On NBC’s My Name Is Earl, the title character is presently serving a jail sentence for a crime that his ex-wife Joy committed. In last night’s season opener he revealed that his prison ID number is 28301-016. “So what?” you might ask. Well, I think it may not be a coincidence that another famous inmate has the very same number:
Very funny, guys. (h/t to Yazoo Street Scandal)
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Chickenhawk Rush Limbaugh thinks that soldiers who are opposed to the war in Iraq are “phony.” Despite the fact that they serve with the same honor, courage, and patriotism as any other soldier, Limbaugh has this to say about them:
CALLER: …what’s really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media.
LIMBAUGH: The phony soldiers.
CALLER: The phony soldiers. If you talk to a real soldier, they are proud to serve. They want to be over in Iraq. They understand their sacrifice, and they’re willing to sacrifice for their country.
LIMBAUGH: They joined to be in Iraq.
Jon Soltz of VoteVets.org is one of those who went to Iraq and now is both a vigorous supporter of the troops and a vocal opponent of the Bush administration’s failed policies in Iraq. He writes at the Huffington Post that Limbaugh never served himself and has no moral standing to judge other soldiers; that a majority of returning soldiers oppose the war, as well as many retired generals. And he has this to say about Rush:
“You weren’t just flat out wrong, you offended a majority of those of us who actually had the courage to go to Iraq and serve, while you sat back in your nice studio, coming up with crap like this.”
In a petulant tantrum aimed at disparaging MoveOn.org, the Congress just passed resolutions condemning those who attack the honor of members of the Armed Forces. Will they now condemn Limbaugh for having done just that?
Lalo Alcarez’ “La Cucaracha” is one of the most insightful, engaging, and downright hilarious comics in the publishing world. He has a somewhat askew take on society, politics and relationships. He is also one of the few successful Latino comic artists in the country who actually incorporates his ethnicity into his daily work.
The Houston Chronicle has just announced that they will be discontinuing La Cucaracha. In the heart of the American southwest, a singular, regionally relevant, voice is being silenced, and a community that is sorely under-represented in the media is again being neglected and disrespected.
Alcarez is a talented artist with a strong following. Earlier this year, when the Los Angeles Times announced that they were ditching La Cucaracha, there was a reader revolt that resulted in the Times reversing their decision the next day and retaining the comic strip. Alcarez is hoping for a similar outcome in Houston.
“In a replay of March 2007’s brief firing of La Cucaracha from the pages of the Los Angeles Times…the Houston Chronicle, home of maybe the largest comics pages in the nation, has dumped La Cucaracha and replaced it with a New Zealand based strip about penguins. Now, experts agree that the huge Latino population of Houston, Tejas must have its penguin-themed entertainment, but somehow there is no room for a strip that explores pro-immigrant and Latino-themed issues like La Cucaracha.”
It is simply unconscionable that the Chronicle would drop this strip at this time. We are entering a highly charged election season that already has too few voices that challenge the establishment – especially from the perspective of one of the most significant, and significantly ignored, block of Latino voters. To some degree the Democrats recognized the importance of this community by participating in a Spanish language debate sponsored by Univision. And, of course, they have a viable Latino candidate in Gov. Bill Richardson. Republicans however, refused to appear at a similar debate. Alvarez addressed this issue, and in doing so, demonstrated why it’s so important for his voice to be heard. Who else at the Chronicle is producing editorial cartoons with messages like this one:
You can help to support Alcarez by contacting the Chronicle and asking them to keep La Cucaracha. Public pressure was proven effective at the L.A. Times and it can work at the Chronicle as well. So write or call and express your support for this unique artist and for diversity in the the arts and the media.
Phone: 713-362-3222
Email: comics@chron.com