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Is the fight over the content of insensitive editorial cartoons the beginning of a new interest in cartooning?  If so, it would come at a time when the number of editorial cartoonists is in steep decline. A 2004 Neiman Report [PDF] on cartoonists said that 10 years ago, there were 150 salaried editorial cartoonists in America. Now, the report said, there are about 85 left. I have seen other estimates -- all of them lower. The report includes interviews with a number of publishers, explaining why editorial cartoons are important.

What makes a great editorial cartoon? What are the most memorable cartoons from your town?

Daryl Cagle's Web site not only includes links to the cartoons that have caused so much pain and furor but it includes cartoons about the cartoons. The site includes a lesson plan for teachers (elementary through high school) who want to talk about free speech and editorial freedom. 

The American Association of Editorial Cartoonists also has a Web site that includes an official statement about free speech. The site includes a large collection of cartoons. The AAEC has a large collection of historic cartoons, as well.

The Religious Reaction
 

Slate.com tries to explain why graven images are a problem for some religions but not for others. Which ones ban drawings of religious figures, while others are big on statues, paintings, symbols and such?

ReligionLink.org, the excellent Web site of the Religion Newswriters Foundation, offers these ideas, journalist resources and background notes:

Scholars offer several points for reporting on the cartoons:

• Islam sternly prohibits images of God and his prophets. Islamic scholars say, however, that images of Muhammad can be found in markets in Shiite Iran, Egypt and South Asia, and that the current controversy has more to do with the characterization of Muhammad. (The Bible contains a prohibition against "graven images" in the Ten Commandments. See Exodus 20:4). Religioustolerance.org offers a comparison of the Ten Commandments in the Bible with similar passages in the Quran.)

• Religious scholars say Muhammad himself has not been a source of controversy within Islam or between Islam and other religions for centuries. Islam's controversies have primarily arisen over interpretations of the Quran -- the words revealed to [Muhammad by God] -- and over issues of who has authority to speak for Islam.

• Debate also arises over sayings of Muhammad outside the Quran. Historian Bernard Lewis noted in his 2002 book, "The Crisis of Islam," that there is a saying attributed to the prophet that not all scholars believe is valid: "If anyone insults me, then any Muslim who hears this must kill him immediately." Osama bin Laden's belief that Muslims have a duty kill Americans is based partly on this saying, coupled with his belief that all Americans insult Muhammad because of the actions of the U.S. government and the nature of U.S. society, scholars say.

• Starting with Muhammad, who experienced success as a merchant, warrior and statesman, Islam has had a history of inspiring followers to feel bound by religious fellowship that transcends national loyalties.

Why it matters:

Since the attacks of 9/11, non-Muslims' dearth of knowledge about Islam has been thrown into sharp relief. The current violent protests over the cartoons have shown that while knowledge of Islam has grown among Westerners, the sensitivities of different groups within Islam are still little-understood and potentially explosive.

Questions for reporters:

What is the reaction to the Muhammad cartoon controversy among the local Muslim community? Along with academics, talk to local imams and local Muslims in order to get a more well-rounded view.

How are non-Muslim clergy in your community reacting to the controversy? Do they understand it? Are interfaith groups taking on the issue of the cartoons?

At the end of the ReligionLink article is an interactive map of the United States. You can click on specific regions of the country to find sources in your area.

Beliefnet puts some perspective on the story. 

The Oregonian Meth Project -- On TV

I the past few years, PBS's "Frontline" investigative documentary unit has produced outstanding investigations with The New York Times on worker safety and national security. Now, "Frontline" and The Oregonian have teamed up for a documentary that taps into the paper's groundbreaking work investigating America's meth epidemic beyond the users and the crime that follows the addictions. (See the "Frontline" Web site for the project.) 

The program makes this promise:

"The Meth Epidemic" tells the story of two potential solutions to the crisis and examines why neither was fully tried. In the mid-'80s, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration first proposed controlling the retail sale of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in cold medicines by having customers register at the counter and limiting how much they could buy. Pharmaceutical companies, however, resisted the DEA's plan. Alan Rexinger, a lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry, felt the DEA was overreacting and unfairly punishing a legitimate business: "They have a different way of thinking. DEA agents carry guns; DEA agents are killed in the jungles of South America. But when you're working in Congress, you don't need to carry a gun. We felt like we were being treated just like a Colombian drug lord." Meanwhile, Gene Haislip, a former deputy administrator at the DEA, says: "They live in the business community, where the name of the game is to make money and sell product. They're highly skilled, very well organized and very well funded, and they can be quite formidable." Faced with a choice, the White House and Congress ultimately exempted cold medication from the regulatory proposals.

The second DEA approach was to regulate the source of the ingredients. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are highly sophisticated chemicals that can only be produced in a handful of huge, legal laboratories worldwide, thus making them potentially easy to track. But with Washington's primary focus on cocaine and heroin, meth took a bureaucratic back seat. 

Al's Morning Meeting readers know that I am a fan of the paper's work on this story -- so naturally I am excited that they have found a way to turn it into great TV. You can see a preview of the program online. "Frontline" will also make the program available online after it airs.  The project airs Tuesday night.

I asked Tom Maurer, team leader for the crime, justice & pubic safety beat at The Oregonian, to explain how this convergence project came about. He wrote: 

We agreed to be part of this venture because we had reached nationally significant conclusions about methamphetamine and we wanted to share them with the broadest possible audience.

 

It was clear to us that commercial television would not be able to devote the time necessary to explain the complex reasons behind the methamphetamine epidemic. Our managing editor for enterprise, Stephen Engelberg, approached Frontline out of respect and admiration for the way they approach complicated public policy issues. He had worked with Frontline previously in his role as investigative editor of The New York Times.

 

The resulting work is a co-production of Frontline and Oregon Public Broadcasting. In addition, Oregonian reporter Steve Suo, was intimately involved in shaping the ideas behind the program. This was a true partnership between Steve and Carl Byker, the producer who made the show happen. 

As background: Here is The Oregonian's special projects page, called "Unnecessary Epidemic."

Copper Prices Spiking

The price of copper is still sky-high and climbing. We have talked several times about how these prices are behind lots of thefts of wiring and pipes.

Teen Girls Smoking and Using Drugs More Than Boys

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy says that teenage girls having caught up to the boys in how much they drink, smoke and use drugs. In fact, the government says that more girls are just now starting to use drugs and smoke than boys.

The feds say:

The findings show that when girls use illicit drugs, marijuana is the most commonly used substance. Marijuana is used more than cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy and all other illicit drugs combined. And for the last two years that research is available (2003 to 2004), more teenage girls than boys started using marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes. (The full [PDF of the] report on girls and drugs can be accessed at www.MediaCampaign.org [and here].)

"Over the last few years, we have seen overall drug use decrease among teens -- boys and girls. But the trends of substance use among our adolescent girls are alarming," said [director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) John P.] Walters. "Girls are telling us that they understand the risks associated with drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. But that doesn't appear to be stopping them from using. We are urging parents to become aware of the unique risks that make our daughters vulnerable to substance use and to talk to them about why it's important to stay drug-free."

Research shows that teenage girls use drugs and alcohol for different reasons than boys. Many girls experience a dramatic transition during early adolescence, marked by a decline in their self-esteem and self-confidence. And girls are more than twice as likely as boys to report depression. Indeed, surveys show that young females tend to use alcohol or drugs to improve mood, increase confidence, reduce tension, cope with problems or lose inhibitions. Another often-cited reason among girls for their substance abuse is weight loss. In fact, girls' use of diet pills is up to four times that of boys.