Cartoon a disservice to paper’s credibility

Richard Taylor

For a paper so consumed with political correctness, one has to take

pause at the editorial cartoon displayed in Sunday’s Forum page,

titled “Pain in the Arst.”

Ironic, isn’t it? The Daily Pilot takes great zeal in punishing

Newport Beach City Councilman Dick Nichols for his off-color remarks,

loves to lampoon Newport Beach as an economic bully over myriad

issues and runs a weekly column where readers are lectured on how to

behave in relationships with their children.

Nevertheless, in a momentary lapse of reason (or was it?), a

cartoon prominently features a crude and tasteless comparison between

the posterior of one’s anatomy, associated with crude innuendo, and a

74-year-old community activist, whose only crime is a firm and

genuine interest in making Newport Beach a better place to live.

The play on words, as offensive and undeserving as it was, was the

latest escalation in a very obvious attempt to discredit Phil Arst,

and the organization he represents, Greenlight.

In the past few months, Arst has been personally attacked, in

print and at council meetings, by those who disagree with his basic

right to engage in an open and frank dialogue -- without fear of

repercussion or reprisal -- about the city’s future.

By pandering to the powers that be, with this tasteless editorial,

the Pilot weakens its own credibility and journalistic integrity --

particularly as it pertains to the Pilot’s ability to monitor and

report, in an unbiased manner, on issues that pertain to city

government. The Pilot is clearly working very hard not to offend

someone -- and it’s not Arst.

For whatever reason they chose to run it, this slight does nothing

to extend the dialogue on the issue of the over-development of

Newport Beach. It does succeed, however, in providing fodder for

those who would stifle and ridicule those who differ with the status

quo.

* RICHARD TAYLOR is a member of the Greenlight Steering Committee.