Foley: Disappointed in cartoon choice

In regard to the editorial cartoon that ran in the Oct. 10 print edition, I feel compelled to bring to your attention how dangerously misleading the oversimplified “story” presented in this cartoon is.

It represents Hamas as a hornets’ nest. So this cartoon is saying that Hamas is a bunch of potentially annoying creatures, but if left alone, they’ll leave you alone — so if they sting, it’s your fault.

It represents Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — and for many readers it will represent Israel as a whole — as someone going out of his way to antagonize the otherwise quiet, harmless hornets and, basically, asking for what they got.

I’m sure you are well-read enough to know — Hamas is a religiously fanatic, terrorist regime that has taken authoritarian control over the people of Gaza and whose sole purpose is to destroy the nation and the people of Israel. They are not a nest of hornets going about their own business; their business is terror. Their business is to kill Israelis. And, given the chance, they would make it their business to kill me … and you … and any other Western infidel.

I do realize that there is a senseless, horrible cycle of violence that this cartoon also alludes to … but the messaging is not clear, not creative, and not constructive. It is misconceived (hopefully unintentionally or just lazily), misleading, and dangerously so in all cases.

Respectfully but disappointed

Jon Foley
Aspen