A Tom Stiglich ed-op cartoon taking the conservative position about MS-13 and immigration and family separation for the Daily Gazette drew wrathful liberal responses to the editor.
The Daily Gazette newspaper based out of Schenectady, New York, received dozens of irate letters over the June 20 cartoon from the syndicated, controversial and conservative-leaning cartoonist Tom Stiglich.
“I’m extremely disappointed that you’re defending our fascist president’s zero-tolerance policy…”
“I was appalled at the June 20 editorial cartoon.”
“It is bigoted and ignorant…”
From the Newsweek story about cartoon and the response:
Letters to the editor continue to pour in from towns across New York including Saratoga Springs, Niskayuna and Albany. Stiglich’s provocative cartoons are no stranger to controversy, with his past illustrations provoking scorn—and high praise—at several other small and large publications across the country.
Newsweek contacted Tom for comment:
Stiglich, a member of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, described his cartoon with the blunt caption: “Immigrant children are being used by criminals to enter the US, and by politicians as political pawns. MS-13 gang.” In an email to Newsweek on Wednesday, the Philadelphia-based cartoonist said “any time that I include a minority, some readers will automatically scream ‘that’s racist.’ That does tend to get old. I’m sure there aren’t many caucasian MS-13 gang members.”
The Newsweek article relates more letters of comment from readers, the response by the editor of the Daily Gazette, criticism of past Stiglich cartoons, and more from Tom:
“The hateful rhetoric absolutely has increased in the past few years. Having Donald Trump as president may very well be a factor,” Stiglich said in an email to Newsweek Wednesday. “I know personally when I see a late-night TV show or cartoon that I don’t agree with; or even an opinion that I feel is just completely ‘out there’, I usually just shake my head and move along, but to each their own.
“Immigrant children are being used by criminals to enter the US, and by politicians as political pawns. MS-13 gang.”
No problem with the cartoon as long as he can provide a source that verifies this statement and shows how often gang members have used children to successfully enter the US, in comparison with the number of non-gang members who have legally requested asylum and been charged with illegal entry.
And I’m sure he looked into the matter before drawing a cartoon about it, so he’s likely got the figures right at hand.