"Tasteless" cartoon?

This morning’s cartoon -- about the machine-gun death of a boy at a gun expo -- sparked a lot of comment, some positive, more negative. “Tasteless,” “callous,” and “disgusting” were some of the words used to describe it. Some of the criticism comes from habitual Globe bashers or gun nuts beyond reason, but others raise honest questions about the role of cartoons, particularly in the wake of tragedy. I’m not in the habit of explaining cartoons, but I think this is an opportunity to talk about cartooning, what it is and is not.

Editorial cartoons are instant, distilled, graphic commentary on breaking news. Often they are funny, sometimes whimsical and occasionally grim. They cover some of the most difficult issues –- issues people feel uncomfortable discussing, like sex, religion, racism and the death of children. Inevitably, cartoons on sensitive subjects offend someone’s sensibilities. The question is whether the offending was gratuitous or not.

Today’s cartoon is not funny in a “Ha ha” way. It is an attempt to express my outrage that we, as a society, permit an 8-year old to fire an Uzi. In my opinion, and the opinion of many others, it’s crazy, nuts, insane. The drawing’s exaggeration is intended to convey that. It’s not a joke about a boy dying -- it’s a cry in cartoon form that we not let it happen again. That would mean challenging the gun lobby that has been so successful in intimidating politicians and blocking sensible limits on gun sales and use. (By the way, I am not an anti-gun zealot. I first took my son shooting when he was 10 – with a rifle that was appropriate to his age and strength.)

Then there is the question: should cartoonists comment on personal tragedy? It depends on the nature of the event and its wider implications. In this case, the tragedy is not just a private one. We all have some responsibility, as a society, for the recklessness behind Chris Bizilj’s death. It’s not the same as a swimming pool drowning or a bike accident. We let the NRA run amok with predictable consequences. That was the target of the cartoon, not the family. We can treat each gun death as just a tragic part of life, or we can look at our political decisions and see the consequences. Cartoons can be mirrors, and sometimes the reflection is not pretty.

UPDATE 10/30 Globe editorial on the same subject here.