The owner of the LA Clippers is banned for life from the NBA and fined $2.6 million after audiotape of several racist comments he made during a conversation with his girlfriend is released.
From the looks of this guy he must be an exceptional speaker since his First Amendment right of $peech attracts such young and beautiful women.
Category: politics
Can you hear me now?
The Supreme Court hears 2 arguments today about whether the police can search the cell phones of suspects they arrest before obtaining an search warrant. Since most people today own smartphones which contain all sorts of private information, what the justices eventually decide will impact us all. My first question is, how many justices actually use cell phones?
Guns, guns, guns in Georgia
Georgia governor Nathan Deal signed legislation yesterday to allow guns to be carried in government buildings, churches, schools, and bars.
Cardinal Dolan: A “loyal American”
New York’s Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan appeared Easter Sunday on Face the Nation, talking mostly about the positive effect Pope Francis has had on the Church and a bit on the possible candidacy of Jeb Bush in 2016. He was also questioned about the change in public opinion about gay marriage in the US. This part of his reply caught my attention:
“Do I believe that society could be affected negatively if we tamper with the definition of marriage? Yeah. And that’s just not as a man of faith, that’s just, I’d like to think, as a loyal American — that if we tamper with that essential of human relationships – marriage — we’re sooner or later going to come to regret it.”
“A loyal American”? So, does that mean that people who support marriage equality are not loyal Americans? The Washington media in general is taken in by Cardinal Dolan’s jovial, good guy next door schtick but he’s always come across as a car salesman to me. I’m a bit surprised no one in the media picked up on his not so subtle suggestion that being against gay marriage somehow makes one a real American.
click image for animation at the Washington Post
Russian cartoonist Victor Bogorad
While I was at the conference in Caen I met the Russian cartoonist Victor Bogorad. Although I speak no Russian and Victor no English, we did discover that both of us had a limited ability to speak in German so we were able to communicate a little. One of the best things about being among cartoonists though, is that we really don’t need words. Someone will inevitably pick up a pen and start to draw- as Victor did continuously. I was lucky enough to be the recipient of several of Victor’s charming wordless sketches:
Day 3- Memorial de Caen cartoon conference
Panel: “Cartooning in war time”
Cartoonists from Palestine, Iran, Algeria, Morocco, and Russia discuss working in countries under repressive governments and during wartime.
Mohammad Sabaaneh, Palestine
“The most hard thing a cartoonist faces in the Arab world… is the audience”
Javad Alizadeh, Iran
“If I think about danger, I would never draw a cartoon”
Victor Bogorad, Russia
“Most magazines and newspapers prefer not to deal with the subject” (Putin and Ukraine)
Khalid Gueddar, Morocco
“Sex, Religion, Royal family” (taboos in Morocco)
Djamel Lounis, Algeria
“No satirical reviews in Algeria anymore (due to) repressive laws concerning journalists”
Day 2- Memorial de Caen cartoon conference
The cartoonists were taken on a tour of the museum and D-Day landings on Thursday. The museum is divided into sections, beginning with the events leading up to World War II. 
I found the area dealing with Germany in the early 30’s especially interesting because it shows how intolerance and fear enabled Nazism to gain power in Germany.
Memorial de Caen
This week I’m attending a cartoon conference in Caen, France with cartoonists from Algeria, Chad, France, Iran, Mexico, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, and Russia. I’ll be posting photos and updates from the event.
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No cameras in the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this past Tuesday for Sebelius v Hobby Lobby, one of the cases which brings up the question whether a business can deny its female employees birth control coverage under Obamacare because of the owners’ religious beliefs. As usual, the line for public seating started early. This is the scene Saturday morning:
By Tuesday the line had grown to this:
Only about 100 members of the public are seated for SCOTUS arguments; about another 100 seats are for the press and select choice seats are designated for guests of the Justices. Cameras are not allowed in the courtroom so the majority of Americans never get the opportunity to watch as one of their three branches of government makes important decisions which affect their civil liberties and personal lives.
My take about cameras in the courtroom from the Washington Post’s Post Partisan blog yesterday.
Here’s a good piece by Washington Post blogger Alyssa Rosenberg on the subject of cartoonists being allowed in the court.
Pat Oliphant, the best of the best
Just returned from a quick trip to NYC to attend a gallery opening of the great cartoonist Pat Oliphant. Here’s a few photos:
Oliphant drawing
Ed Sorel & Jeff Danziger
Signe Wilkinson, Tony Auth, Pat Oliphant at reception
Pat likes to play the crabby cartoonist but he’s really a sweetie
The Five Questions
I follow British editorial cartoonists and cartooning organizations on twitter so this morning there were several posts about the death of Tony Benn, a revered figure in UK politics. I have to admit I wasn’t aware of the impact he had on British politics. Listen to what he says about democracy and money in politics- and take a look at his ‘Five questions of Power’:
I’m afraid I have to agree with Benn that “It’s questionable whether either in America or Britain we have a democracy” when money is considered speech by the Supreme Court. See questions 2, 3, 4.
More sketches of CPAC 2014 speakers
