The offense conveyed by Tom Stiglich’s June 20 cartoon, and tacitly endorsed by The Gazette in allowing its publication is the stereotyping of immigrant fathers as heavily tattooed, skinhead, gun-waving gang members who only “love” their children ironically.
The implication is that this type represents all Central and South American people seeking to enter the United States — which is flatly false. Further, it suggests that such people represent the parents whose children are being forcibly separated from them at the southern U.S. border by customs enforcement agents, and hints that they should not be afforded any sympathy because these parents are categorically undesirable. While Mr. Stiglich is entitled to express his opinion in a cartoon, the editorial judgment of The Daily Gazette to promulgate this racist, fear-mongering image is, indeed, regrettable. You aren’t simply a bulletin board for any and all comments, however lewd or hateful. You have a serious responsibility within the community to employ critical judgment about what enters your domain, not to ordain such misleading and false associations.
John Blanchard
Schenectady
GAZETTE COVERAGE
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Categories: Letters to the Editor, Opinion
