Twitchy has featured the work of Indianapolis Star cartoonist Gary Varvel before, particularly when it catches the attention of a known quantity like Brit Hume, but Friday’s editorial cartoon depicting what appears to be illegal immigrants crashing a Thanksgiving dinner has ignited such a backlash that the paper’s editor has said he “erred” in publishing it and has removed it from the paper’s website.
We erred in publishing cartoon http://t.co/xkLNW1VE3y via @indystar
— Jeff Taylor (@jefftayloredits) November 22, 2014
@jefftayloredits @indystar Would you be doing this if no one expressed their disapproval? Or is it an error only because of the backlash?
— Tuvok Shakur (@blksuprman) November 22, 2014
why'd you run it in the first place? racist piece of shit RT @jefftayloredits We erred in publishing cartoon http://t.co/GlDVJvdg0u
— Zachary Sire (@ZacharySire) November 22, 2014
https://twitter.com/rawson2nd/status/536281832900534272
Ouch. Taylor explained, in part:
Gary did not intend to be racially insensitive in his attempt to express his strong views about President Barack Obama’s decision to temporarily prevent the deportation of millions of immigrants living and working illegally in the United States.
But we erred in publishing it.
…
Cartoons are seldom intended to be read literally. And Gary did not intend this one to be viewed that way. He intended to illustrate the view of many conservatives and others that the president’s order will encourage more people to pour into the country illegally.
The cartoon survives on Twitter, though, accompanied by some scathing criticism.
@jjauthor Guess who's coming to dinner? http://t.co/BpvRnf2qD4 @UniteRight @DailySignal @DavidLimbaugh pic.twitter.com/uxuovG6AZE
— varvel (@varvel) November 21, 2014
Recommended
@varvel holy hell! Why on earth did you think this was an okay thing to do?!?
— Horseless Manhead (@petedotowens) November 21, 2014
https://twitter.com/martasoup/status/535965871051919360
https://twitter.com/BecksJrdn/status/536043245844070401
Can't wait til racist like @varvel die off pic.twitter.com/JHmrW1xhms
— Beau Zach Bricks (@BricksDF) November 22, 2014
Whoa.
@varvel Congrats on your impending retirement.
— Ryan ⭐️⭐️ (@ryanhealy) November 22, 2014
@varvel So brown people are breaking into white people's homes, Gary? Help me understand your Thanksgivjng comic and how it's not racist.
— Mexican Judge (@laloalcaraz) November 22, 2014
@MrELLsays Was that cartoon ironic or is that guy really an anti-immigration nut? I took it was the latter, sadly.
— Rolando (@roshow) November 22, 2014
@varvel @jjauthor @UniteRight @DailySignal @DavidLimbaugh unseemly and quite racist
— margaritateresa ????? (@margaritateresa) November 22, 2014
https://twitter.com/margarita/status/536232777063333889
https://twitter.com/BrigadierSlog/status/536234126907813889
@margarita @daveweigel @indystar You can't have only the free speech that doesn't offend you
— markaross (@markaross) November 22, 2014
@markaross @margarita @daveweigel @indystar No, but if you own a major newspaper, you can tell the cartoonist you won't print racism.
— Brandon Hardin (@hardin) November 22, 2014
@markaross @margarita @daveweigel No one here proposing to censor. Frankly, it’s helpful @indystar reveals its rotten character.
— Ian McDonald (@ianrmcdonald) November 22, 2014
@paulschreiber @margarita @indystar
? Isn't the cartoon obviously satirical / ironic?— David C (@dacaldar) November 22, 2014
@margarita @indystar wow! Very racist. I'm sure we'll be getting an apology from the Star soon
— KC. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ (@KevinSoup100) November 22, 2014
https://twitter.com/secretg37839080/status/536246407993511937
https://twitter.com/margarita/status/536246916896817152
.@margarita What the hell? Was this in their special Stormfront/KKK edition? @sunnysingh_nw3 @indystar
— S.A. Barton also writes science fictiony stuff (@Tao23) November 22, 2014
This tone-deaf cartoonist forgets that Thanksgiving is about immigration. http://t.co/nsHL9N4mmB pic.twitter.com/NJEtb2OmVF
— Timothy B. Lee (@binarybits) November 22, 2014
https://twitter.com/cpazzanese/status/536266578946711552
The appallingly racist @indystar takes its place as the newspaper of record for all #Crackerland. http://t.co/7QbXdsZlvK]
— kturet (@kturet) November 22, 2014
https://twitter.com/Anon_O_Moose/status/536285773977636864
https://twitter.com/TallyVoice1/status/536284847388778496
Taylor further explained that Varvel’s “depictions in this case were inappropriate; his point could have been expressed in other ways.” Maybe if the immigrants were serving the dinner to the family; right, Hillary?
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