Below is a copy of a letter printed on a US college campus from back in January 2003. I have removed all references of the identity of the writer to protect to him. Although he posted it on the web, I still feel that I must to protect my source due to the nature of the letter. Otherwise the letter is in its entirety. He wrote it two years ago. I have found no follow up. Nevertheless, it is proof that racial intolerance in ugly business and dangerous if left unchecked. I concur with the writer.
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Letter: Cartoonist against racial intolerance
Posted: 1/31/03
This past week I ran a series of comic strips dealing with the issues of intolerance and stereotyping. For those who missed out on them, the plot was, loosely, that the main character had a (questionably) "intolerant" thought, and was whisked away to "stereotype land," an obviously fictional locale where various groups of people exhibited the behaviors that have been attributed to them via stereotyping. I won't elaborate on or rehash the particular stereotypes that I dealt with, but few people, if anyone, were spared by the parody. The point of the strips was to illuminate the absurdity of such sweeping generalizations, and this point was driven home by punchlines like the one in Thursday's comic, where in it was implied that the prejudices concerning homosexuals and African-Americans were shared by people like deposed Senate majority leader Trent Lott. As with most comedy, the humor was apparently lost on some people. As of early Thursday afternoon, I have received voice-mail from both the head of the Asian-American Cultural Center and the head of the Center, requesting to speak with me concerning this week's strips. I have nothing but the utmost respect for those and all other cultural organizations on campus, but I have not heeded their requests at this point, opting instead to explain myself once in this forum. Stereotypes and generalizations are a dire matter; when they are taken seriously they can lead to the dehumanization of the afflicted groups, setting the stage for something as horribly grand as the Holocaust, or the lesser-scale, but just as serious, attacks on innocent Muslims immediately after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. One way to combat stereotypes is to show, in this case through satire, how ridiculous they are. Regular readers of " " (of which there are probably fewer of than I'd like to think) know that I routinely employ satire and parody to get my various points across. I have a nagging feeling that this week's uproar was partially caused by those who saw words or images that offended them, without fully considering or understanding the context in which they were created. I will not make an apology on behalf of myself or The , for I don't feel that I have done anything to warrant an apology. I do feel badly that misunderstandings were made and that feelings were hurt, and I hope the campus community as a whole can continue to work towards being a diverse, safe and tolerant place for people of all cultures, ethnicities and orientations. If anyone would like to contact me further about the matter, feel free to email me at .
More to follow.
Evelyn out.
