Hypocritical?
A letter writer argues a recent YDR editorial urging tea partiers and occupiers to find common ground — and to refrain from bashing each other with stereotypes — was hypocritical because the paper also ran cartoons critical of the occupy movement. Just for the record, columns and cartoons do not officially reflect the opinions of YDR editors or the editorial board. Read the letter after the jump. What do you think?
Seems the YDR editorial staff can’t make up their minds. The Oct. 17 political editorial opined that “we should stop making ill-informed, stereo-type-driven assumptions about devotees of the two protest movements” (meaning the tea party and occupiers). Still, on the two previous days, your political cartoons did just that. Both demeaned and ridiculed the occupy movement.
The McCoy cartoon was, as usual, particularly nasty. He depicts the protesters as young communists, both lazy and slovenly. The next day, another anti-Wall Street cartoon shows a selfish “gimmie” kid who wants it all without contributing anything.
Having attended an Occupy York meeting, I can tell you these people are your friends and neighbors. Middle class, working class, teachers, environmentalists, people who have lost jobs, or just people who are concerned and worried about the direction in which our country is moving. They deserve better than these inflammatory and ridiculous cartoons. Communists? Really?
Part of the Declaration of the Occupation of NY City reads. “We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.”
The only thing those derisive cartoons were right about is this: It is a more youthful protest. Much younger than the average tea partier. These people are our future. Their movement is not bankrolled and corrupted by billionaires like the Koch brothers. They are not selfish, “gimmie” people; just people who want to share in a democratic process.
Your right-wing cartoons do them a disservice.
SANDRA GORDON
SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP