The NRA, Gun Control and Manhood

Sorry!  I just couldn’t resist.

Cartoon by EJ - Guns and Manhood

After listening to arguments against reasonable gun control from the NRA’s LaPierre, Keene and the like, I have a simple hypothesis that makes complete sense of this reasoning. (Of course, it’s just a hypothesis so it could be wrong.)

For the extreme advocates, the number of rounds, the size of the magazines and the kind of assault rifles they own defines their manhood.  Take away their guns and just neutered things are left.  So the debate is not about gun control, it’s about manhood control.  They will do and say anything to protect what they perceive as their manhood

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Petraeus – The Tarnished Warrior

General Petraeus Tarnished

When the general resigned back in November, I thought of drawing him as a polished brass figure with a big tarnished forehead, but never got around to it. Now, following his public apology (link), here it is. I have no opinion on his proper place in history although there obviously are at lot of positives. I do have strong negative opinions about those black-or-white people who shout out what we should think. Like pre-affair shouts anointing him as the next Grant, Patton and Eisenhower all rolled into one. Now, there are the post-affair howls from the “General BetrayUs” folks telling us they knew all along that he was a two-faced blankity-blank-blank.

America’s Tsunami

EJ Cartoon - America's Tsunami

First, we had lobbyists and PACs.  Now, thanks to the Supreme Court, Super PACs.  Our voices are drowned out by the billions being spent by the super-rich.  I wonder if freedom will survive this sea of money.  Thus, this cartoon.

Trump – Made in China

EJ Cartoon - Trump ties made in China

The David Letterman episode during which Donald Trump displayed his new line of shirts and ties showed a bit of hypocrisy. He ranted to Letterman that China is killing America with its unfair trade practices. He said he would vote for Romney who would take change and stop this nonsense. Letterman looked at the tags on Trump’s line and pointed out the  “made in China’ labels. This cartoon uses an old Coppertone-like ad to capture that moment.

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Black Mosque

Republican Making Case For Ousting President Obama

I drew this cartoon to express what appears to be the hatred of many Republican leaders for our African-American president. Minority Leader Senator McConnell’s early declaration that his primary goal was to make President Obama a one-term president is outrageous. The number of filibusters during Obama’s administration under McConnell’s “leadership” is close to double the ridiculously high levels during the Clinton and Bush administrations. See the interesting chart in Ezra Klein’s article, the history of the filibuster. Then, there is the unending assertion that the president is not a U.S.citizen and that he is a Muslim. Hate, Hate, Hate!

 

Romney-Ryan and Medicare

Cartoon of Romney-Ryan Medicare

Silly me, I thought the Ryan plan to end Medicare as we know it would drive many, if not most, Florida retirees to Obama. Instead, many polls showed the Romney-Ryan ticket with a slight lead among this state’s retirees. This is my explanation – DON’T TAKE THE CARTOON TOO SERIOUSLY!.

Grover Norquist

Norquist the porcupine

I was watching a news clip of Grover Norquist expounding his views and wondering how this non-elected, not particularly articulate person could intimidate essentially every elected Republican in congress into signing a pledge to never, ever raise taxes even if the future of the country depends on it. Continue reading

The Last Great White Hope

Cartoon - Romney is the Last Great Hope for Defeating Obama

This is a takeoff on the white men billed in the early part of the 1900’s as “Great White Hopes” sent to knockout heavyweight champ Jack Johnson who was black and hated by some white boxing fans. The faces are drawn in a primitive Cubism style. One by one, the leading white Republican candidates are shot at the pensive President Obama, who floats  above them (so far).