So remember like three years ago, when the Islamic world got their collective panties in a twist when a Danish newspaper cartoon was printed in a bunch of other papers? I am sure you do … there were riots everywhere.

I remember having mixed feelings on the subject.
1. As a journalist, I am all about freedom of the press. A freedom that lacks in many free counties actually. So I supported the newspapers’ RIGHT to publish said cartoon. Not that it was right to publish it, but that they had the opportunity to do so.
2. As an American, I couldn’t understand why we were dragged into the matter. I know a ton of Danish flags were burned, but I remember seeing some American ones, too. Must have just been excess anger directed toward President Bush.
3. As a non-religious person, it astounded me to see how religious Muslim people reacted. That my friends, is passion. Right or wrong, they are passionate about their beliefs. And I just can’t see Christians getting THAT upset if there was a less than flattering picture of Jesus out there somewhere. Oh wait, that's already been done … (I heart the Buddy Christ by the way)

Anyway, the reason I bring any of this up is because we are in a similar (although not quite as fiery) situation because of a cartoon that was printed in the New York Post (otherwise known as the pinnacle of journalistic excellence).

Now the Post editor says it’s not directed at President Obama. They used a chimp because a chimp mauled a Connecticut woman earlier this week.

Now that is more than likely the case. However, it’s hard to deny the obvious racist correlation, even if it was not the intention. And it was rather irresponsible of the Post, which is more of less a national newspaper, to run a cartoon that connected a big national story and a lesser-known regional story*. Wouldn't that kind of be like the Banner-Herald (if we had a cartoonist) connecting the stimulus package to the black panther sightings. I don't know how he or she would do that, but you guys get my drift.

And this whole thing does remind me of a conversation I had with my boss a few weeks ago. We were discussing how cartoonists were going to have to be careful with their depiction of Obama because quite frankly, almost any embellishments on his features could be considered racist. Which is why they’ve stuck to the ears. Have you noticed that? The ears are pretty much the only thing they embellish on him. By the end of the Bush presidency, the man was like a foot tall and had rabbit ears.

So do you guys agree that the Post cartoonist should be fired? Or was he well within his First Amendment rights to draw what he drew even if is wasn't about Obama at all? Do you even care? And how would YOU connect our black panther sightings to the stimulus bill?

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* I mean my parents still live in Connecticut and they didn’t tell me about this chimp thing. And they read the paper and watch the news every day, so I am pretty sure they heard about it.