliefs. If those espousing the teachings of Mohamed truly believe in peace, they would take care of the extremists themselves and absolve their tarnished religion. By doing nothing they are tacitly agreeing to the methods of terrorists.
So, you’re saying that the peace-loving majority of Muslims should rise up and kill the radicals?
Something wrong with that logic, on a couple different levels.
Not withstanding that there’s a certain degree of psychosis in every religion, in the cry for moderate Muslims to speak out against such atrocities, here’s the voice of the peaceful majority that is being conveniently overlooked by those eager to blame a whole religion for the acts of a few:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/01/46-examples-of-muslim-outrage-about-paris-shooting-that-fox-news-cant-seem-to-find/
It don’t bleed so it don’t lead…
This reminds me of the print of yours that I own: You at a crossroads in front of a big Yield sign. Your response: “Never.” I’ve always loved it, and now even more.
Alas, your level of bravery seems to be lacking on national television. A web site called TVNewser has this to say about network courage: A memo sent to CNN staffers, first obtained by Politico, detailed that the network isn’t going to show images of cartoons from the Charlie Hebdo magazine that could be viewed as offensive to Muslims. TVNewser has now learned that other cable news networks are taking the same stance.
An MSNBC spokesperson told TVNewser, “Our NBC News Group Standards team has sent guidance to NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC not to show headlines or cartoons that could be viewed as insensitive or offensive.”
In addition, a Fox News spokesperson told TVNewser that FNC has “no plans to show the cartoons.”
Molly’s story was on Fox News This morning. She is from Seattle.
Hello Bob. Thank you! For beginning a fearless cartoonist, for telling the truth, for being angry. We are lucky to have you! Jane
Apparently Molly is still in hiding. What a damn shame. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/08/seattle-cartoonist-still-in-hiding-following-2010-islamist-death-threat/
” Love your defiance in the face of pending death.”
Did I miss Mr. Crabb’s series of snarky Muhammad cartoons? I’ll eagerly check around for them.
Yeah, I’ve done a few over the years, but I don’t have them in hand at the moment. Does the Molly Norris cartoon count for anything? After all, I was supporting a condemned heretic. Just because I support the right of others to draw Mr. Prophet doesn’t mean I’m going to just start whipping out offensive cartoons just for the hell of it.