Papers move, scrap 'Doonesbury' abortion law strip
Papers move, scrap 'Doonesbury' abortion law strip
(snip)
A handful of newspapers say they won't run next week's series, while several others said the strips will move from the comics to opinion pages or websites only. Many already publish the strip by cartoonist Garry Trudeau, whose sarcastic swipes at society's foibles have a history of giving headaches to newspaper editors, on editorial pages.
(snip)
The comic strips feature a woman who goes to an abortion clinic and is confronted by several people who suggest she should be ashamed. Among them is a doctor who reads a script on behalf of Texas Gov. Rick Perry welcoming her to a "compulsory transvaginal exam," and a middle-aged legislator who calls her a "slut."
One panel equates the invasive procedure to rape and describes the device used to perform it as a "10-inch shaming wand."
"Our readers are accustomed to pointed political and social commentary in strips like 'Doonesbury' and 'Mallard Fillmore,'" Tom McNiff, managing editor of The Gainesville Sun and Ocala Star-Banner in central Florida, said in an emailed statement explaining the decision not to run the series. "But the language the author used to make his point in two of the strips was quite graphic for a general readership."
Kudos to Gary Trudeau for keeping the national attention on this issue!
Texas is ground zero for the war on women.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Look to Texas for leadership. 
Thanks to Trudeau for putting this information in front of folks.
Too bad the papers are not noticing that the right wing is 'too graphic for general readership'.
Trudeau did not make up the reality of trans vaginal ultrasound rape or accusatory slut language, he just put the sad reality of it in a cartoon strip.
if they had their way. 
Papers debate 'Doonesbury' series on abortion law
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A national syndicate will offer replacement "Doonesbury" comic strips to newspapers that don't want to run an upcoming series that uses graphic imagery to lampoon a Texas law requiring women to have an ultrasound before an abortion, officials said Friday.
Papers were debating the use and placement of next week's strips by cartoonist Garry Trudeau, whose sarcastic swipes at society's foibles have a history of giving headaches to newspaper editors.
"We've heard from a handful of papers that are uncomfortable with running the series," said Sue Roush, managing editor at the Universal UClick syndicate. "Garry has provided us with substitutes in case anyone asks."
The Texas series features a woman who goes to an abortion clinic and is confronted by several people who suggest she should be ashamed. Among them is a doctor who reads a script on behalf of Texas Gov. Rick Perry welcoming her to a "compulsory transvaginal exam," and a middle-aged legislator who calls her a "slut."
One panel equates the invasive procedure to rape and describes the device used to perform it as a "10-inch shaming wand."
We welcome the debate. Texas needs a huge spotlight on its shameful practices.
You can view it here:
http://www.doonesbury.com/
I just wish this whole focus had happened earlier in the campaign when Ricky really was doing the national circuit. Then him and his whole shameless crew at the Lege would be the ones that were shamed. And maybe just maybe we could get the law reversed.
Thanks to Rachel Maddow for covering it. Bless her. But we need more media coverage. It has to be on the 24 news hour cable shows. I want to hear Faux New have to defend the law.
And yes I would love to hear more reporters ask Rick Perry about the law and see him stumble on his words.
That's great framing. It's honest and puts responsibility for them right where it belongs.
Oh and by the way the "Governor Vaginal Probe" title is Rachel Maddow's. I just co-opted it from prior post. She's the one to thank!
Good job! 
