Cartoonists’ Use of Sacred Symbols

Political cartooning is meant to be provocative, and should be. It should never, though, in an effort to outrage, cross the line between truth and falsehood, certainly not when it slurs an entire ethnic or religious community in the process.

Paul Conrad’s “Drawingboard” (Nov. 24) portrays an ardently religious Jew’s hat and earlocks atop a broken-armed menorah, or candelabrum, and carries the legend “Only I am a Jew.”

The canard that some Orthodox Jews consider less-observant or entirely unobservant Jews as anything other than full Jews seems to possess the inexplicable longevity of the infamous Jewish blood-libels that circulate in certain Arab lands.

RABBI AVI SHAFRAN

Director of Public Affairs

Agudath Israel of America

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Conrad’s incisive cartoon will be challenged, as the quote is not the precise language of the Orthodox rabbis, but surely their intent.

Their refusal to accept Conservative and Reform rabbinical rights and their insistence conversion be theirs to make is at the heart of the controversy, and should not prevail.

HYMAN H. HAVES

Pacific Palisades

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I am disturbed by the cheap shots taken by Michael Ramirez in his Nov. 21 cartoon (“Tomb of the unknown campaign contributor”). As neither a Clinton apologist or detractor, it would seem that there are plenty of grounds for humor in his administration without using unproven accusations by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s press toadies.

Arlington and the other national cemeteries are sacred to all of us and holding the cemetery and our president up to ridicule can certainly wait for stronger evidence.

JOHN LAY

Morro Bay

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Ramirez’s political cartoons are a delightful addition to the Commentary page. But I haven’t really considered him a worthy successor to longtime Times political cartoonist Paul Conrad--until Nov. 20. His startling, provocative, gutsy image of a bleeding Koran pierced by the sword of terrorism is, in fact, in the same league as the best of Conrad.

JON KAISER

Claremont

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The Nov. 20 Ramirez cartoon is absolutely baseless. The Koran is a divine book that could never be damaged or destroyed. It is a book of guidance and blessings that forbids evils and encourages goodness.

ABDUL HAMEED

Anaheim