So now Judaism is highlighted in the violence of AntiFA

[question everything]

A cartoon by Lisa Benson - whoever she is - that appeared in the local paper



I hope to see some letters protesting this.


Edit to add: that "sign" shows no swastikas, no confederate flags, no KKK, not even crosses. Only the Star of David among the "generic" items.

[customerserviceguy]

1. Any chance

that could be a ninja throwing star?

[question everything]

2. Don't know. The character on the left has a five point star on his shirt.

On the right it is a six point star.

Don't know whether the AntiFa character is dressed like a ninja.

[customerserviceguy]

3. The stars on the US flag have five points

I think that's what the character on the left represents.

I see all kinds of potentially damaging items, like screws and nails on the word balloon on the character on the right, and that's why I thought of a ninja throwing star. I don't see an overly anti-Semitic message in the political cartoon.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. Yes, the stars on the US flag have 5 points, but they aren't yellow.

Is this overly anti-Semitic? I don't know that it is, but I do think the possibility of dog-whistles is there. This reeks of casting the right as "the new Jews" being bullied by the left, and the addition of a six-pointed "throwing star" on the antifa person, well, that is suspicious IMO.

[Mosby]

6. the alt-right think antifa is a soros creation.

Last edited Sun Sep 3, 2017, 04:31 PM - Edit history (2)

Why is the six pointed star there among screws and nails? What's the metaphor, free speech is being screwed by antifa, but is it also being "jewed"?

Or it could just be a "ninja" throwing star, one point is embedded in the talk bubble. What does the talk bubble even mean?

Another edit: if you google throwing stars and check out the images you will see 3,4,5,6, and 7 pointed stars.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. 4 and 5 points seem to be the norm.

Though, I saw 3 and 6 were not terribly uncommon, however, 7 points was quite uncommon. I just find it odd that with all the nails and screws to thrown in ONE "throwing star". Yeah...doesn't pass the smell test.

Just checked...she is a RW nutter! Run a Google search on her other cartoons and it tells you everything you need to know about her.

[customerserviceguy]

7. It's not terribly obvious

exactly what message the artist was going for in this cartoon. Most political cartoons I get in an instant, some, like this one, leave me scratching my head.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. I agree. There seems to be some ambuguity.

And in the age of this "president", I tend to be very cautious when ambiguity is present. It almost seems to say the antifa are attacking "random Joes", but that isn't happening. It is confusing to say the least. I also know nothing about the artist.

[question everything]

9. So I went in search of Ninja stars

(always thought that Ninjas were turtles, or that singer Niki Ninja?)

http://allninjagear.com/ninja-stars

And all these stars have a center from which the points extend out, apparently they were designed to hide a weapon.

There clearly is not a core to the Star of David which is composed of two triangles, and no place to hide a weapon. (A Bumerang, perhaps?)

[raven mad]

4. I'm thinking from martial arts, a Shuriken? (Throwing Star).

If not, the Washington Post needs to answer to it. She's freelance, Lisa Benson: https://www.washingtonpost.com/syndication/cartoonists/lisa-benson/?name=lisa_benson

[MosheFeingold]

10. Yeah, I don't see it. n/t

[question everything]

11. At least they published one letter today (not mine)

ANTI-SEMITISM

Did syndicated cartoonist intend to send an encoded message?

I am puzzled by the intent of the syndicated cartoon by Lisa Benson published on the Sept. 2 Opinion Exchange page. It shows an innocent-looking patriot (judging from the star on his chest and a “USA” on his baseball cap) holding a “free speech” sign while a masked “antifa,” or anti-fascist, member looks on. The antifa member is holding his own “free speech” sign, but his is a weapon punctuated with nails and screws. The question that the cartoon raised for me was: What is Benson hoping that we infer from an item resembling the Star of David nestled among the instruments of harm on the antifa sign? Is she implying that the antifa faction is composed of, dominated by or directed by Jews — suggestions for which I’ve seen no support — or is she simply signaling her bigotry? Absent the star, the cartoon could be a springboard for a serious discussion over such issues as the line between free speech and hate speech or whether violence is ever justifiable. With the star, it simply appears to be an anti-Semitic slur.

Leigh Lawton, Edina

http://www.startribune.com/readers-write-immigration-policy-st-paul-ford-site-redevelopment-anti-semitism-diversity/442810883/

====

This was actually clever. Publish the cartoon on a Saturday of a three days holiday..