The Debate Goes On

This cartoon was drawn by Mike Lane, and first published in the Baltimore Sun newspaper April 17, 2007, the day immediately following the shooting at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Upon first review of this particular cartoon, one can relatively easily surmise that Mr. Lane is inferring that the NRA, with their political influence and money upon Congress, was a direct and major contributing factor to the shooting.

The cartoon’s layout shows a respectful President Bush praying by a tombstone depicting a school massacre. Behind him, looking aloof and wringing their hands, are caricatures of a man representing the NRA (National Rifle Association) – with a revolver in his pants pocket, and another man representing Congress and the money given to members of Congress by the NRA. In the background it looks as if it’s raining, with lightning above the tombstone. The cartoon was drawn in black-and-white, which lends more of a somber mood to the cartoon.

The rhetorical strategy used by Mr. Lane is that of “cause and effect”. He shows the larger-than-life caricatures of the NRA and Congress standing behind President George Bush at a graveside, with a tombstone representing the school massacre. He draws the representations of Congress and the NRA looking away from the tombstone – almost like that of a small child not able to look at his mother and admit to stealing the last cookie out of the cookie jar. While Mr. Lane does not come out and directly state in words in his drawing that the NRA with their large coffers and political influence upon some members of Congress, he does make a strong statement with simple drawings.

As for the cultural resonance of this particular editorial cartoon, it can be agreed that the National Rifle Association is a powerful political group, with enormous political alliances and influences within both state and federal government agencies. It seems that once a shooting has been identified anywhere in the United States, there are those who are eager to place the blame directly on the shoulders of the National Rifle Association. The media, as well as some citizens, automatically try to twist the information regarding a shooting, especially a school shooting, into a forum upon which to get up on a soap box to squarely place the reason for the shooting on the shoulders of the NRA and its members. These people state that the political influence by the NRA upon certain members of Congress in getting laws and bills related to gun control either vetoed or filibustered to the point of not successfully passing a vote in Congress is the real reason that an individual will decide to take guns in their hands and randomly (or sometimes purposefully) start shooting people.

There is no doubt that this cartoon was drawn with a definite pathos appeal to the audience. The citizens of the United States, as well as the world, were in a state of shock as a result of the shooting. This cartoon, while serious in tone, seems to appeal and inflame the audience – to want to find somewhere to place blame for the shooting. It is a very effective strategy. The ethos and pathos used in publishing this particular cartoon - by playing upon the emotions of the viewing audience who were still in shock and outrage as a result of the random act of violence at a school – is quite effective. The cartoon immediately leads the viewer to have negative view of both Congress as well as the National Rifle Association. This cartoon was published the day after the shooting – much to soon for law enforcement officials to have determined the motive and/or cause for the horrible act of violence. Mr. Lane’s choice of visuals used in the cartoon automatically leads the viewer to have a negative opinion of the National Rifle Association as well as those members of Congress who are swayed by the organization. Mr. Lane very effectively is able to demonize both political groups while also showing the President of the United States seemingly unaware of what is really going on behind his back (according to the cartoon and its artist). While this cartoon makes a very powerful statement, instead of flaming the emotions and anger toward members of Congress and the NRA of the readers of the newspaper, this cartoon could have been just as effective by showing President Bush standing at the grave, with the family members of the shooting victims standing behind him – and perhaps a more fitting tribute to the victims and their families.

The real reason behind the shooting at Virginia Tech has yet to be determined, but as with any major shooting incident in this country, it seems that the two sides to the gun control debate once again rise to the surface. Gun control advocates paint a seemingly appealing picture, directly linking the easy availability of handguns and the resulting deaths with the idea that once the country is completely rid of handguns or that the ownership of guns by law-abiding citizens is so regulated that those law-abiding citizens don’t want to deal with the yards of paperwork that would be required to own and/or purchase a gun, that gun-related deaths will drop dramatically. The opposite stance to this, one supported by the NRA, is that which can be seen on various bumper stickers throughout the United States – “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. Mr. Lane’s cartoon only incites this debate.

Granted, a single political cartoon is not going to magically solve the gun control debate – one which has been raging for decades. Despite how one may feel about the issue of gun control – and everyone has an opinion, there is no denying that the National Rifle Association is a powerful force within this country.