Building a case

In an age in which everything is shoutfest fodder, is there any more emotionally charged issue than the Lower Manhattan relocation of a moderate Islamic cultural center that was first established before the World Trade Center? (Oh, OK, “ground zero mosque” is so much catchier.) Nine years on, cartoonists freely evoke 9/11 imagery that would’ve sparked an American-style fatwa back then. Rob Rogers let fly with a first-rate defense of the 1st Amendment. Mike Lester put provocative final words in the mouths of terrorism victims. And I sought some hallowed middle ground: Most of us can accept anything a couple of blocks from where the twin towers stood, as long as it’s on a two-way street.

— Joel Pett

Joel Pett is the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for the Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky. His work also appears in USA Today.