Herald-Leader readers react to decision to stop running political cartoons | Opinion

Editor’s Note: As part of the continued evolution of our business and due to changing reader habits, McClatchy will no longer publish daily opinion cartoons, including on the Herald-Leader’s Opinion page. The Herald-Leader has been proud to publish the work of Pulitzer Prize winner Joel Pett, who has contributed timely, thought-provoking, accountability-focused work to these pages for decades. Local opinion journalism remains core to McClatchy’s mission, and we are committed to elevating strong voices who bring deeply reported, urgent local opinion journalism to our readers.

Goodbye, Joel Pett

I really hate to see Joel Pett be released! I loved his sharp sense of humor through his cartoons. Big Loss.

William Barrett, Lawrenceburg

I have been a subscriber to the Lexington Herald -Leader since 1970 when I enrolled at the University of Kentucky, but was a reader of my parents subscription even before that. On the same day I received my credit card statement showing the monthly subscription price had taken a whopping 50 percent increase I find that Joel Pett has been fired. The value of my subscription has just decreased as a result. Not a good look, and I’m not sure how much longer I will stick around.

Howard Stovall, Lexington

I’m a subscriber to the Lexington Herald-Leader and just learned of the dismissal of Joel Pett. I know there is nothing I can do or say to change this, but I do want to say that this decision is moronic.

Editorial cartoons have been a part of American journalism since before there was a country and for you people to just dismiss it as a “continuing evolution” based on “changing reader habits” is as bad as parents wanting to ban books because they didn’t like the contents that they probably hadn’t even read.

This was not in service to local journalism. This was a bad decision made by small-minded management. Is it any wonder that the free press in this country is in decline?

Larry P. Totten, Frankfort

Censorship should not be in anyway associated with a newspaper company.

You have lost your credibility by firing three cartoonists en masse. Apparently, winning a Pulitzer Prize means nothing to your company.

Lynn Cruz, Frankfort

I strongly object to the firing of Joel Pett. His cartoons have been the highlight of your paper. This is against freedom of speech and an atrocity. He must be reinstated immediately.

Barbara Warner, Lebanon

Is it true that Joel Pett has been let go? Is the Herald-Leader turning into a paper with no “guts”? Surely, his firing does not have to do with his work as he exhibits truths that, while they might not be popular in Kentucky, are truths just the same.

A newspaper that does not seek truth is just like an internet social media site.

Betty Weaver, Frankfort

Say it ain’t so, McClatchy!

What readers/subscribers is McClatchy appealing to (with this decision)? Certainly not me, my family and friends who have similar political and social views and who love reading, sharing and discussing Joel Pett.

I consider Joel Pett my talented, witty virtual friend, so I am outraged that the Herald-Leader hasn’t made some arrangement to retain Pett and keep publishing his brilliant editorial cartoons. He is a big reason why I subscribe to the Lexington paper - maybe even the biggest reason!

So c’mon, Kentucky.com. Show us your Big Blue loyalty to the best cartoonist we have and keep Joel Pett publishing to keep us reading your paper.

Ceci Mitchell, Frankfort

I just heard that McClatchy fired Joel Pett, its award-winning editorial cartoonist. Pett has always been the epitome of social conscience in the state. I have to wonder what the heck is going on over there. Are you daft?

James Daniel, Frankfort

I was shocked to learn (on the Facebook post of a friend who read it in a distant newspaper) that Joel Pett had been released from his job drawing editorial cartoons for the Lexington Herald-Leader. I hope we will soon see a couple of pages of his highlights from over nearly four decades, including from the series that won a Pulitzer Prize.

Thank you Joel for the countless times your cartoons brought a smile or gasp — and they always made me think. It’s not easy being brilliant several times a week, but Joel succeeded. Our level of political discourse is poorer for his absence.

Andy Mead, Lexington

Ill-prepared

Kendra Pierre-Louis’ July 13, 2023 article “Vermont prepared for epic flooding. It wasn’t enough,” featured in the Lexington Herald-Leader, should serve as a reminder and wake up call to us all that climate change does not care where any of us live when it is constantly and relentlessly changing our lives and impacting our communities.

I lived in rural Vermont for a few months a few years ago during a gap year after high school. It was some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. There was snow everywhere, plenty of hiking trails, and gravel roads that reminded me of home. It hurts to think that all of that is being washed away by catastrophic flooding right now, even though, as mentioned in Pierre-Louis’ article, Vermont is not a coastal state. Despite their mainland status, Vermonters did what they could to prepare for floods like these, and it still wasn’t enough to prevent devastation. They’re also not shocked that the floods are happening, and are readying themselves for more inevitable floods and climate disasters in the future.

We have the solutions available to cut the emissions causing extreme climate events like these. Our elected leaders must do everything within their power to cut the heat-trapping emissions turbocharging deadly extreme weather events. Take action and urge your representatives to support policies that fight climate change.

Emily Johnson, Paris

Approval ratings

There’s a frightening amount of ignorance and delusion abroad in America today. This is evident in President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings. I see people interviewed who make the most astounding statements about his supposed lack of achievements. Well, I’m approaching 79 years of age and I can truly say that I have never seen a president accomplish as much in his first 30 months as President Biden has.

People appear to have forgotten the deep ditch that former President Donald Trump steered our country into in the closing days of 2020. His failure to address the COVID-19 pandemic led to the loss of over 20 million jobs and a sharp run-up in inflation. President Biden took command and steered us out of that ditch.

We went from an economy hemorrhaging jobs to one that added over 25 million jobs in just over two years! The unemployment rate currently stands at a record low 3.6 percent and good jobs are plentiful. The rate of inflation has been halved and continues to decline. Real wages are rising, and infrastructure projects are underway throughout the country. Medicare is being allowed to negotiate drug prices and real progress is being made to address the horrors of climate change.

Jim Porter, Danville

Real restaurants

It would be nice if Lexington had some decent sit down restaurants. All there is is fast food, Mexican, Haitian and Somali. That’s one reason we don’t shop in Lexington. There’s really nothing here. There were more stores where you could get what you wanted when I was growing up than there are now. Nine out of 10 times you can’t find what you need here.

Rita Thorne, Lexington

Animal attacks

Considering this state continues to elect federal representatives and senators that refuse to remove access to assault weapons to civilians, I’m not certain they would show any concern whatsoever for animal abuse, However, I simply must try.

A cat in Georgetown tortured to death by two sick-minded juveniles and a dog thankfully rescued from a Lexington dumpster by Parks and Recreation employees cannot in anyway be accepted or tolerated. These behaviors are well known pre-cursors to child and adult abuse.

Our society must stand up for those who can neither speak nor defend themselves. Regardless of your religious leanings, the same Supreme Being created all of us, human and animal, with this gift of life that we’ve been given. It is our duty and responsibility, ethically and morally, to help those in need.

If you know or see animal abuse, please call your local humane society. They are there to help and will help. If more people would help these victims and contact state legislatures, we truly could make a difference These animals need us, and our world needs them.

Help them as you would hope someone would help your own pet.

Cindy Sutton Hargett, Lexington

Support animals

Over my career I have noticed a proliferation of fake emotional “support “ dogs with fake credentials, and non-handicapped people hopping out of cars with grandmother’s mirror tag. Actual blind people and individuals with actual conditions resent this by the way.

On a larger much more dangerous scale, another segment of society is pushing aggressively for “transgender” health care for kids which is code for chemical/physical mutilation of middle schoolers. And if you disagree or call out any of the above repugnant behaviors? You are spit at, harassed or cussed out.

That has become our world unfortunately. My grandmother’s world of honesty, Biblical values, common sense and honor is quickly fading.

John MacKey, Lexington

Cocaine mystery

As most know, cocaine was recently found in the White House. And two weeks later, neither the Secret Service nor the FBI are “able” to identify how, when or who is responsible.

Does anyone really believe this? Either these two federal agencies are grossly incompetent, or this is another Biden cover-up. You decide.

Dale Henley, Lexington

Compiled by Liz Carey