Example Of Following The American Psychological Association’s Guidelines Essay

Communication: Political Cartoons

Communication: Political Cartoons
The cartoon entitle, “Guiliani and Obama,” created by John Cole,” depicts three panels in which Obama involves his politics with the Muslim community . The first panel shows Obama stating that the country should listen to the grievances of Muslims. In the second panel, he asks a Muslim man what his grievances are. In the third, it is revealed that the Muslim is holding a bloody knife. He states his grievance is that his knife is getting dull, leaving Obama to laugh nervously in front of what we can assume is a disgruntled public.
The underlying claim in this cartoon is that all Muslim’s are terrorists. Obama assumedly chose one Muslim out of a crowd, asking him his grievances. This Muslim happened to be a terrorist. Few Muslims, compared to the culture as a whole, are terrorists; however, the cartoon appears to want the majority depicted as such. The cartoon is also communicating that the president should not be supporting any Muslim’s, but this is not outright. The insinuation that all Muslim’s are terrorists leaves readers believing that the president’s ideas about listening to their grievances are unpatriotic, and even idiotic. Moreover, there is an unstated communication that the liberal agenda is unpatriotic and idiotic be association. Given the state of the country, as well as the views many citizens hold on terrorism, most would probably find the cartoon very persuasive. Republicans, primarily, would view the cartoon as something that might actually happen. However, I see view the cartoon as pandering. Not all Muslims are terrorists, and the likelihood of Obama speaking to a terrorist candidly about his grievances are slim. Furthermore, I do believe we should listen to the grievances of Muslims because many are American citizens, much like many Christians, Jews, Mormons, and Atheists. The cartoon is about division, and is only persuasive to a specific group.
Another cartoon, titled, “Guiliani Losing It,” penned by Monte Wolverton, shows Guiliani doing just that: losing it. He gives a long, unfinished quote stating that Obama is determined to settle for nothing less than ruling our lives with Obamacare and other forms tyranny . The Guiliani of the cartoon states Obama wants to implant brain control devices in us, and even ship our bodies to Neptune where we will be experimented on by aliens. Many quotes appear to be the ramblings of an old man that has forgotten to take his medication.
The underlying claim or proposition of the cartoon is Republicans are taking their criticisms toward liberals too far. Obviously, Obama is not attempting to use Obamacare to implant mind control devices in our bodies, nor is a secret ISIS Al Qaeda terrorist. However, liberals appear to believe the best way to disarm Republicans is to bathe them in satire. Therefore, the cartoon communicates the criticism Republicans have for the Democratic Party, but then eliminates it by dramatizing the party’s accusations .
There are also underlying communications concerning the cartoon. They are communications Wolverton may not have intended to convey. The dramatization of Guiliani’s reaction in regards to Obama’s actions relays a certain sense of truth to some of the Republican Party’s criticism. If there were no truth to their criticism, there would be no reason to make fun of it so lavishly. Therefore, perhaps without meaning to, Wolverton has managed to admit the Democratic Party is at least guilty of creating a faulty healthcare plan. It is still unlikely that Obama is a terrorist, or that he is using the Southern border to shuttle Ebola infested bodies, but these dramatic productions feel too dramatic, as if they are being used to avert the reader’s gaze from the truth. With that in mind, I do not find the cartoon persuasive because the statements being made are simply not true. Nonetheless, I do find what it communicates to be thought provoking and valid, as it makes me wonder what truths are being hidden.

References

Cole, J. (n.d.). Guiliani and Obama. Caslecartoons.com.
Wolverton, M. (n.d.). Guiliani Losing It. caglecartoons.com.