Pollitical Cartoon

1950’s and 2012 cartoon

This political cartoon displays two children hiding under their classroom desks, hands over their heads in a fetal position. The desk on the left says “1950’s” where as the desk on the left says the current year, “2012.” Both children claim to be hiding for a specific reason, the boy of the 50’s claims it is because of the Russians, while thee one on the left states that it is because of his fellow classmates. The message that the illustrator is attempting to convey is that the problems children of the 1950’s faced are very different than those that today’s current younger generation face on a day to day basis. At the time, the major issue that children, as well as people of all ages, faced was the threat of a potential bombing of the US by the Soviets. Various ‘duck-and-cover’ drills and maneuvers were practiced by the majority of schools, just as commonly, if not more often than todays rehearsed ‘Fire Drills.’ The illustrator is saying that, in comparison, the biggest issue that most kids and teens face in 2012 s bullying. In fact, a recent study shows that 90% of 4th through 8th graders report being victims of bullying, and 282,000 students attending secondary schools are physically attacked each month. Something as minuscule as bulling should not be as large of an issue then it is. I agree with the message being conveyed in this cartoon. As a student, I am a witness to acts of bullying almost every day. It is said that every 1 in 7 Students in Grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying. Bullying is an escalating issue that is often overlooked by most adults and other children. Many so-called ‘bullies’ don’t realize what they’re doing is cruel, and hurts. I and likely many others believe that, if enough awareness is raised about bullying, the issue may be able to be put to rest. Children should not have to feel the need to hide from those that should be nothing but kind to them.

Spoiled Christmas cartoon

It’s December, 2012, and Christmas is right around the corner. It’s been a long year and many people were looking forwards to spending this holiday season with their family and friends, and to enjoying the spirit of giving and family. But what can you give to someone who already has everything? The topic of this cartoon is “spoiled youths.” This particular topic was chosen because with the upcoming holiday, many parents and adults were wondering to buy for their family and friends, nephews, nieces and other relatives. Being a young person myself, I can observe that the majority of children and my fellow peers are spoiled. There is likely much confusion as to what could possibly be bought for them this Christmas. The message that we are attempting to convey is that children today are extremely spoiled, and there isn’t much that they don’t already have, as well as that the fact that people are so concerned with the materialistic part of this holiday, and what they could give and get, that they have lost touch with its true meaning, which is love and family. A Time/CNN poll in 2001 found that 68% of children are somewhat/very spoiled, and that 80% of kids are more spoiled than children were 10-15 years ago. So with the holidays rolling up fast, some people are at a stalemate as to what to purchase for their youth’s and relatives.
The image drawn portrays two spoiled children sitting amongst expensive goodies and presents, including high-tech computers, gaming consuls, and a massage chair that are all commonly part of an average American family’s possessions. The children’s minds are only concerned about money and what they could get out of the coming Christmas. The parents of the children look on them drearily and wonder what to get them for the upcoming holiday season, considering the fact that they are surrounded by everything that a child could possible hope for. The father asks, “What could we possibly get the kids this year?” to which the mother responds, “Let’s ask Siri,” showing that even some adults are technologically oriented. The bent over Christmas tree is meant to represent Christmas, and how the holiday doesn’t have as much meaning as it once did. The spirit is lost, much like the lack of garnishing and ornaments on the tree. The Angel that appears to be hanging on for dear life is much like those who actually still care, and striving to hold on to the classic holiday. Overall, the mood of the cartoon is a sad one, for it shows unless something is done about it, the future of the Christmas spirit is heading down hill for many.