There appears to be a double standard when it comes to which comics you chose to continue to print and which you eliminate or modify when there is controversial content.
I am referring to your decision to cancel the strip “Non Sequitur” by Wiley Miller (in March 2019) as compared to your decision to offer an unsigned “Apology to Readers” (Feb. 28, Page C7) for John McPherson’s Feb. 21 “Close to Home” comic strip, which was characterized as having “fostered racist stereotypes” of a “drunken indigenous person.” Unfortunately, I cannot recall the exact dates when you relegated and shrank “Doonesbury” from the daily comic section to the Sunday Insight opinion pages.
My children, when growing up, used daily comics, the funny papers, to strengthen their reading skills and to be introduced to the role of newspapers in general. Bland, non-controversial comics stimulate neither thought, conversation, nor an interest in ideas.
These censorship issues are important and not funny. Using an inadvertent expletive against a public figure, for which Mr. Miller apologized, Mr. Miller was banished from your paper. In contrast, Mr. McPherson presented a “comic” portrayal of a racist stereotype of a whole class of people and was allowed to apologize and continue being published in your paper. I think both should be allowed to apologize and to continue being published in the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram. Why the different treatment?
Daniel B. Sobel
Cape Elizabeth
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Comments are no longer available on this story