A letter sent to me regarding this cartoon from T. Williams:

Mr. MacKay.

I used to admire your cartoons for their artistry, ingenuity, and wit. What the hell has happened to you? The latest cartoon - the one featuring the devil figure and the flags at half mast over the slain policemen - shows precious little of any of these traits.

I understand that this is not the time for frivolous wit, but your drawing shows little skill, a remarkable lack of inventiveness, and it panders shamelessly to those readers that yearn for either melodrama or hard justice.

Sorry to see you fall on your face so frequently lately.

T. Williams.

Here's the other cartoon I did on this subject. It never did get printed in my paper but I've been told it appeared in at least two other papers, the Vancouver Province and the Calgary Sun

Frank McKenna was leader of the New Brunswick Liberal party and for 10 years its premier. Like all politicians he had both high and low moments while in office.

The one thing that I'll never forget about Frank McKenna is not what he did while he was premier but how he ended his job as premier. He governed for exactly 10 years with rock solid majority governments and left with 10 years behind him saying that that was ample enough time to hold such a job. By quietly letting go of his power he proved to be way higher in class by comparison to the many politicians we all know all to well who have clung to power for way too long. Those who can't let go. Those whose visionary ideas burned out 4 elections ago. Those who literally need to be wrenched away from their legislative seats because their fingernails have become embedded in the arm rests.

My hat's off to Frank McKenna. I have more faith in him to do the job right than most any other politicans I know.

Mr B. Webber, who calls himself a "disappointed subscriber" wrote the following letter to the Hamilton Spectator:

As a Christian, I take great offense to Mackay's "Bridging the Gap" cartoon, as it appeared on Jan. 26, 2005. I believe in the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, and I am tired of being described as "homophobic", and "old school". Without getting in to the debate, the suggestion that Stephen Harper , and his position on gay marriage, is only representing the views of either "traitional ethnic folk" or "intolerant redneck folk" is slanderous and irresponsible. It's an unecessarily aggressive stance against anyone that feels differently than the "new age folk" and their desire to be "modern" in their thinking. Hardly a tolerant and progressive position, the grounds of which this group claim to own. This is a very serious debate facing Canadians and their elected officials - let's be a little more responsible in how we express ourselves.

Concerning this cartoon J. Leo of Stoney Creek writes:

Spectator cartoonist Graham MacKay really missed the mark in the January 21 issue when he portrayed people such as John Kerry, Michael Moore and Osama Bin Laden crying while in the background George W. Bush is smiling during his inauguration.

Bush has accomplished everything Bin Laden hoped that he would, and with a swiftness that probably even surprised him.

Bush has polarized America from the world, destabilized the Middle East, fractured Iraq into three separate fundamental states, created thousand of more hardline terrorists -- all under the guise of protecting America.

Bin Laden is somewhere in a cave laughing at the Americans for moving into the exact direction that he wanted them to.

Some angry mail received on this one:

I wonder who will be more insulted by the cartoon you published on the Letters page today. My father who was recently laid off after 23 years at CAMCO, or my husband who has a PhD in bio-chemistry? --Ms. K. Ryckman, Dundas

Your Opinion Page cartoonist MacKay hit a new "low'" with his stupid, ignorant depiction of McMaster's recently announced purchase of the former Camco property to establish a technology research and development park in Hamilton. It will be far more comprehensive than a Bio-Tech Park and if a "nerd" the likes of a Bill Gates (Microsoft-Seattle) or a Mike Lazardis and James Balsillie (RIM-Waterloo) should emerge to benefit Hamilton, I hope you will stuff that cartoon down Mackay's throat!--Mr. K. McIntyre, Burlington.

McMaster's going to take the Camco site and turn it into a research park that will bring 1500 new, high-paying jobs to Hamilton. So, you print a cartoon that's derogatory to the very people who you should be thanking? What the !*$#@ are you smoking down there?--Mr. J. Merrall