To the Editor:
Although I don't know Bonnie Lam '10 personally, nor Alex Felix '08 or James Bleuer '08, I was angered by the BlarFlex comic in The Dartmouth Thursday. Felix and Bleuer have written one of the most racist comic strips I've seen. It manages to fit in way too many Asian stereotypes in three panels: accents, outsourcing, communism, corruption, strict parents, work ethic, dress, facial characteristics and "mail order brides." Additionally, it labels Lam as a "hooker" for no discernible reason.
I believe this comic should never have been printed because it is so offensive on so many levels. If Felix and Bleuer want to criticize the petition, they should do so, but they have no business attacking the writer personally.
Derek su '11
To the Editor:
I hope that The Dartmouth editorial staff has received many blitzes and letters about the BlarFlex comic Thursday. I want to say that in the instance of the comic published today, crying "freedom of speech" would be a poor substitute for human sensitivity and consciousness.
It is unfortunate that two Ivy League students lacked the creativity to come up with a comic that expressed their point of view without inciting racist stereotypes based merely on the name and actions of a student who attends Dartmouth College and will bear the ramifications of their actions.
In the coming days, the usual campus uproar may ensue: People will apologize and talk about their feelings, and the whole thing will blow over. In the meantime, I would challenge the editors of The Dartmouth to carefully consider the costs of exercising our precious freedoms.
Alessandra Necamp '09
To the Editor:
Taking a look at today's comic strip, "BarfFlux" (or whatever it's called), it occurs to me that the saddest part of it is not what you might think.
It's not the fact that it's another illustration of hiding insensitivity and incomplete moral development behind "freedom of speech."
It's not the fact that the perpetrators and their Phrygian pals don't seem to understand that "free speech" is not the same as "freedom for your anti-social and anti-intellectual speech not to be ridiculed and shunned by the community." (And that includes their mentors -- a boor with a doctorate or a board seat is still a boor.)
It's not even the fact that they seem to think there's some kind of bravery to the sort of homophobic, sexist, racist name-calling for which most of us got a well-deserved mouthful of soap before we reached the double digits.
I'm the president of the board that awards one of the two independent grants for comics creators, and from that perspective, the worst part to me is that they've committed the cardinal sin of propaganda art: it's badly drawn and ineptly written.
If you have something stupid and repulsive to say, at least express it competently.
Roger B.A. Klorese '77
Redmond, WA
To the Editor:
I was just downtown and picked up a copy of Thursday's The Dartmouth.
I was appalled to see the cartoon besmirching your fellow Dartmouth student.
Free speech is to be protected, but common decency and some level of decorum is expected of your publication. As the editor of the newspaper, you have a responsibility to draw the line well above the level of this cartoon.
How could you have let this happen -- or do you consider this acceptable as an example of free speech? Do you intend to meet your responsibility or are you joining the ranks of The Dartmouth Review as the scum of print media?
Bill Montgomery '52
Hanover, NH
