Cartoons malign voters

The Oct. 19 Perspectives page featured four political cartoons implying that Acorn voter registration in Missouri would lead to voter fraud. The Oct. 26 Perspectives page featured two cartoons predicting voter fraud in the presidential election.

Please take a moment to consider the impact that these cartoons have upon this country. During your reflection, keep in mind that, as you reported in the Southeast Missourian this week, state officials state that the incidence of voter fraud in Missouri in the past several elections is zero.

Let me restate that. The state of Missouri has set up a model voting system, including a comprehensive voter database, that has, in recent years, allowed no voter fraud to occur. Voter registration has at times been fraudulent, of course, but our system is set up to deal with that.

Given these facts, I am disgusted with the Missourian for encouraging the electorate to question Missouri's election results. Your action is not only brazenly partisan, a catering to the worst elements of politics, it also degrades our voters, out state, our nation and the image of democracy worldwide. Given the facts about the reliability of Missouri's voting system, your repeated implication that our election results are fraudulent does grievous harm. Specifically:

• It impairs the credibility of elected officials of any party by suggesting that they do not hold office legitimately.
• It encourages unfounded cynicism toward our government.
• It insults all American citizens who take the time to vote and suggests that, next time, they might as well not bother. Why vote when it's all a fraud anyway?
• It unjustly tarnishes the public image of Missouri by portraying our state as unable or unwilling to ensure fair elections, when in fact just the opposite is true.
• And on a world stage, expectation of voter fraud, especially where none is likely to occur, unfairly and malignantly portrays American democracy to the world as a fraud and an empty promise. If we cannot bring legitimate elections to Missouri, our enemies will point out, how can we be trusted to bring democracy to the world?

In short, your recent choice of political cartoons may intend only to imply that, if a Democrat wins in Missouri, somebody cheated. This in itself is wrong for our state, which has picked the presidential winner every election but one for the past century.

But the force of your accusations goes much farther. Your repeated use of these cartoons maligns our voters, our state, our beloved nation and the idea of democracy. You should be ashamed.

Ida L. Domazlicky is a Cape Girardeau resident.