Cartoonist Michael de Adder’s contract with four Canadian newspapers was terminated last week after one of his political cartoons lambasting U.S. President Donald Trump went viral on social media.
De Adder, who’d worked for the newspapers’ publisher for 17 years before his dismissal, suggested Sunday that he was let go for being too critical of Trump.
(HuffPost, July 1, 2019)
The dogged attrition of democratic norms is the most troubling feature of the Trump presidency. And I have already written too many commentaries decrying it.
No doubt that is why this latest instance just moves me to paraphrase Martin Niemöller’s famous admonition as follows:
First they scapegoated the migrants, and I spoke out –
Even though I am not a migrant;
Then they scapegoated the Muslims, and I spoke out –
Even though I am not a Muslim;
Then they scapegoated the journalists, and I spoke out –
Even though I am not a journalist;
Now they’re scapegoating the cartoonists, and I am speaking out –
Even though I am not a cartoonist.
I am urging you to speak out too –
Because soon they could be scapegoating you.
Regarding the cartoonists, I first spoke out for Rob Rogers of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Here in part is what I said in “Firing a Cartoonist…for Trump’s Sake?” June 15, 2018:
____________________
A media organization should hire Rogers today … for America’s sake.
Therefore, I urge you to boycott this newspaper as if it were being managed by Neo-Nazi propagandists.
____________________
I am heartened that Rogers is gainfully employed.
He’s still making a living as a cartoonist, syndicated in papers nationwide and contributing to online cartoon publications like The Nib. He just released a new book, Enemy of the People: A Cartoonist’s Journey. He said web-based cartooning provides an outlet for satire of all stripes, allowing cartoonists to connect directly with their audience.
(The Press Democrat, April 19, 2019)
I suspect de Adder will find similar ways to continue making a living as a cartoonist – complete with cartoons lambasting Trump as the spirit moves him. Indeed, cartoonists have always been able to say things columnists would get sued for. This is why it’s ironic that cartoonists are getting fired these days for politically motivated reasons columnists would never get fired for.
‘It got to the point where I didn’t submit any Donald Trump cartoons for fear that I might be fired,’ he said on Twitter, adding that in the past two weeks he drew three viral Trump cartoons.
‘And a day later I was let go.’
(CBC, News, July 1, 2019)
All the same, the truth cartoonists lampoon will survive. But you will help democracy die/autocracy thrive if you fail to speak up for them. .
Of course, instead of change, speaking up will only produce hot air if voters fail to rout Trump and his Republican Party in 2020. So register and vote!
And I mean vote in every election – for the local school board all the way up to the presidency. And, trust me, it doesn’t matter who the contenders are, the surest way to reclaim democratic norms is to vote for the Democrat in each race.
Related commentaries:
Rogers fired…