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About Non Sequitur: We're listening
By William R. Barth
WELL, WE don't know if Non Sequitur will be returning to the Daily News Comics page or not.
But we do know lots of people read it. And they have opinions.
Readers may recall that we yanked Non Sequitur off the Comics page a few days ago, after the strip included a storyline involving a chicken dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood. We heard from some people who were greatly offended. While the national syndicate from which we buy Non Sequitur insisted the content was intended to ridicule the KKK, the material obviously was open to other interpretations.
So we decided to pull the strip for awhile and solicit reader input. Here's a sampling of what we've gotten so far. Some comments include the writer's name; others requested anonymity.
FROM BELOITER Miriam Williams: “Regarding replacing Non Sequitur with another, you have my ‘yes' vote ... I recall that at times Catholic bishops or clergy types were portrayed as stupid ... It seems Christianity is fair game for poking fun, or openly being hostile.”
From Rodger Jorgenson, Rockton: “I'm glad you are open to reinstating Non Sequitur ... I did not take the cartoon as supporting the KKK, but ridiculing it ... I'm afraid your ‘be funny or be gone' guiderule needs to be updated in today's comic strips.”
Anonymous: “Non Sequitur is irreverent. It's supposed to make one think ... If you start to censor things to please some, where do you draw the line?”
From Anita Williams, Beloit: “I think the BDN was more than a little hasty in suspending Non Sequitur. It's a comic, for heaven's sake ... I didn't take the strip in question as being racist, but as poking a very sharp needle at the KKK ... How can you support the First Amendment and then pull a comic (or an op-ed writer) when someone proclaims that they're upset?”
FROM BELOITER Margie Carroll: “I was horrified and appalled that no one but me seemed to have noticed the strip. I cut it out and began passing it around. Good decision. Pull the strip, permanently.”
From Nina Ramsing, Beloit: “When I read the Non Sequitur cartoon with the chicken in Ku Klux Klan garb I saw how incendiary it would be if misinterpreted, which it was by many ... If you choose to knuckle under to the pressure of the offended and violate the cartoonist's constitutional right to free speech, I would like it to be replaced with Pogo, who said, ‘We have met the enemy and they is us!'”
From Bernice Carroll (no city listed): “Thank you for stopping Non Sequitur. It has not been funny for some time. Consider the same action for Dilbert. Human beings are so belittled every day in this comic.”
From David and Stephanie Dobson, Beloit: “Comics that do not relate to real world problems are often insipid. We think it is acceptable to risk offending some groups occasionally. Did this one offend the KKK or the people of color they abused? Probably both! ... We favor extending the concept of free speech to comics as well as to the Opinion page.”
FROM BARB SEGUIN, of Beloit: “It's hard to know what is going to offend people. I try to be sensitive to the feelings of people of different races and cultures, but when I read the Non Sequitur cartoon about the chickens I didn't see anything wrong with it. It seemed to me it was poking fun at the Ku Klux Klan for being so narrow minded ... Perhaps someone who has been offended can write a short article explaining why it was offensive so the rest of us can understand.”
From Beloiter James A. Long: “I gave up on Non Sequitur a long time ago ... I considered some of their attacks on religion to be past the line of constructive criticism ... It's hard to imagine how someone somewhere wouldn't have thought someone might be offended by this.”
From Cathy and Lynn Oswald, identified in an e-mail only as longtime subscribers: “Can't tell you how sorry and disappointed my husband and I were to see this cartoon suspended from your paper ... We think it deserves another chance to run after sitting in the corner for a few days ... It is one of the more thought provoking and clever cartoons we have seen in a long time.”
From Gary Davis, Beloit: “I find both the readers' and the Beloit Daily News' reaction a bit overboard ... Maybe offended readers would be well served by growing a thicker skin ... Likewise there seems to be a bit of ‘knee jerk' reaction by BDN ... You on occasion print an editorial that provokes reactions by readers; following your actions in this case will you quit printing editorials because a reader may be offended by BDN views?”
AND SO IT GOES. We're no closer today to knowing what we will do, long-term, with Non Sequitur than we were last week. For the time being, the strip will stay in the woodshed, where the spanking continues.
We have been publishing a selection of other cartoon strips available to us. To me, some seem fairly entertaining, others dull as dishwater.
Meanwhile, we're listening. Readers may chime in by writing a letter addressed to me, at the Beloit Daily News, 149 State St., Beloit, WI 53511. Or, if you prefer e-mail, use bbarth@beloitdailynews.com to reach me.
William R. Barth is the Editor of the Beloit Daily News.
But we do know lots of people read it. And they have opinions.
Readers may recall that we yanked Non Sequitur off the Comics page a few days ago, after the strip included a storyline involving a chicken dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood. We heard from some people who were greatly offended. While the national syndicate from which we buy Non Sequitur insisted the content was intended to ridicule the KKK, the material obviously was open to other interpretations.
So we decided to pull the strip for awhile and solicit reader input. Here's a sampling of what we've gotten so far. Some comments include the writer's name; others requested anonymity.
FROM BELOITER Miriam Williams: “Regarding replacing Non Sequitur with another, you have my ‘yes' vote ... I recall that at times Catholic bishops or clergy types were portrayed as stupid ... It seems Christianity is fair game for poking fun, or openly being hostile.”
From Rodger Jorgenson, Rockton: “I'm glad you are open to reinstating Non Sequitur ... I did not take the cartoon as supporting the KKK, but ridiculing it ... I'm afraid your ‘be funny or be gone' guiderule needs to be updated in today's comic strips.”
Anonymous: “Non Sequitur is irreverent. It's supposed to make one think ... If you start to censor things to please some, where do you draw the line?”
From Anita Williams, Beloit: “I think the BDN was more than a little hasty in suspending Non Sequitur. It's a comic, for heaven's sake ... I didn't take the strip in question as being racist, but as poking a very sharp needle at the KKK ... How can you support the First Amendment and then pull a comic (or an op-ed writer) when someone proclaims that they're upset?”
FROM BELOITER Margie Carroll: “I was horrified and appalled that no one but me seemed to have noticed the strip. I cut it out and began passing it around. Good decision. Pull the strip, permanently.”
From Nina Ramsing, Beloit: “When I read the Non Sequitur cartoon with the chicken in Ku Klux Klan garb I saw how incendiary it would be if misinterpreted, which it was by many ... If you choose to knuckle under to the pressure of the offended and violate the cartoonist's constitutional right to free speech, I would like it to be replaced with Pogo, who said, ‘We have met the enemy and they is us!'”
From Bernice Carroll (no city listed): “Thank you for stopping Non Sequitur. It has not been funny for some time. Consider the same action for Dilbert. Human beings are so belittled every day in this comic.”
From David and Stephanie Dobson, Beloit: “Comics that do not relate to real world problems are often insipid. We think it is acceptable to risk offending some groups occasionally. Did this one offend the KKK or the people of color they abused? Probably both! ... We favor extending the concept of free speech to comics as well as to the Opinion page.”
FROM BARB SEGUIN, of Beloit: “It's hard to know what is going to offend people. I try to be sensitive to the feelings of people of different races and cultures, but when I read the Non Sequitur cartoon about the chickens I didn't see anything wrong with it. It seemed to me it was poking fun at the Ku Klux Klan for being so narrow minded ... Perhaps someone who has been offended can write a short article explaining why it was offensive so the rest of us can understand.”
From Beloiter James A. Long: “I gave up on Non Sequitur a long time ago ... I considered some of their attacks on religion to be past the line of constructive criticism ... It's hard to imagine how someone somewhere wouldn't have thought someone might be offended by this.”
From Cathy and Lynn Oswald, identified in an e-mail only as longtime subscribers: “Can't tell you how sorry and disappointed my husband and I were to see this cartoon suspended from your paper ... We think it deserves another chance to run after sitting in the corner for a few days ... It is one of the more thought provoking and clever cartoons we have seen in a long time.”
From Gary Davis, Beloit: “I find both the readers' and the Beloit Daily News' reaction a bit overboard ... Maybe offended readers would be well served by growing a thicker skin ... Likewise there seems to be a bit of ‘knee jerk' reaction by BDN ... You on occasion print an editorial that provokes reactions by readers; following your actions in this case will you quit printing editorials because a reader may be offended by BDN views?”
AND SO IT GOES. We're no closer today to knowing what we will do, long-term, with Non Sequitur than we were last week. For the time being, the strip will stay in the woodshed, where the spanking continues.
We have been publishing a selection of other cartoon strips available to us. To me, some seem fairly entertaining, others dull as dishwater.
Meanwhile, we're listening. Readers may chime in by writing a letter addressed to me, at the Beloit Daily News, 149 State St., Beloit, WI 53511. Or, if you prefer e-mail, use bbarth@beloitdailynews.com to reach me.
William R. Barth is the Editor of the Beloit Daily News.
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Art Mauck wrote on Dec 13, 2007 12:34 PM: