A cartoon by Don Wright that appeared in the January 16 edition of the Palm Beach Post led to a flurry of complaints by local Catholics. Many called us or faxed us the cartoon. The cartoon, available on the newspaper’s online site, shows a woman sitting in a chair pondering what is a cruel caricature of Catholic Church teachings on sexuality. Here is what she says:
“For women, sexual conduct is always closely monitored. The Catholic Church tells me what I can or cannot do with my body. Truly unforgiving. Absolutely no compromises. Unless, of course, you’re a pedophile.”
At the behest of Catholic League president William Donohue, the league’s director of communications, Patrick Scully, called Randy Schultz, editorial page editor of the Florida daily, asking for an apology. “There will be no apology because there is nothing to apologize for,” said Schultz. He added that the cartoon was simply a “critique” of the Church’s “policies.” When asked by Scully whether he knew of any Don Wright cartoons that looked critically at Judaism or Islam, Schultz said, “I find your question repulsive.”
William Donohue sent the following remarks to Schultz’s colleagues in the media all over Florida:
“So Randy Schultz finds it ‘repulsive’ to ask whether his newspaper merely looks critically at Judaism or Islam, but finds it perfectly acceptable to justify anti-Catholicism. In doing so, he makes a point the Catholic League has been making for years: many of our cultural elites, who consider themselves absent of even a trace of bigotry, have a tolerance for anti-Catholicism that is rivaled only by their intolerance for anti-Semitism. Schultz digs himself in even deeper when he pretends that the Wright cartoon was simply a ‘critique’ of Church ‘policies.’ It would be more accurate to say it was a vicious attack on Catholicism. But to admit that would be to admit to bigotry and that is not something Schultz has the courage to do.”
The same cartoon was picked up by other newspapers, including the New York Times. We are happy to note that Bishop William K. Weigand, Bishop of Sacramento, registered a strong complaint with the Sacramento Bee for its decision to reprint the Wright cartoon. We followed suit. Now it’s time that Schultz heard from you. Write to him at:
Randy Schultz
Editorial Page Editor
Palm Beach Post
P.O. Box 24700
West Palm Beach, FL 33416
randy_schultz@pbpost.com
Tell him that he and his boy Don Wright are doing such a good job that we’ve decided to honor them with an entry in next year’s Annual Report on Anti-Catholicism.
