Robot 6
14 cartoonists make NRA’s ‘anti-gun’ list
This might be why Mike Luckovich made the list
I don’t know, maybe lists like the widely reported rundown of “National Organizations with Anti-Gun Policies” on the website of the Institute for Legislative Action — the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association — are common, but just seldom made public. It seems rather Nixonian, to be honest. Who keeps an enemies list any more?
The list includes not only organizations but companies and individuals who have in some way publicly endorsed gun regulation, whether as a member of the Brady Campaign or just chattin’. And 14 editorial cartoonists make the cut. Alan Gardner helpfully pulls them out: Tony Auth, Steve Benson, Jim Borgman, Stuart Carlson, Mike Lane, Mike Luckovich, Jimmy Margulies, Jim Morin, Mike Peters, Kevin Siers, Ed Stein, Tim Toles, Garry Trudeau and Don Wright.
It’s a fair cop, I suppose. Editorial cartoonists are paid to express opinions, and everyone has an opinion about guns these days. But what on Earth is the point? Will the NRA be refusing to hire these guys? Would that have cartoonists shaking in their boots? It seems like they have plenty of bigger problems, like the implosion of the newspaper industry and the impending disappearance of all salaried editorial-cartoonist jobs. And does the Brady Campaign have a similar list of “pro-gun” cartoonists and organizations?
This would seem sinister if it weren’t so absurd. The list also includes the American Association of Pediatrics, Stonyfield Farm Yogurt and John Bon Jovi, along with plenty of other household names who don’t immediately make me think of well-regulated militias. Are Lisa Kudrow and Tony Bennett going to show up and take my guns away? Boycotting everyone on this list would leave you sitting alone in your basement with the lights off, eating store-brand ice cream and watching nothing but Fox News.
For the journalists and editorial cartoonists, though, it’s probably a feather in the cap. Back when I was a reporter, my newspaper’s coverage irritated a local politician so much that he had buttons made urging people to boycott us.
We were the envy of the newsroom.
(Cartoon above by Mike Luckovich.)
14 Comments
Marc C.
February 7, 2013 at 8:34 am
Oh no—the NRA hates you.
RedRaver
February 7, 2013 at 8:48 am
“Boycotting everyone on this list would leave you sitting alone in your basement with the lights off, eating store-brand ice cream and watching nothing but Fox News.”
You made your own point.
josh
February 7, 2013 at 8:57 am
F the NRA.
Lee
February 7, 2013 at 9:31 am
HA HA
…in a basement watching fox news…. ha ha
It’s like these guys make a career of regurgitating the same jokes.
Or at least pointless blogs that point out how nitpicky lobbying groups are, I’m sure thats not common sense to the general populace
Eric T.
February 7, 2013 at 9:52 am
The Southern Poverty Law Center has, as one of its missions, taken to identifying and listing organizations and individuals that they have decided are ‘hate-mongers’, bigots, extremists, racists, and the like. Conservative pundits used to cheer every time they made Keith Olbermann’s ‘Worst Person in the World’ lists. I’ve seen lists of ‘enemies’ (IE: political opponents and activists of differing ideologies) from countless lobbying organizations and non-profits. How many LGBT-rights groups have a list of businesses that support the Boy Scouts of America?
Somehow the NRA having such a list is troubling and/or scary? Terrifying? Absurd? Really? The point might simply be to educate members of the NRA that (for example) Tony Bennett is anti-gun, so that said members can have an intelligent conversation with someone who heard Tony Bennett’s speech the other day. (Cue the snarky comments re: intelligence and NRA membership..)
Hank
February 7, 2013 at 10:05 am
“Who keeps an enemies list any more?”
You mean, OTHER, than Pres. Obama?
(citations: “Darrell Issa: President Obama has ‘enemies list’” By KATIE GLUECK | 9/20/12 9:53 AM EDT, Politico; “The Obama Campaign’s Nixonian ‘White House Enemies List’” by Doug Schoen, 5/14/2012 @ 7:53PM, Forbes)
Sirkowski
February 7, 2013 at 11:04 am
There’s a lot of Jews and minorities in that list.
Also, when you count Unitarians in your enemy list, you’re certifiable.
DiRT
February 7, 2013 at 12:08 pm
“Who keeps an enemies list any more?”
You mean, besides the drone loving President of the United States?
venom_aa
February 7, 2013 at 12:10 pm
wait someone said educate and NRA in the same phrase? Was that a joke?
Joey
February 7, 2013 at 12:27 pm
F**k it, if I ended up on a NRA enemies list I’d take as a badge of honor
gcat
February 7, 2013 at 9:25 pm
We now need a political cartoon about the NRA keeping a list of political cartoonist who have made political cartoon for gun regulation.
Brenticles
February 8, 2013 at 4:24 pm
This is an inanely stupid article. Sorry I wasted the time to read it but much more surprised someone took the time to write it. Seriously you didn’t know lobby groups keep lists of people that are OPPOSED to them and/or their views? Every lobby group, both conservative and liberal, does that. It’s basic market research. If you know who opposes you and what they say, you can then form a counterargument, talking points, etc. so your reps won’t be caught flat-footed when they make an appearance or give an interview. It’s politics 101.
Kevin Melrose
February 8, 2013 at 4:26 pm
So, you wasted your time reading it, but then decided to spend more time responding to it …
Brigid Alverson
February 10, 2013 at 11:05 am
Keeping some sort of a list doesn’t surprise me that much, although this one seems to be weirdly broad in its scope; it’s making it public that strikes me as odd.