Erica Hebert: Police in U.S. are not judges, juries and executioners

To The Daily Sun,

Regarding last week's “horrific cartoon:” The irony did not escape me that the offended were most upset with the cartoon and not the systemic racism and police brutality that triggered the artist to create such a cartoon. The fact that there are children out there in fear of police because they may have watched a parent (such as Jacob Blake) be shot or beat up is not worth your outrage but do not let The Laconia Daily Sun post such trash as a cartoon depicting that real fear. Isn’t our freedom great?

Before everyone starts to jump, it does not matter what any of these victims were doing prior to being shot or abused by police or what kind of criminal they may have been. The punishment regardless of these crimes is not instant death. Police are to protect and serve. They are not judges, jury and executioners.

If you feel that bad about a cartoon, just imagine how people of color, citizens in this country, feel knowing that their neighbors and fellow citizens are more upset with a cartoon that is truthful than the actual police brutality and racism actually happening to them. The sad part is that this article created more of an uproar in our community than the reason we have articles like this.

If each and every one of you who wrote, called or complained about this cartoon took a moment to realize that the cartoon isn’t upsetting because of its content, but the reality that active shooter drills, school shootings, and racism are alive and well in 2020. Instead of sitting up on that moral high horse being angry at The Daily Sun but, instead get up and be the change we need to see in the world. No longer can we tolerate hate, no more time to discriminate, its time for us to demand change! We need to stop these scared children from becoming angry adults who distrust and dislike our police by breaking this vicious cycle. Demand police get the training they need and demand we stop systemic racism.

The Daily sun DOES NOT NEED to apologize to the public for this article as it was thought provoking and inciting a reaction from the public which is EXACTLY WHAT POLITICAL CARTOONS ARE FOR. They also should not have to discontinue the editorial cartoon section due to a few ruffled feathers. Talk about snowflakes….

Erica Hebert

Laconia