I think the history books will mark the events of the past week in Iraq and Washington as the turning point of resolve in the Iraqi War. While others will argue it was unwinnable from the start without a formal international mandate from NATO or the U.N., others will say the turning point came after prisoner abuse was uncovered at Abu Gharib prison, or following news of the Haditha massacre. Perhaps it was the lack of clear evidence Iraq has built up an arsenol of weapons of mass destruction. I think it was the combination of factors which transformed a fighting force bent on bringing peace and order to Iraq to become a caretaking operation there to ensure that sectarian violence doesn't turn a war into a genocide.

The coalition has dwindled in the past few months. Today, the United States no longer has the support of nations who were once standing shoulder to shoulder, among them, Poland, Italy, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Spain, Romainia, and Japan, who combined, contributed over 10,000 soldiers. Worst of all for the U.S. is the strong likelihood that Britain may very soon pull out the bulk of its 7,200 fighting force, in response to the overwhelming unpopularity of the Iraq war among Britons.

But it's when George W. Bush acknowledges comparisons between this war and the war in Vietnam that I see little hope for further success in Iraq. The small victories, such as rejoicing the end of dictatorship in Iraq, the capture of Saddam Hussein and many more of his cronies and his bad apple sons, the election of a new government, seem to be fading even in the eyes of the most steadfast supporter of the war, the President.

I still find it difficult how the Vietnam war compares to Iraq with regard to American deaths which amounted over 58,000 in the former war. It's hardly a quagmire...yet.

It seems as though my Caledonia March for Freedom cartoon has stirred up a bit of anger among some folks judging by the feedback and blog reaction it's getting.  (Note some of the posted comments on my own blog in this entry.) Today's Spectator prints a letter to the editor related to the cartoon:

This is a complaint about the editorial cartoon in the front section of The Hamilton Spectator. It features Gary McHale leading the March For Freedom in Caledonia. For a newspaper to poke fun at someone's weight, creed or colour is disgraceful and tacky. The Spectator should hang its head in shame.

We live in Stoney Creek and attended the protest on Sunday in Caledonia. We saw a lot of residents from Caledonia and only three little incidents at the police barricade. Those incidents were nothing like those at the speeches when a pickup truck full of natives sped through the site yelling racial remarks at the non-natives.

We also witnessed non-natives not being allowed past the police barricade, but natives were free to walk up the street, pass the police barricades, get their coffee at Tim Hortons, and return to the Douglas Creek Estates.

My wife asked an OPP officer why this was happening. He said he didn't know.

If people can't see there is a two-tier justice system in Caledonia, they are blind.

Gary Thompson-Stoney Creek

The writer best articulates a common complaint among all the feedback I've received and read -- that 1) I was unfair to depict Gary McHale and the protesters in the way I did, and 2) that clearly, the law is being enforced by the O.P.P. on non-natives, whereas natives seem to be free to do whatever they want.

Regarding point 2, I think it's a very legitimate complaint by the protesters, and I've drawn on that sentiment in the past. Here's another concerning the O.P.P.

As for my depiction of the protesters and Gary McHale, well, yeah it was ad hominum in its nature, but frankly, that's what we cartoonists often do when we approach issues. An Editorial cartoon is designed to generate laughter from half of an audience while creating howls of scorn and outrage from the other. It's our little box of anarchy on an otherwise serious, and pontifical editorial page. Don't expect editorial cartoonists to be fair. We're there to entertain, to make cheap shots, to illustrate popular sentiment, and to make readers think. Peruse my archives and you'll find many many cartoons which you may find funny, whereas others will take great offence.

And finally, editorial cartoonists work on our own. We aren't part of any corporate agenda. We don't draw whatever the publisher or editor wants us to draw -- we get our cartoons spiked if they ever think we've crossed the boundary into bad taste or libel, but we are our own masters. On Caledonia, I comment on whatever big events are added to the chronology of this standoff, whether, as shown above, it's an angry mob of non-natives marching like the 7th U.S. Calvary being led by General Custer, or if its a goofball native father teaching his kid how to construct a roadblock. I've done several other cartoons poking the natives, who often voice the loudest complaints when a little bit of humor is made at their expense. Oh well.

 

I sit on the Editorial Board here at the Hamilton Spectator. Yep, lumpy me, the editorial cartoonist, has a seat at the table which forms the opinion of a daily newspaper. It's kinda like being Greenland and having a seat on the United Nations security council. I'm there mostly to listen, and nod my head, and read newspapers when discussions get boring. Occasionally, we get guests who appear before the board to state their cases and receive questions. Most of the time its local politicians, city staffers, activist groups or organizations that'll sit down with us. I usually politely bow out attending those... you know, I've got a cartoon to draw, 'fer Pete's sake.

Other times we get some bigger acts coming through, particularly at election time... we've sat down with Dalton McGuinty, Ernie Eves, Jack Layton, Ralph Goodale, and even Stephen Harper. This morning it was David Wilkins, U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Everytime I show up for these things I always bring some paper and a pencil and I sketch away. Here's Wilkin's portrait:

Why can't defeated politicians simply accept the fact that once they get turfed out of office then maybe it's time to learn from the voter thrashing and go away into private life for good? Stan Keyes served an honorable and distinguished career by representing Hamilton West as MP from 1988-2004. More than enough time to make his mark on Ottawa. He climbed up the political ladder and for his loyalty to Paul Martin, was rewarded with a cabinet position for a short period of time before being swept out of office by David Christopherson.

Out of office, I chose to kick the poor guy when he was at his lowest, by reminding readers around the time of the Athens Olympics that, were it not for the federal election called a few months earlier, our man Stan would've been there in his capacity as Minister of Amateur Sport.

That should've been the last cartoon I ever drew of him, thinking he'd soon pick himself up and go into private life eventually finding a good paying job in the private sector and never be seen again.

But no, Paul Martin had to follow in the footsteps of all past Prime Ministers and throw something to Stan in the form of a Patronage Appointment. It was off to Boston for the Loyal Martinite as the new cocktail party hosting Canadian consul-general. It made for a nice combo cartoon with the Maple Leaf Processing Plant whose fate at the time of Keyes appointment was still up in the air.

A highpoint for him may have been observing the defeat of the Liberal government from his diplomatic perch in Massachusetts, but that wouldn't last long. Stephen Harper would  replace him within a few months giving Stan the chance to leave public life for good.

But then the latest job offer came and he took the hook and bait. While it is a private sector job his post as head of the Canadian Payday Loan Association will have consequences to those poor souls who've come to rely on loans with ridiculous interest rates. While he says he looks forward to assisting in the regulation of the lending agencies he's not exactly there to look out for common folk trapped in the cycle of borrowing. He's there to lobby the government on the lenders behalf. He not in the commoners house anymore, he's there to defend  lending agencies from gouging people with exhorbitant interest rates. Pretty shameful.

 

REUTERS/Jim Ross

The Leader of the Freedom March - Gary 'Martin Luther King Jr.' McHale

Reaction from the Freedom March leader, on his website caledoniawakeupcall.com (whose site has violated my rule that asks bloggers to credit my name with a link back to mackaycartoons.net when posting my cartoons):

...The Spectator now takes a serious event about Two Tier Justice and makes fun of me. In fact up to this point the only people who were making fun of my size were the Natives. Has the Spectator decided to become the new spokesperson for childish Native behaviour?

The Hamilton Spectator is not just making fun of me - in fact I don't care what they think about me - but you can see that they show the people of Caledonia following me to the hotdog stand. While the residents live in fear and serious crimes have taken place the Spectator believes it is time to make fun of the people who have been most effected by the terrorist methods of the occupiers. One only needs to read their story beside this photo to see how much they are against people expressing their Free Speech in a Democratic society.

Let's just see who believes that the Two Tier Justice is a reality in Caledonia. Mayor Trainer has said many times there is a Two Tier System in Caledonia. Toby Barrett stated quite clearly that there is a Two Tier System. The President of OPPA stated back in June that there was a Two Tier System. There have been stories by OPP officers who admit there is a Two Tier System in Caledonia.

But the Spectator doesn't believe there is so it is okay to make fun of the people who are terrorized without police protection. Maybe the Spectator is trying to get a greater share of the Native market? Maybe they are just upset by our Boycott story?

But one thing is for sure - the People of Caledonia deserve better.

More commentary from a blog that calls itself the voiceofcanada.com:

The Spectator included an editorial cartoon that is a disgusting personal attack on Gary McHale and all the citizens who came out to stand against the evil that is attacking our democracy. The cartoon personally ridicules McHale’s weight as it shows him standing at a hot dog cart, saying “Got any pogos? I’m hungry.” Behind him are a bunch of rednecks in lumber jackets. One holds a pitchfork, another a confederate flag(!).

I spoke to Gary McHale today, and he asked me to pass on his thanks to the Spectator for lowering itself to personal attacks on his weight because it just gave him more credibility and ammunition. As he said, “That’s the best they’ve got? Our justice system is under attack, and the Hamilton Spectator is reduced to personal attacks on me and the people of Caledonia?”  Indeed; what happened to journalistic integrity? Does the Hamilton Spectator write about the inspiring speeches and brave words of two of the most courageous women I have ever met, AnneMarie VanSickle and Mary-Lou Pratt? No, they decided to pretend that McHale was leading a bunch of rednecks in a lynching party instead of telling the truth: that several thousand average, law abiding citizens came out to peacefully protest against criminals and the inaction of police and their politicians.

If the Hamilton Spectator actually had a reporter there that day they know the truth. Shame on them for not telling it! Our media are supposed to be the watchdogs of democracy; instead the Spectator allowed a silly and unnecessary quarrel to drag them down into the gutter. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am.

P.S. If anyone in Hamilton/Caledonia wants to organize a boycott of the Hamilton Spectator, I would LOVE to write about it and link to it.