Tallyman

The independent student publication for the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College in the United States has issued an unreserved apology for the publication of a cartoon which made a joke about violence against gay people. The paper has also begun an internal investigation. In an editorial statement on the papers website the Observer stated that “there is no excuse that can be given and nothing that can be said to reverse the damage that has already been done by this egregious error in judgment”.

The cartoon depicted a conversation which illuded that the best way to turn a ‘fruit’ into a ‘vegetable’ was with ‘a baseball bat’. I have to admit that this made me giggle a little inside, and then I felt bad. Whilst I don’t think this cartoon would have incited immediate gay-bashings across the campus of Saint Mary’s College, it did enforce negative stereotypes.

Many lives have been lost in this way. Only recently a friend of mine told me how her brother was killed ten years ago for just being gay. He was 15 and from the northside. Her story really touched me that night, and the effect it has had on her family.

The statement released by the paper was genuine. In the statement the paper acknowledged editorial deficiencies; “On our part, we must practice more responsible journalism and editing. That this comic was published reveals holes in our editing practices, which are currently being addressed”.

The Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins also condemned the cartoon.

Full statement can be viewed here.

Then again Campus, the DCU Students’ Union publication did make a less serious joke a number of weeks ago that caused uproar amongst gay students and indeed journalism students. The Students’ Union removed the offending publication from its website and made an unreserved apology. What struck me about this was people’s reaction to the calmness of those who complained, or should I say how reasoned those who complained were. They, like me, simply asked for an apology, not the firing or resignation of the Editor of Campus, who, let’s face can’t take criticism, and simply vented.

I was more offended that people expected the gays to be total drama queens about the hold thing than simply reasoned. You just can’t win can you!.

Was the student newspaper, the Observer, exercising free speech, or did they take it too far? in my opinion they took it too far. I silly locker-room joke, that belonged just there.