An apology from The Green Sheet

I have been reading The Green Sheet for seven years now, and I can't think of another incident or showing of such blatant insidious racism as your March 27, 2006 Sarcasm Sells cartoon. The implication that to surprise, shock, scare a white person is to show them a black face is further than repugnant. Beyond defense.

In all these years I gathered that the point of the cartoons was to convey humor. This past issue went to hateful venom. I would like to ask this: Why a black mask with such a despicable characterization?

The Green Sheet's showing such knee-buckling stupidity in print gives me pause in whether you will read, care about or understand this letter. I wanted to make you aware that offense was taken. Your lack of understanding aside, how purposeful was your intent to offend? I think absolute. Your writings over the years and longevity have proven you too intelligent for any other explanation.

I cannot express my disappointment and disgust. This type of imagery, no matter what the mask, does not belong in your pages. Shame on you. Shame on you for seeing such a depiction and not putting it in the trash where it belongs. Shame on the Editor, singularly and collectively, for permitting such a vulgar display at the fore of your publication.

Terry Murray
Merchant Card Services

Terry:

Wow, we are blown away at your interpretation of this cartoon! We really blew it, and we apologize to you and to anyone else we may have stupidly offended. Given your letter, we see why this was a problem, and we are all surprised we did not see the possibility. We have removed the cartoon from our Web site.

As you know, the cartoon is a regular element of The Green Sheet, and in more than 22 years, we have never had a complaint about one of our cartoons. The publication is reviewed by a number of people in the preparation process.

The character's face in the drawing was not meant to be any particular ethnicity, but rather a generic party mask. No one here saw anything but a party mask. I can assure you that the artist did not intend to offend nor did anyone else on The Green Sheet staff.You have our sincerest apology.

Editor