A Missouri daily newspaper came under fire this week for publishing a cartoon about the unrest in Ferguson, Mo. that critics called racist.
The image, published on Wednesday in the Columbia Daily Tribune, was flagged by media reporter Jim Romenesko after considerable backlash over social media.
The cartoon by Gary McCoy depicted blacks in Ferguson marching with protest signs displaying messages such as “Burn Ferguson,” “Steal to Honor Michael,” and “No 60-inch Plasma TV, No Peace!”
The paper’s managing editor Jim Robertson told Romenesko the cartoon was only criticizing the presence of looters amid peaceful protests against the police killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.
“Provocative yes,” he said. “Racist? Certainly not in intent.”
The Columbia Tribune said Thursday the cartoon never appeared on the newspaper’s website, but it is posted elsewhere, such as TownHall.com.
Correction: This post has been updated to show that the cartoon never appeared on the newspaper’s website.
I’ve despised Gary McCoy from the first cartoon of his I ever saw. You will never see a more despicable racist asshole get more print than this prick.
I’m probably going to get my replies lit up for saying this, but I can honestly see how this could have not been intended to be racist. There is a fine line between criticizing the looters and criticizing the protesters at large, which many people (especially conservatives) walk somewhere between “sloppily” and “not even attempting to.”
That said, if the only thing you know about the protesters is that there was some looting, and that’s all you focus on… well… there’s a good chance you’re racist, given it just confirms your predispositions about large groups of black people.
Sure it is not racist. Approved by the Missouri Rodeo Clowns Association.
“Big screen TVs” has long since been used in racist jokes against African Americans, specifically in reference to so-called “welfare queens”. It’s in the same category as “Cadillacs with shiny rims”, “ghetto blasters” and “gold teeth”. The cartoonist knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s pure, unfiltered dog-whistle racism at it’s absolute finest.
There is nothing in that piece of trash that even begins to imply there are peaceful protesters in Ferguson, much less that they might have a reason to protest. Zero zip nada nuttin’. There’s nothing there but stereotypes. So bugger the “intent.” That’s racist period.