The role of editorial cartoons

My first-ever letter to the editor was the result of an editorial cartoon that unfairly besmirched the industry in which I was employed. That began my love-hate relationship with editorial cartoons. They can be exaggerated and distorted as well as ironic and satirically humorous. One would like to think most opinion pieces are well studied and fairly presented. However, opinions reflect an agenda, and in our country opinions and agendas should be freely expressed.

It is up to the individual reader to decipher the elements of a cartoon. It can be intellectually satisfying to process a clever editorial cartoon.

We need to think when we view an editorial cartoon. Knowing that developing children and aspiring students may read less and view images more, it is important for teachers and parents to discuss with them the facts and issues that spawned the cartoon.

From "The Cartoon by Herb Block" posted at loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/cartoon.html:

"Cartooning is an irreverent form of expression, and one particularly suited to scoffing at the high and the mighty. If the prime role of a free press is to serve as critic of government, cartooning is often the cutting edge of that criticism."

It's "We the people" who must steer this great country into the future and see that elected officials carry out our bidding. Only educated citizens nominating true leaders and electing honest, caring lawmakers can assure that this happens. We must make sure that true journalism survives in some media format for the sake of our children.

RANDY DUNN, Oak Ridge