Cartoons Opposing Gun Control

Team Member Name: Chelsea Hunter

Publication: China Daily

Date: January 29, 2013
Cartoonist: Luojie
U.S. or International:  International

Title of Cartoon: N/A

Cartoon Number: 9

What action is taking place in the cartoon? Obama is standing with a giant fly swatter, ready to kill flies that are coming out of a gun barrel. Meanwhile the bigger trash problem spills on the ground.

What is the context? The context is the Obama administration and gun control supporters have focused mainly on restricting use of firearms. In reality there are many other factors that contribute to gun abuse.




Negative framing of stricter gun control laws.

Framing is opposed of those in favor for increased gun control.
Framing is supportive to those who are against increased gun control laws.

What reality is constructed/framed about stricter gun control laws? The cartoonist uses symbolism and labeling to show that there are bigger problems than what is being focused on by Obama. Gun abuse is considered “garbage” and has flies coming out of it. While Obama may be trying to control the abuse by killing the flies, the pile of garbage and stinky sludge coming out of the barrel shows there is a lot more that needs to be cleaned up with gun issues than just the “flies.”

Gun rights activists and members of the NRA have recently said the real problem at the heart of gun violence is mental illness. This is one of the problems making up the bulk of the "garbage." The cartoonist portrays the Obama Administration as being unconcerned with the real problem, only tackling the minor annoyances represented by the flies. 

Team Member Name: Mary Neary

Publication: townhall.com

Date: December 17, 2012
Cartoonist: Eric Allie
U.S. or International:  U.S.

Title of Cartoon: N/A

Cartoon Number: 10

What action is taking place in the cartoon?  Two people are walking together in the rain reading a newspaper that comes from a dispenser blasting the headline “Nation Mourns Tragedy.”

What is the context? The couple is discussing how once guns are made illegal, it will put an end to shootings, and society will improve. The comment made, which was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, stated society also improved with the ban of illegal substances. This is jabbing at the fact that drugs are still a big problem, and though illegal, they are still everywhere.

The cartoonist provides a message: making something illegal doesn't make it unobtainable.

Negative framing of stricter gun control laws.
Framing is opposed of those in favor for increased gun control.
Framing is supportive to those who are against increased gun control laws.

What reality is constructed/framed about stricter gun control laws? The reality constructed  that even if guns were completely banned or only allowed to certain groups, people would still find ways to get access to them. We see this truth in today’s society; many who shouldn’t have access to guns still gain possession of firearms. This situation is similar to drugs. Even though drugs are illegal many people still use them. It may be a good idea, but some issues are harder to solve and enforce than others.

Team Member Name: McCall Bulloch

Publication: Pittsburg Tribune-Review

Date: January 31, 2013
Cartoonist: Randy Bish
U.S. or International:  U.S.

Title of Cartoon: Bans

Cartoon Number: 11

What action is taking place in the cartoon? The cartoon shows an elephant reading a newspaper with a headline stating a bunch of birds have been killed by cats. The donkey, glancing at the front page headline, starts panicking and calls for a ban on all cats, a danger to the bird population.
 

What is the context? The elephant represents Republicans while the donkey represents democrats. The cartoonist plays on the fact that some leftist politicians call for bans on anything they deem dangerous. Soon after the events that transpired at Sandy Hook Elementary, California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein called for a ban on more than 150 types of firearms as an attack on the gun violence problem in the U.S.
 

Negative framing of stricter gun control laws.
Framing is opposed of those in favor for increased gun control.
Framing is supportive to those who are against increased gun control laws.

What reality is constructed/framed about stricter gun control laws? The cartoonist uses an analogy to better state his opinion as to why stricter gun laws don’t make sense. While lives lost to guns are not on the same level as birds being killed by cats, it puts gun control into perspective. The cartoonist advocates that it doesn't make sense to ban guns altogether just because they have been used as a means of killing people. Playing on the exaggerated situation of a ban on bird-murdering cats, the cartoonist frames a gun ban as foolish .

Team Member Name: Paul Christensen

Publication: The Arizona Star

Date: February 20, 2013
Cartoonist: David Fitzimmons
U.S. or International:  U.S.

Title of Cartoon: Open Carry

Cartoon Number: 12

What action is taking place in the cartoon? What is the context?  At a donut shop, a man with a gun holstered to his waist is standing in line. Most of his fellow patrons and the clerk at the register are looking at his gun and thinking they are in danger. They are shown thinking about recent instances of gun violence, the most recent being Newtown, Connecticut. The man with the gun is shown as a regular, non-violent human being who just wants his donut. At the back of the line, an old woman with a cane is realizing she has picked the wrong store to rob. This plays on the statement made by Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s executive vice president: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” In the cartoon, the “good guy with a gun” just wants his donut and the “bad guy with a gun” is potentially the old woman who looks harmless.

Negative framing of stricter gun control laws.
Framing is opposed of those in favor for increased gun control.
Framing is supportive to those who are against increased gun control laws.

What reality is constructed/framed about stricter gun control laws? If there were stricter gun control laws — laws that prevent law-abiding citizens from carrying concealed and legal weapons — there would likely be more instances of robberies and other crimes because there would be no one to intimidate and stop the criminals responsible.