http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/24/5369617/business-in-texas.html Regardless of anyone's feelings about Perry and regulation or oversight issues in Texas, this cartoon is disrespectful to the victims. Here is Perry's response and a followup from the editor: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/26/5375185/gov-perry-weighs-in-on-texas-explosion.html
It is absolutely a disgusting cartoon. That said, I'm thinking our governor should have more pressing concerns than responding to an offensive political cartoon. I guess this is where conservatives get P.C. though.
I think it is imperative for any leader to respond to this sort of thing. If it was just something blasting Perry without politicizing a tragedy, that's one thing, but Perry had a duty to the victims and their families to respond.
I mean . . .seriously? You want to step over the graves of people to take a shot at Perry??? BOUNDARIES! I guess it doesn't matter about appropriateness, tastes, morality, civility, or decentcy. . . .none of it matters as long as you can get your narrative out there. Rocket River
Totally tasteless cartoon. Perry is right to respond to it that way, no matter what you think about him. But fortunately, nobody demanded that the cartoonist be killed for it, in the name of a religion.
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Clearly a shot at Perry and not at the victims. If anything, it is a plea for saner policy and regulation within the state to prevent more deaths. The Sacramento Bee editor is right in his response to Perry: Perry, not surprisingly given his approach to politics, is waving the bloody shirt of the victims to deflect his own blame and responsibility. The cartoonist lays it out well:
I guess I'm in the minority. I didn't find the cartoon at all disrespectful towards the victims of the blast, but instead a shot at Perry and the policies that may have killed and injured so many. If lack of regulation played a hand in the blast, those policies are far more disrespectful and damaging than this cartoon could ever be.
I haven't followed this too much but what has Perry done or not done that directly attributed to the accident?
He was governor. Seriously, some of you are nobody than the same conservatives you blast. Quit going for low hanging fruit.
I'm pretty sure this falls under the too soon department. That's a good smell against whether the source is a sanctimonious blowhard. Typical partisan knee jerking to score points is a distraction away from intended political action to strengthen regulations. Pretty much like 10 or so threads blaming Obama that polarize discussion and force people to chose binary sides. Blaming Mr Good Hair for this is nice and convenient, which is fine if one relishes the ugly political game people play or have no genuine intention for solving the core problems.
Would you have been totally ok with a cartoon about the Boston bombings published by someone in favor of tighter anti-terrorism measures?
Depending on what the measures were I might have disagreed with it but I wouldn't have thought it was disrespectful to the victims.
I don't think anyone has argued that the cartoon should not have been allowed to be published? Neither has anyone demanded that the cartoonist be fired or killed.
If Perry's budget cuts and idea of less regulation played a part in allowing something like that explosion to happen when there have been others wanting to have the regulations put in place that might have prevented it, then I don't think it is too soon at all. I understand it might polarize discussions, but I don't think it is in any way aimed at the victims or disrespectful towards them.
It is a shot at Perry and not the victims. That doesn't mean the cartoon isn't offensive or insensitive.
I think one problem is that no one has determined if this is the case yet. There's a rush to judge Perry here, but no facts have really been established.
You could not be more wrong about this. Publishing this on the day of the memorial is in very poor taste. The fact that it is done to take a shot at Perry (as Major points out - before the facts are known) is repugnant. Did they have a right to publish it? Absolutely. It's a free country. However, just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should. This would have been much less offensive if it had been published after the investigation is complete. That way, we would know whether Perry regulatory stance made a difference. Instead, they chose to rush to judgment and crap all over the families of the victims so they can make a political comment. Disgusting.
