Cartoon was offensive to church

The political cartoon that appeared on the Nov. 16 Daily Herald Opinion page hit a new low in decency. In what appears to take place in a football stadium, a clerical figure who appears to be the Pope has handed off to a Penn State football player the figure of a little boy. The boy has the words “Abuse Scandal” on his shirt, and from the stadium announcer’s booth comes the caption, “And it looks like a handoff!”

By drawing caricatures of the Pope and Penn State football players, the offending cartoonist has brought into play persons who have absolutely nothing to do with this horrific abuse scandal. Although mired in its own abuse scandals, the Catholic Church is not at all connected to the Penn State scandal. Also, although their coaches are involved, none of the players on the Penn State team are even remotely connected to this scandal.

This cartoon is an insult to all faithful Catholics and spirited football players everywhere.

It’s also so ironic that this highly prejudicial cartoon appeared in the same edition of the Daily Herald that featured excellent news coverage of the Penn State scandal and a very sensitive and moving column by your wonderful sports columnist, Mike Imrem.

I only hope that the Daily Herald is not on the way to becoming merely a trashy shadow of its former self.

Dave Schulz

Hawthorn Woods