Am watching “The Hateful Eight” on Netflix this week. With the 30 inches of snow dumped on us recently, it is kind of fun to watch a flick about folks dealing with a blizzard.
Since I had already seen the original version, am viewing the extended one.
The scene where Kurt Russell’s character smashes the circa 1870 Martin guitar provided fodder for one of my editorial cartoons.
This cartoon ran in the “Bethlehem Press” in February of 2016:
© Ed Courrier
I was inspired to create this cartoon after watching the new administration being sworn in on Inauguration Day. I could not help but feel a sense of relief after the last four to five years of dread, division, and destruction. I hope the torn fabric of democracy can be stitched back together.
President Trump signed an executive order to defer the payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare until next year, which on the surface APPEARS reasonable, yet ill-advised. But, he has already said, “If I’m victorious on Nov. 3, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax.”
Without an alternative source of revenue, this will cripple, if not destroy these popular safety net programs.
Remember, it was Trump who “downplayed” the pandemic to shore up Wall Street at the expense of the health and safety of us folks on Main Street, rural lanes, and suburban cul-de-sacs.
This guy, who has acted as an orange wedge between neighborhoods, ethnic groups, political parties, and even family members has politicized the simple act of wearing face masks as a precaution against COVID-19.
He told state governors they were on their own. Trump then sabotaged their efforts to follow CDC guidelines on what to do and when to open up, by tweeting messages out to racist right-wing militias to “Liberate Michigan,” and other Blue States.
Trump actually said, “I don’t take responsibility at all.” This is NOT what leadership is about!
Vote BLUE for all down ballot candidates … it is the Republicans who are working hard on suppressing the vote and stacking the Supreme Court with a “Super Majority.” This turns it into a rubber stamp instead of a check on Executive and Legislative power.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post …
The “New York Times” points out that it is the Trump Republicans, NOT the Biden Democrats who are raising taxes on the middle class and working poor. The tax cuts for these two groups expire next year. The tax cuts for the Super Wealthy were made PERMANENT.
Keep in mind that the wealth did NOT “Trickle-Down” to average citizens as promised.
Nobel laureate in economics, Joseph E. Stiglitz writes in his Oct. 31 2020 opinion column, “President Trump built in tax increases beginning in 2021, for nearly everyone but those at the very top.”
Please check out his column before casting your vote today.
This cartoon ran in the “Bethlehem Press” in 2017. Unfortunately, the president is still focused on enriching the rich while paying for it by cutting public programs that serve everyone: wealthy, middle class and poor.
The “New York Times” just pointed out that it is the Trump Republicans, NOT the Biden Democrats who are raising taxes on the middle class and working poor. The tax cuts for these two groups expire next year. The tax cuts for the Super Wealthy were made PERMANENT.
Keep in mind that the wealth did NOT “Trickle-Down” to average citizens as promised.
Nobel laureate in economics, Joseph E. Stiglitz writes in his Oct. 31 2020 opinion column, “President Trump built in tax increases beginning in 2021, for nearly everyone but those at the very top.”
Please check out his column before casting your vote tomorrow.
CourrierToons presents this solo exhibition featuring political cartoons published in the Bethlehem Press and other Lehigh Valley Press weeklies, as well as some unpublished work.
The recipient of several Keystone Press awards for his work, Courrier’s editorial cartoons have scored First Place in the Keystone Press Division 7 Graphics/Photo Illustration award category for the past five years.
“Gerry Mander,” originally published November 16, 2016 in the Bethlehem Press, was one of his cartoons to receive a First Place Keystone Press Award. (© Ed Courrier)
Enjoyed an evening with my lovely youngest daughter, Valerie, at the 2018 Keystone Press Awards June 2 at the Wyndham Gettysburg. Picked up a Division VII first place award for Graphic/Photo Illustration for a weekly newspaper.
This is the cartoon that won the honor.
Hard to believe this is the fifth year in a row that one of my editorial cartoons scored a first place in the same category.
Congrats to my fellow correspondents at the Lehigh Valley Press weeklies and Times News who also won Keystone Press Awards this year!
“Close to 3,200 entries were received from 122 Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association organizations. Entries – in 27 categories across seven circulation divisions – were judged by journalists in Illinois,” according to Debbie Galbraith, editor, Salisbury Press and East Penn Press.
Lehigh Valley Press weekly papers earned 25 Keystone awards and the daily paper, The Times News, earned 8 awards.
* Bethlehem Press 2018 Keystone winners:
Bernie O’Hare – Investigative reporting – Honorable mention
Staff – Special project – The Opioid Crisis – First Place
Paul Willistein, George VanDoren – Special projects (Student poetry contest) Honorable mention
Katie McDonald – Sports story – Second Place
Bernie O’Hare – News beat reporting – First Place
Carole Gorney – Feature beat reporting – First Place
Paul Willistein – Feature beat reporting – Second Place
Katie McDonald – Sports beat reporting – First Place
George Taylor – Front page design – Honorable mention
George Taylor – Page design – Second Place
Scott Pagel – Page design – Second Place
Ed Courrier – Graphic/photo illustration – First Place
The Bethlehem Press ran a close second for the Sweepstakes winner in the Division VII category. Missed it by just a couple of points.
* Salisbury Press and East Penn Press 2018 Keystone winners:
Jim Marsh – Personality Profile – First Place
Jim Marsh – Feature Photo – First Place
Jim Marsh – Photo Story/Essay – First Place
Don Herb – Sports Photo – Honorable Mention
Debbie Galbraith – Editorial – Honorable Mention
* Parkland Press 2018 Keystone winners:
Debra Palmieri – Editorial – First Place
Chuck Hixson – Sports Event Coverage – Honorable Mention
Lou Wheeland – News Photo – Honorable Mention
* Northampton Press 2018 Keystone winners:
Kelly Lutterschmidt – Editorial – Second Place
Bud Cole – Sports/Outdoor Column – Honorable Mention (Cole passed away in July 2017.)
Scott Pagel – Sports Beat Reporting – Second Place
* Catasauqua Press 2018 Keystone winners:
Mark Reccek – Column (Fighting Cancer) – First Place (Reccek passed away right before Christmas 2017.)
Chuck Hixson – Sports Event Coverage – Second Place
Am happy to announce that the Bethlehem Press scored the Sweepstakes Award for the fourth year in a row at the 2017 Keystone Press Awards! Team BP brought home 17 Keystones!
One of my editorial cartoons brought me a First Place in the graphic/photo illustration category. This is the fourth time in a row one of my political cartoons scored first place!
Even came home with two additional First Place plaques and an Honorable Mention for projects involving BP team members Zach Duffy, Nate Jastrzemski, Bernie O’Hare, Dana Grubb and editor George Taylor.
Here is the link to a Press article about the May 20 event with a complete list of Team BP honorees:
http://bethlehem.thelehighvalleypress.com/2017/06/17/keystone-press-awards-presented-press
Congrats to all!
Besides declaring war on immigrants, judges, U.S. allies, etc., President Trump now is waging a war of words against the media. The guy who dubbed his opponents during the last election “Lyin’ Ted” and “Crooked Hillary” has been spouting whopper after whopper at Tweets, rallies, and increasingly bizarre press conferences.
Now that the press has been calling him on these half-truths and outright lies, Trump has turned his attention to attacking America’s free press for reporting, in his delusional thinking, “fake news.” His attempts to discredit the press is what the dictators do to shield themselves from criticism.
This cartoon ran in the Bethlehem Press in October of 2014. We should all keep in mind that newspapers and other news media, that are part of a free press, are necessary for a democracy to function.
© Ed Courrier
courriertoons 