Ramirez’s Inept Take on Bush and Lincoln

Michael Ramirez’s editorial cartoon (Commentary, May 10), which tried to draw an analogy between Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and President Bush’s recent grandstanding on an aircraft carrier, was almost stupefyingly misconceived and idiotic. Comparing one president’s eulogy for the recent war dead and another’s joyride at the expense of taxpayers, culminating in a meaningless photo op and speech declaring the obvious, is a complete misapprehension of the latter and an insult to the former.

Lincoln had his flaws, like all men and presidents, but his memory is demeaned by the implication that his famous speech at Gettysburg was anything but a sincere tribute to those on both sides of the conflict who made the ultimate sacrifice for their ideals, patriotism and countrymen. Ramirez may be a splendid draftsman, but his grasp of history and context has clearly eluded him here.

John C. Kruize

Lake Balboa

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Ramirez’s cartoon comparing Bush to Lincoln has to be among his most hilarious and profound. Ramirez says it all by contrasting Lincoln’s oratorical skills and the emotional burden he bore during a tragic but necessary war to G.W.’s sophomoric fist-pumping and playing at tail-hook aviator to mark the end of his self-authored war with a fourth-rate power. It is a profound commentary on how the American character has diminished.

Steve MacDowell

Buena Park

Ramirez fails to understand that the only connection between Lincoln and Bush is that Bush gave his speech on a carrier named after Lincoln. Sen. Robert Byrd’s comment on Bush’s speech was on the mark.

Gary Nagy

Gardena