CSotD: Removing all doubt, in the right way
Skip to comments
It's an appropriate time of year to ask the question, "Quo vadis?"
In Scott Stantis, the Chicago Tribune at long last found the right cartoonist to replace the late Jeff MacNelly: Stantis not only proves that a conservative can be funny, but that you can be thoughtful, even reflective, without having to give up your conservative vision.
And, for the record, "strangely silent" is not a moral position. The old dictum about it being better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt doesn't apply when you've already spoken for the record.
If you were a cheerleader for the war then and chose to mark its 10th anniversary with a gag about Bloomberg's soda ban or by dragging out the deficit for another by-the-numbers pummelling, you're still a cheerleader.
This isn't just about the right wingers. It also applies to the New York Times, the Washington Post and all their columnists and all their pomps and all their glories. You don't have to have been dyed-in-the-wool to have been wrong-on-the-call.
Stantis opens his mouth and removes all doubt, but in the best possible way. And, as the cartoon says, not with comfort and joy.
But respect, especially self-respect, counts for something. At least among decent people.
I'll admit to a bias in this: I remember when being a conservative involved thought, and not just among the giants, the Scoop Jacksons and Barry Goldwaters, who put out major policy statements that you could agree with or you could disagree with but that involved actually wrestling with the issues, not simply checking the weathervane.
It wasn't just the prominent leaders, the ones who were front and right-of-center on every newscast. It extended on down the line, without regard for seniority or committee assignments.
I remember when politics involved people rather than interchangeable numbers, when you voted for who they were as much as for what they were.
And as I've said before, I remember the conservative foot soldiers who sadly, sorrowfully cast their votes against Richard Nixon in the Watergate hearings. I remember their crushed voices and their downcast faces, and the contrast they made, both in countenance and in public perception, with the True Believers who remained loyal to their team instead of to their nation.
And that, really, is what it comes down to, in the end: Quo vadis, and which side are you on?
I've got nothing more to add, except "Well done."
Oh, except for this: The Chicago Tribune has just decided to drop MacNelly's old strip, "Shoe," zombified since its creator's death in 2000.
Which might speak to the loss of bite in the strip, though it didn't take a dozen years for that to become apparent.
Cynics suggest that it speaks rather to the loss of cash at the Trib, which is in bankruptcy.
They point out that its replacement, the Middletons, is pretty bland stuff, so there's no sudden gain in shrewd, pointed wit or an uptick in hipness going on, but that the Middletons is syndicated by Tribune Media Services, as is "Jumble Crosswords," another addition to the new entertainment offerings.
On the other hand, and in all fairness, they're also adding "Trivia Bits," which is from Creators syndicate.
My guess is, it doesn't cost them nearly as much as whatever they were paying King Features for Shoe.
Moral of the story: Cartoonist Drew Litton, who, like far too many in the trade, found himself going from a staff position to freelancing, recently followed that wise old saying about what to do if you want a friend, and with what I would term outstanding results:
Mike Peterson has posted his "Comic Strip of the Day" column every day since 2010. His opinions are his own, but we welcome comments either agreeing or in opposition.
Comments
Comments are closed.