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Originally Posted by Jimellow
My take on the cartoon is: Someone (in this case, Rumsfield) is belittling the wounded soldier's fresh injuries. Furthermore, it is making light of the entire situation by having Rummy make a witty and weak comment in regards to someone that has literally sacrificed life and limb to serve his country.
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In the cartoon there is a villan and a brave victim. Depicting one as a brave victim usually doesn't imply disrespect. The cartoonist specifically said, "I certainly never intended it to be in any way a personal attack on, or a derogatory comment on, the service or sacrifice of American soldiers." That's extremly clear. The intent was not to make light of the soldiers situation, in fact it was to bring the sad situation to light so that these solderis can recieve the respect they deserve for their sacrafice(s).
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Originally Posted by Jimellow
The soldier is being disrepected by Rummy, but the cartoon is disrespecting everyone involved IMO. The cartoon seems inappropriate to me. Generally, I am not a fan of using injured troops as a means for political satire, jokes, and comic strips, even if they are intended to be portrayed in a good light; which I still don't think they are in this case.
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A ha. The solder is being disrespected by Rummy, and that's the point. Many people still don't realze that the top officials in the executive branch spit out nothing but lies. When Rumsfeld explains how we are winning the war and when Bush says "bring em on" to the terrorists, some people cheer without thinking. This is more than satire. The ficticious injured solder is a tool for communication...communication of information and opinion that would be benificial for those who don't grasp the full scope of this war and the effect on the soldiers. The American media refuses to show American soldiers coming back from Iraq in caskets. We see soldiers run into homes or driving along long, dusty roads. Only in fairly liberal or grass roots media that we can begin to fully understand the extent of pain and misery steming from the second gulf war.
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Originally Posted by Jimellow
The cartoon pisses me off primarily because Rummy is belittling the injured soldier, but it also pisses me off because a recently injured soldier is the means through which a cartoonist is trying to send his message. There may be nothing wrong with that, but it bothers me. I guess I am not big on seeing people that sacrifice so much only being represented when they are in bandages and disabled.
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You should be pissed at Rumsfeld, that's what the cartoon is all about. "Rumsfeld is bad, and here's why..." This is hardly the only representation of soldiers in American media. This, however tells a diffferent story than we are used to. Not all soldiers are safe. Not all soldiers are kids that will come home as heros and get back to their lives. Some soldiers hate the war, even.
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Originally Posted by Jimellow
I will admit I may be wrong about the letter, and that logic would dictate the writers are writing more for the defense of Rumsfield, than the soldier portrayed, but I also have trouble accepting the fact that they are heartless bastards that take no issue with their soldiers being featured/represnted in cartoons in such a injured condition.
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This solder represents a group that is underrepresented in media. I won't presume to tell you how to emotionally respond to something, but I'd like for you to consider that the intent of the cartoon was to respect the soldier.