Troubled by Oliphant and The Tidings 5

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--> --> Troubled by Oliphant and The Tidings I was deeply troubled by the lack of taste displayed in your inclusion of the Oliphant cartoon in the Aug. 11 edition. I waited a while to comment, curious to see if any other members of the community would have something to say. The ensuing silence compels me to speak. In the cartoon, Bill Clinton is portrayed as the dumb giant, sitting barefoot in a watermelon patch, eating a slice and spitting the seeds. In the background is a building with the word "Harlem" written on it. The offensive scene obfuscated any meaning within the accompanying caption. Depicting one of America's most enduring stereotypes that denigrate African-Americans, for whatever political statement Oliphant was attempting to make, I find unacceptably over the line. To the question one may raise of this comment as to whether making an issue of this kind of message helps keep the controversy alive, I say history has thoroughly proven that ignoring the icons of racial division do not make them go away. Carlus B. Harris Ashland Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing