By: E&P Staff "For Better or For Worse" comic creator Lynn Johnston has weighed in on the Danish cartoon controvery, issuing a statement Tuesday saying: "I am outraged by the way cartoons are being used to inflame a world religion."
Johnston, whose comic runs in more than 2,000 newspapers via Universal Press Syndicate, added: "Freedom of speech does not give us the right to ridicule, to flaunt power... . Freedom of speech allows a controversial point of view to be published. If this point of view is derogatory, is it 'free speech' to then publish it again and again and again?"
The Canadian cartoonist continued: "I believe these cartoons have a right to exist. [But] the media does not have the right to use them callously in the name of freedom. Freedom for whom? If one innocent person dies because of this capricious incident, publishers must accept the blame. ...
"I want to say to the nation of people who have been understandably offended -- an apology is due. This is not comedy. If a cartoon or a statement causes such pain, it enters the category of hate literature and should be treated as such. ... For the sake of decency and good taste -- stop reprinting this inflammatory image and allow a people already in crisis to heal."
Johnson periodically deals with social issues in her comic, which has a diverse cast that includes characters of various ethnicities.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here