civility – mackaycartoons

Tuesday October 29, 2024

October 29, 2024 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday October 29, 2024

The recent Trump rally exemplifies a troubling decline in political discourse, highlighting the stark contrast between inflammatory rhetoric and substantive policy discussions, raising concerns about the future of American democracy.

Trumps Closing statement is a Disheartening Reflection on Political Discourse in America

November 17, 2022

The recent rally held by former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden has become a disturbing litmus test for the state of political discourse in the United States. As the closing argument of his 2024 campaign, Trump’s speech showcased an alarming trend: the normalization of incendiary rhetoric, personal attacks, and outright disdain for opponents. Trump’s denigrating remarks about Vice President Kamala Harris, branding her as “grossly incompetent” and “a vessel,” reflect a profound decline in the civility of our political dialogue. Such attacks are not just simple political rhetoric; they embody a culture of disdain that has seeped into the fabric of our political system, posing significant risks for the future of our democracy.

News: Trump at the Garden: A Closing Carnival of Grievances, Misogyny and Racism

January 8, 2021

This rally, marked by bombastic speeches and racist commentary from various speakers, stands in stark contrast to the more substantive and policy-focused campaign that Harris and the Democrats have been presenting. While Harris and her campaign have centered their messaging on real issues—like improving living conditions in Puerto Rico and promoting economic opportunities—Trump’s rhetoric is largely rooted in grievance and division. His supporters cheered slogans that reduce complex political issues to crude insults and jokes, showcasing a troubling embrace of attack politics over meaningful discourse.

If Trump’s rally is indeed a reflection of the closing arguments of his campaign, it raises serious concerns about what might lie ahead if he wins the election. The implications of electing a leader who resorts to such tactics should be chilling to every American. If voters choose to endorse this brand of politics, then they will ultimately receive what they deserve—a political landscape devoid of decency, where attacks and insults overshadow policies and governance.

December 5, 2019

The events at Madison Square Garden symbolize not just a moment in a political campaign, but a larger societal issue: the toleration of an aggressive, hostile approach to political debate. As we approach the 2024 election, the choice before voters is clear. Will we continue to accept this decline in civility, or will we demand a return to a political discourse that prioritizes respect, empathy, and a focus on issues that truly matter? (AI)

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday October 31, 2024

Cartoon delivers giggles

Re: Oct. 29 editorial cartoon

Graeme MacKay has done it again. His editorial cartoon this morning was bang on. Flush two times with Mr. Trump going downhill. Keep them coming! A great giggle this morning.

Fran Cormier, Stoney Creek

Posted to SUBSTACK. It’s at the early experimental stage (at the time of it’s posting,) and presented in the form of notes as I figure out how to integrate it into my daily routine. Find out what’s swirling in my head as I come up with my ideas. It’s free and will continue to be, as will this carefully curated WordPress website which I’ve maintained obediently since 2012… until the traditional structure that has sustained me a livelihood collapses on top of me as it has for so many of my peers. Please take a look, and if you want to continue following/subscribe to my work, please subscribe, and thank you! – Graeme MacKay

Yet another note. I’m still contemplating whether or not to go whole hog with the full post thing. Thank you to the 8 subscribers for giving me a chance. Here’s some of thoughts swirling in circles as I drew this toilet editorial cartoon:

The Trump rally at Madison Square Garden serves as a disheartening reflection of the decline of political discourse in America, characterized by incendiary rhetoric and personal attacks on opponents like Vice President Kamala Harris. While Harris has focused on substantive issues, Trump’s campaign has leaned into grievance and division, culminating in an environment that embraces attack politics over meaningful conversation.

Harris has at least done what has come to be expected in a normal election campaign with dignity and grace by offering a policies. They have faced scrutiny as they should. Trump on the other hand, has offered no policy, just attack, no need for scrutiny, just shrugs and shaking heads – it’s classic Trump being Trump.

The rally on the weekend not only illustrates a troubling trend but also raises significant concerns about the future of American governance should voters choose to endorse such a political landscape. As the 2024 election day approaches, Americans must consider whether they will continue to tolerate this decline in civility or demand a return to respectful, issue-focused dialogue.

What I’m getting a sense of from these angry, hate filled, testosterone fuelled gatherings is a profile of a chunk of society that wants to inflict hurt on fellow humans. Instead of empathy for asylum seekers fleeing hopeless lives in failed states ruled by gangs they’re viewed suspiciously as criminals and rapists. For women who simply want to control their reproductive health they’re viewed as societal rejects who shouldn’t have such rights and should be forced to bring up children within a miserable framework that further punishes them with bare minimum support.

Simply put, western civilization suffers if Trump is elected, simple as that. Is Kamala Harris deranged? Is she a narcissist? Is she a criminal? Is she an old, fat, strange cake makeup doddering thing like her opponent? No. She’s normal. He is not.
American voters need to flush him a second time after flushing him the first time in 2020.

Saturday December 9, 2023

December 9, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday December 9, 2023

Trump’s Rhetoric and the Rising Fear of Authoritarianism

October 3, 2023

In recent weeks, Donald Trump’s behaviour and rhetoric have taken a darker turn, marked by insulting nicknames, crude references, and baseless claims to disparage opponents and critics. This shift was prominently on display during a recent event in Iowa, where Trump’s coarseness and cruelty were vividly showcased.

This escalation in Trump’s rhetoric is not just a matter of personal style; it has become a defining characteristic of the Republican Party since his presidency. Many GOP voters not only tolerate but also relish this approach, while others express concerns about the declining civility within the party.

Opinion: Donald Trump 2.0 — darker and more dangerous

July 23, 2022

The alarming trend has permeated within the GOP. Down-ballot candidates and even Trump’s rivals are adopting similar tactics, reflecting a split within the party. Despite the availability of candidates championing similar agendas with a less abrasive demeanour, many Republicans continue to support Trump, emphasizing how his behaviour has become a central part of his appeal.

Looking ahead to the Republican presidential primary, concerns about Trump’s rhetoric are escalating. Figures such as Liz Cheney, Joe Biden, and even Trump himself are warning of the potential for an authoritarian takeover if Trump returns to power. Cheney, an anti-Trump Republican, emphasizes the ease with which Trump’s steps toward dictatorship can be discerned based on his statements.

Trump’s dominance in Republican primary polling, despite facing legal challenges, is noted. Polls indicating Trump’s lead over Biden in key states are causing anxiety among Democrats. Biden, in response, consistently highlights the threat to democracy that Trump poses, a threat Trump himself seems to acknowledge, albeit in a seemingly casual manner.

The Atlantic: Trump Says He’ll Be a Dictator on ‘Day One’

May 3, 2017

Recent interviews and statements by Trump and his allies reveal a willingness to use state power for retribution and to safeguard Trump’s grip on power. Plans like Project 2025, coordinated by the conservative Heritage Foundation, underscore a systematic preparation for a potential return to office, with a focus on targeting perceived enemies across media and bureaucracy.

The situation is dire, emphasizing the centrality of Trump’s behaviour in the political landscape. Despite growing concerns about declining civility and the rising fear of authoritarianism, Trump’s influence persists, making him a dominant force in the upcoming Republican primary. (AI)

Thursday March 25, 2021

April 1, 2021 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 25, 2021

There will ‘absolutely’ be queue jumping for Ontario COVID-19 vaccines in Phase 2, task force member says

A member of Ontario’s vaccine task force says that there will “absolutely” be some people jumping the line for COVID-19 vaccines in the second phase of the province’s rollout but he says the issue can be at least partly mitigated by having more family doctors administer shots.

March 4, 2021

The Doug Ford government has said that it will prioritize nearly three million people with pre-existing conditions as part of the next phase of its vaccine rollout but it has released few details on how it will identify those people and verify their medical history.

That has led to some concerns about queue-jumping, which could ultimately mean that the people most at risk of a severe outcome from COVID-19 have to wait longer for their shots.

“Listen it is not going to be perfect. Even if we have primary care expanded and in their clinics vaccinating individuals where they know their patients and they know who would be a good candidate for the first part of phase two and the second part of phase two that doesn’t fully solve this problem,” infectious disease specialist Dr. Issac Bogoch, who sits on Ontario’s vaccine task force, told CP24 on Tuesday morning. “There will be some honour system and you know what this isn’t perfect. There will be some people who jump the line, there will be, there absolutely will be. This is going to be a challenging thing to police.”

The Ford government has provided a list of 24 health conditions that would qualify residents for vaccines ahead of the general public and has broken them up into three categories – highest risk, high risk and at-risk.

Bogoch said that he doesn’t believe the issue of queue jumping will be a significant problem for the province, especially given the fact that the vaccines themselves will become a much less “limited resource” in the coming months.

But he said that the government will have to find some better ways to verify medical conditions and may have to “rely on peoples goodwill to wait their turn for vaccination” to a certain extent, as well.

“It is being billed as an 11 out of 10 problem when it probably is a two or three out of 10 problem,” he said. (CTV)

Wednesday September 2, 2020

September 9, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 2, 2020

Trump Keeps Fanning the Flames

November 16, 2019

For the second time in a tumultuous week, demonstrations in an American city escalated into gunfire—and death. Clashes between Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters intensified on Saturday in Portland, Oregon, where a man was shot and killed. According to the New York Times, a caravan of several hundred trucks full of Trump supporters headed to downtown Portland, where demonstrators have gathered to protest police violence for more than 90 consecutive nights in response to the May killing of George Floyd. Confrontations between those participating in the pro-Trump rally and those countering it quickly ensued, with the president’s supporters firing paintball guns and pepper spray at people from the beds of their pickup trucks and protesters in the street tossing items back at them.

While police have not released details about the victim or a suspected shooter, the Times’ Mike Baker—who documented the event as it unfolded in a Twitter thread—reported the victim was wearing “a hat with the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a far-right group based in the Portland area that has clashed with protesters in the past.”

April 13, 2018

In a Sunday morning tweetstorm, the president only ratcheted up tensions by encouraging supporters to travel into cities to engage with Black Lives Matter protests and threatening to again send troops into Portland. He called Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler a “fool” who “has no idea what he is doing” and continued his “LAW & ORDER!!!” pronouncements. “Bring in the National Guard!”, he wrote, reiterating his Friday Twitter threat to remobilize federal agents into the city if Wheeler is unable to quell the chaos. The same day, the mayor firmly rejected the idea of Trump sending federal law enforcement into Portland as he did in July. “You made the situation far worse,” Wheeler wrote in an open letter to the president. “Your offer to repeat that disaster is a cynical attempt to stoke fear and distract us from the real work of our city.”

On Sunday, Trump reposted a video of his supporters unloading paintballs and pepper spray at protesters from their vehicles, calling the behavior “a big backlash” that “cannot be unexpected” under Wheeler’s leadership. The president appeared to approve of his supporters taking matters into their own hands, tweeting, “The people of Portland won’t put up with no safety any longer.”

Trump also encouraged supporters to go into Portland, praising the participants of the MAGA caravan as “GREAT PATRIOTS” less than a week after one of his supporters, Illinois teenager Kyle Rittenhouse, traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, and allegedly shot and killed two protesters. The Kenosha protests broke out after a white police officer fired seven bullets last weekend at Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man who is now paralyzed from the waist down. (Continued: Vanity Fair)

Wednesday April 8, 2020

April 15, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 8, 2020

Self-appointed pandemic police should think before they default to public shaming

The pandemic disaster is bringing out both the best and worst in people. And some behaviours are just annoying.

Coronavirus cartoons

One of the most annoying trends is the emergence of busybodies who are eager to pass judgment on others before they have all the facts. They’re the “pandemic police” — self-appointed vigilantes who are calling out people for not strictly adhering to social isolation protocols.

A mom in Sooke, B.C., was a recent victim of this overzealous reign of terror when she was repeatedly verbally assaulted for taking her two kids, ages two and six, out with her for errands.

Janene Walker says she was stopped in a Lowe’s parking lot changing her daughter’s diaper in her van when a passing man in a truck yelled out at her, “Keep your kids in the house, for Christ’s sake!”

Then, during a visit to a local grocery store, her daughter was strapped in the shopping cart and her son was close to her side when a man called her a “shitty mom” for taking her kids out with her. That confrontation turned into a shouting match that left her in tears.

November 14, 2019

Now, no question it would have been far better if this mom didn’t have her children with her while she bought necessary supplies. But sometimes we find ourselves in difficult circumstances. In her case, she’s managing her kids on her own while her husband is deployed with the military and, with no family nearby, she says he has no one to help her with babysitting.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, recently spoke up to condemn such public shaming. Community harassment, especially online, is “inappropriate,” he said.

What’s more appropriate is cracking down on people who are obviously flouting common sense — and, increasingly, the law in many provinces and states.

And then there are the COVID-19 skeptics — yes, believe it or not, they’re still out there. They think all of this is being overblown or even a left-wing conspiracy. They also seem to think they can carry on as before without any consequences. To them, the answer may be not only public shaming, but also the full force of the law.

But what about people like Janene Walker, who just find themselves in a bind and don’t know what to do?

Strang says that rather than harass or shame individuals, people need to offer help and support so the person in question feels able to self-isolate and has the support to see them through the period of isolation.

Walker agrees, arguing that compassion should extend to any single parent who’s struggling to keep their household afloat while maintaining physical distancing and isolation.

“All these people just … think that they know better. And they’re shaming people publicly when they don’t know their situation. We should be helping each other and lifting each other up and showing compassion.”

I suspect that all of us have at some point in our lives felt the sting of being judged by people who seem to be lurking in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

I don’t want to dive too deeply into the psychology behind that, but I suspect a lot of these people grew up in very judgmental households. Their tendency to gossip and look down their noses at others apparently gives their egos a boost.

It’s time for those people to show consideration and find out the full story before passing judgment.

I’m left to wonder what might have happened if one of those people who were so quick to denounce Walker had stopped and asked her why she was out with her kids. A little understanding and problem-solving might have made the connection she needed to find some babysitting or discover someone who could bring supplies to her.

Except for a handful for ignorant scofflaws, the vast majority of us fully understand the urgency of maintaining safe social distance. With each passing day, the grim news reminds us what’s at stake.

Rather than assuming the worst, when we see someone who’s breaking the rules, it’s worth asking whether we can help them comply.

We’re in this together — let’s all try to remember that some people just need a helping hand. (Hamilton Spectator)