sixties+political+cartoons

x JML: Herblock made this cartoon. He drew it for the //Washington Post//. Herblock is for more gun control and belittles the NRA’s opposition to government regulation of firearms, their reasoning being that hunters’ rights need to be protected, with the caption of his cartoon stating “‘It’s like the gun lobby guys say—Laws interfere wit’ us sportsmen”’. The //Washington Post// was a popular newspaper in Washington, D.C. This was published June 6th 1965, two years after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, when gun control was being debated in response to the assassination and the NRA was opposing legislation that would decrease gun sales saying that they were doing so to protect the rights of hunters. Thus the opinion that government regulation of firearms is needed and that the NRA’s pro-gun argument is wrong is relevant and most would be inclined to agree with Herblock. People originally read this in the //Washington Post//. It addresses the debate of government firearm control and struggles between anti-gun people and the NRA. It would help to know that John F. Kennedy was not the first president to be assassinated, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, Abraham Lincoln were all assassinated, and that there had been many other attempted assassinations to understand that the murder of president was not a novel thing, giving greater evidence for the need of gun control. It would also be good to know that other political figures and non-political figures have been harmed by guns in many instances, making the need for gun control even more evident. This material was created for the //Washington Post//; as such it should be credible as the newspaper was popular and respectable. The intended audience was the NRA and its gun-loving supporters, as it was meant to directly make fun of them. The NRA and its supporters and their opposition would be likely to pay attention to the cartoon. The NRA and its supporters would be angered by this depiction of them as idiotic firearm obsessed gun weapon collecting people, and their opposition would be pleased at this negative portrayal of their adversaries. This cartoon was produced to condemn the NRA and its supporters, so its reliability is lessened as it is very one-sidedly mean. It was made in 1965 as that was when the NRA was arguing that gun laws would step on the rights of the legitimate hunter in response to the idea of stricter gun control arising from John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The political need is that firearms should be regulated more by the government. The argument is that the NRA’s argument weak and that their supporters are not really hunters, they are idiots that are obsessed with possessing a lot of big guns. The message is that America should have gun control. The point is that the government should regulate firearms and that the NRA’s argument of the need to protect the rights of hunters is silly because in reality, the NRA’s supporters are simply odd people who like to collect lots of big guns. This material is important because it addresses the recurring question of gun control. The political implications are that there should be gun control regardless of what the NRA says. Herblock’s cartoon might have influenced the passing of the Gun Control Act of 1968.

KHW: "Throw Him Some More Flower's, Honey - Let's See How Long He'll Keep Playing" by Herb Block

This cartoon was illustrated by Herb Block who was known also as Herblock. He was born in Chicago on October 13th 1909 and started his career as cartoonist in 1929. He began his career at the Washington Post, where this cartoon was published, in 1946 and worked there for over fifty years. Herb Block won three Pulitzer Prizes for editorial cartooning during his career one in 1942, another in 1954, and the last in 1979. The Washington Post, a liberal and widely read newspaper, published this cartoon on July 18th 1962 which was during the middle of JFK’s presidency. Herb Block was a huge liberal and supported Kennedy’s New Frontier programs which so many GOP party members and Anti-Association Democrats opposed. During Kennedy’s presidency, congress was primarily made up of such opposing parties and therefore stalled many of his proposals such as legislation aiding Civil Rights, education, and medicine. Here, a GOP party member and an Anti-Association Democrat are pictured viewing Kennedy as though they were viewing a performance however instead of throwing flowers in adoration they are throwing flower pots labeled with different parts of Kennedy’s New Frontier. This image portrays Herblock’s view of the opposition to Kennedy as sinister and cruel bullies and Kennedy as a victim of their harassments. Block’s liberal views create and undeniable bias against the GOP and conservative Democrats and when combined with the cartoon’s publication in a liberal paper the readers would not be exposed to a neutral view of the situation. Despite his bias, Herblock was not alone in his opinion that the Congress was limiting the success that Kennedy had during his administration. Many other liberals would agree that a mainly conservative congress hindered the New Frontier while on the other hand conservatives would argue that Congress had a good reason for rejecting Kennedy’s proposals. Much like FDR’s presidency where his New Deal programs met resistance, JFK also struggled but still managed to succeed in some aspects. He was able to increase the minimum wage and social security benefits during his presidency and the creation of the Peace Corps had a major impact on a global scale. Herblock is trying to convey that Kennedy’s presidency was almost half over and that so much more could be accomplished if Congress would stand down and try to see the benefits of his proposals. Its significance is that there was an expanding split between conservatives and liberals which was growing to the point where compromise was harder to achieve. If the congress and the president continued to fall into these roles of bully and bullied than Americans would suffer the consequences. People should be able to reach a consensus and see each others side but the party split had reached the point where such cooperation was not a realistic goal.

KLM: "Pray keep moving, brother" Herbert Block The beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, was hallmarked by an allegiance to nonviolent protest. Sit-ins and boycott protested segregated and racially-restricted treatment. In 1960, the year of this illustration, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was established to organize African-American efforts for attaining civil rights. Although Christian teaching professed that all men are created equal, churches did not give equal treatment to Christians; Blacks were forbidden to worship within White churches, an irony that Herblock manipulated to demonstrate the absurdity of segregation. The church in question advertises that Christianity is “The Brotherhood of Man.” A door in the background is wide-open, suggesting that it is accessible for all to worship. Yet, a black man and his son are turned away from the “Brotherhood” that they should be granted entrance to as Christians. The church leader addresses the Black man as “brother,” demonstrating that they are religious brothers, despite the not brother-like treatment, further highlighting the irony in the Church’s treatment of African Americans. The illustrated Blacks seem innocent in their depiction with the young boy’s face cherubic and the man resigned, both well-dressed out of respect, making their punishment, unequal treatment, seem unwarranted. In fact, apart from the dark flush on the young son’s face, it is undistinguishable whether he is black or white, demonstrating that there really is no difference between the two feuding races, especially religiously. Meanwhile, the church leader seems apologetic, as if he knows that his church is not upholding religious teachings of equality. Like Oliver Brown of //Brown v. Board of Education,// the Black man and son are unable to attend the church closest to them and are forced to “keep moving” to a farther away and probably less cared for church. “Pray keep moving, brother” was published on August 8, 1960 by Herbert Block. Written in the bottom corner, Herblock notes that the cartoons should be published “Friday first mailing and Sunday daily.” Sunday is the most important religious day of the week for Christians. So, by publishing this cartoon on Sunday, Herblock is appealing to his readers’ religious sides as Christianity promotes charity and compassion. It would also open their eyes to the injustice within their own church, seeing parallels between the church in the cartoon and their own. Herblock’s cartoons had always depicted controversial topics, such as civil rights. Even as a white man, Herbert Block is willing to challenge the hypocrisy of Black subjugation. He chose religious segregation because it is easily reprehensible: although the segregation of public buildings does not uphold the 14th Amendment, proponents of segregation can claim that this defense depends on how one interprets the Constitution; meanwhile, Jesus’ teachings within the Bible are clear that all men are created equally, making the violation clear. “The Washington Post,” the publisher of all of Herblock’s cartoons, focuses the majority of its publications on political topics such as racial segregation, as its audience is largely composed of government figures ever-present in Washington DC.

4/3/2011

SMR:

The author of this material is unknown, however it is clear that whoever created it was referring to the Cold War conflicts between Nikita Khrushchev and John F. Kennedy. The author depicts both leaders in a stalemate; neither can win the arm wrestle, however both are threatening to press the button next to them. The bottom represents the start of a nuclear war. The material was produced during the Cold War, when the United States was scared that communism would spread through Europe and Asia, and the Red Scare swept the American people. The only defense Americans had to protect democracy against communism was the threat of hydrogen bombs. To the Americans’ dismay, they were not the only ones with that sort of power; Russia had been quick to follower the development of a hydrogen bomb. In the cartoon, the hydrogen bombs represent the only threat the two men have against each other. Since the bomb was their primary defense against the other, neither would use it, for fear of a nuclear war. However, both men externally seemed ready at the click of a button. In the past, enemies have always needed to look stronger or more powerful compared to the other, even if they weren’t necessarily. This material was most likely directed toward critics of Kennedy. Many, including Khrushchev, thought of Kennedy as too young for the presidency and having a weak foreign policy. The cartoon shows that, although Kennedy seems to be ready at the click of a button, he will not necessarily take action. The cartoon also showed the American people what kind of a stalemate the United States was in with Russia during the Cold War. The United States and the USSR were locked in a struggle that seemed to be evenly matched, where no one in the cartoon is depicted as stronger or more powerful than the other. The hydrogen bombs, on which Kennedy and Khrushchev are sitting, represent the high stakes that both men need to consider the destruction that could come out of their decisions.

KLM: Despite the First Amendment, religion, predominantly Christianity, had remained present in US schools until the 1960s, violating the separation between church and state. In some states, federally-funded schools would hold mandatory prayers and scripture readings from the Bible.However, various Supreme Court cases, such as //Abington School District v. Schempp// and //Engel v. Vitale,// challenged this academic institution and deemed in-school Bible reading to be unconstitutional, holding that it violated individual’s rights granted by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. These rulings were decided under progressive Chief Justice Earl Warren, who had consistently upheld the rights of the minority, such as those of African Americans and, now, non-Christians. This ruling, reemphasizing the separation between church and state in schools, was a great divorce from a previous court ruling in the “Scopes Monkey Trial,” which upheld the Butler Act, forbidding the teaching of evolution. President Kennedy had declared that this placed restriction would hopefully invoke a reformed sense of religious allegiance in Americans, especially in those who wanted to foster piety in their own children. Although the 1950s brought a resurgence in religion due to nuclear fears, Americans became increasingly hedonistic, the antithesis of devoutness, throughout the latter part of the 20th century. Published on July 18, 1963, two days after the //Abington School District v. Schempp// ruling, by Herbert Block, “What do they expect us to do — listen to the kids pray at home?” satirizes the reaction of the public to this ruling; religion had traditionally been taught and practiced within home, promoting family values and unity, yet Americans had strayed from this practice and emphasis on religion in the home. Also, Herblock distinguishes that the issue is that now the parents will have to listen to the prayers at home not that the kids have to pray at home, a selfish concern. This demonstrates that though kids may be taught religion, they lose any devoutness upon reaching adulthood, when they must focus on increasing their money and place within society. In this cartoon, the father acts as if it is the government’s responsibility to maintain youth’s abidance to religion. His actions are the antithesis to what religion emphasizes: forgive and repent. This demonstrates that Americans may be taught religion but they do not practice it in their general life or at home; adults especially didn’t practice what they preached. The depicted family is composed of stereotypical Americans: white with a mix of brown and blond hair and well-off with their separated kitchen and dining room, demonstrating that this reaction was equivalent to most American’s. Herblock, the illustrator, is not religious himself. However, unlike the depicted children, his mother personally attempted to engrain Christianity in him, not relying on the school system for his moral education.

SAF- This cartoon was drawn by cartoonist Herbert Lawrence Block, commonly known as Herblock, most popular for his cartoons concerning national domestic and foreign policy from a liberal perspective. Drawing for several different publications, this cartoon was published in the Washington Post in 1962. Clearly Herblock, like most others, had a negative view on nuclear warfare and the Cold War in general and viewed it as something that should be ended. The cartoon shows US president John F. Kennedy with Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev on top of Pandora’s Box labeled ‘nuclear war’ both looking at the other in a worn out and confused manner, possible representing a stalemate or confused state. Pandora’s Box is representative of the Cold War where the title, ‘Let’s get a lock for this thing’ shows that neither country had a strong desire to participate in nuclear action but was on the same page as the other and did not know where the Cold War was headed and was forced to stay prepared for the worst case scenario. This material most likely was aimed towards adults informed about nuclear warfare and the Cold War in order to show the growing tension and confusion among the US and Russia and to represent the equal reciprocal actions of the countries. Past the obvious evil, monster-like hand of nuclear warfare creeping out potentially trying to get both Kennedy and Khrushchev, the expressions on the two men’s faces help explain their situations. Both are trying to close the box, representing a mutual preference of no nuclear warfare however neither are fighting it very much, in response to each other they most mutually act strong and unafraid even if that is the opposite in which they truly felt. The confusions on their faces is in response to the unknowingness of their fellow opponent’s actions, the fact that either man at any time could start nuclear war was incredibly frightening not only for both men but for both countries. More specifically, the Pandora’s Box could be representing the recent Cuban Missile Crisis which had occurred previously in that year, where both leaders preferred no missiles to be aimed at the US and were all eventually taken down.

NMD- Dark Laughter



This political cartoon was created by Ollie Harrington. Harrington, a Democrat, was of multi-ethnic decent, and is constantly regarded as one of the most important civil rights and anti-racism activists of the late 1960s. Harrington had spent a great deal of time abroad during his studies in journalism, and was able to gain a very unique, and international , perspective of the wealth of the United States, and the outside perception of America's Jim Crow laws in the South. This political cartoon appeared in a July 1969 issue of the Daily World newspaper.During the 1960s, in the heat of the final stages of the space race as well as the recent innovations on ICBM and missile technology, not to mention the continued funneling of resources into American effort in Southeast Asia, meant that many Americans were turning a blind eye to the suffering of the neediest peoples of the world. With the decolonization of Africa and Asia, many 3rd world nations were left with wither highly abuse military dictatorships or autocratic governments which further accelerated the polarization of wealth in the countries, a pattern started by the former occupying colonials. With nowhere to turn locally, these needy people turned to the superpowers of the world for assistance, only to be rejected due to the lack of interests of the American populous and her politicians. The cartoon itself was created for the ignorant American working public. At the time when so many American eyes were turned to the sky, at Russia, or at Vietnam, many people tended to overlook the corrupt governments and starving peoples of the nations in Africa and Latin America. Since nobody cared about the problem, few people were able to effectively address it. Since so few people knew, or even cared about hunger in the 3rd World, let alone put it as a priority over the menace of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, Harrington chose to use this cartoon to raise awareness on an issue which so many had refused to acknowledge it existed. The atmosphere also hearkens back to President Eisenhower's address to the nation in which he expressed the looming danger of the military industrial complex, in which America would become a nation completely absorbed in its military might that it disregarded all humanitarian crises which might interferer with the production of more nuclear missiles than the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics possessed. The main idea which this cartoon is trying to convey is that for too long the United States, the proverbial land of plenty, has disregarded the poorest members of the global community in the interests of increasing her nuclear stockpile, with all these nuclear weapons being in excess to what the United States needs in order to maintain its safety. Instead of bombs, the money should be utilized for bread for the neediest of peoples.This cartoon still carries an extreme amount of significance because all across Africa, despite decades of economic investment in several African nations, strongmen still control much of the wealth in these nations, and all the while, the United States, even without another Soviet Union to compete with, still boasts a staggering $680,000,000, more than double what it was at the fall of the Berlin Wall, a statistic which shows we still have not learned our lesson. As President Eisenhower once said, "Every gun that is made every warship launched every rocket fired signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed those who are cold."

KLM: White American business owners had longer restricted entrance to their businesses; Blacks were forbidden entrance and service in all-White restaurants. Although, sit-ins had resisted this institutionalized practice, the challenge remained unsuccessful until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. President JFK, worried about America’s international image, was assured by Southern governments that their states would extend welcome, nondiscriminatory treatment toward Black foreign diplomats. Thus, Black non-Americans were treated better than Black American citizens. After specifying that they were not Americans but were representatives of a foreign country, Black emissaries were given preferential treatment, receiving service at all-White restaurants. Although, despite the 14th Amendment, African-Americans were given unequal treatment, other non-Americans Blacks were treated equally relative to White Americans, an irony that Herbert Block manipulated to demonstrate the hypocrisy of segregation. Herblock further demonstrates the irony of the all-White restaurant owners’ actions by depicting the African embassies more distinct from White Americans than he does normally; whereas he normally illustrates African-Americans as just a shade darker than White Americans, the African diplomats are shaded almost completely black, which, alongside their traditional African garb, makes them stand out among the White Americans a great deal more than African Americans would have. Herblock distinguishes that this hypocrisy occurs nationwide by naming the restaurant with both Northern and Southern stereotypical titles: “Ye Olde Yankee Noodle Tea Roome.” Also, by making the name old-fashioned, using colonial language, Herblock demonstrates that this practice broke a longstanding custom of segregation, as the restaurant employees are acting as if service to Africans is unprecedented. Whereas the restaurant employees seem unbothered by the absurdity of the situation, although one does seem to recognize that this is unprecedented, the dignitaries seem perturbed: it does not seem just to offer them preferential treatment over people of their own race. Thus, in a way, JFK’s plan, to depict the Civil Rights issues positively to international audiences, backfires: dignitaries personally witness the hypocrisy and unjustness of segregation. “It’s alright to seat them. They’re not Americans” was published in “The Washington Post” on April 26, 1961 by Herbert Block before the majority of Civil Rights victories were achieved. Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, Herbert Block supported minorities. With this cartoon, he hopes to incite public opinion against segregation by demonstrating this hypocrisy. Later, when asked whether America has improved, Herblock solely uses the desegregation of restaurants and theaters as a example of American improvement. The publication of Herblock’s work, “The Washington Post,” lacked a voice in all of his cartoons. Previously, during Eisenhower’s election, the “Post” disagreed with one of Herblock’s messages; choosing to temporarily separate from the “Post,” Herblock’s audience revolt, demanding the return and lack of censorship of Herblock’s cartoons. So, although some may disagree with Herblock's support for desegregation, they are powerless to prevent Block's broadcast of his message.


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