Governor Perry’s attack on Jack Ohman

The AAEC firmly stands behind Jack Ohman and his powerful cartoon on the tragedy in West, Texas. The Ohman cartoon represents the finest traditions of both American political cartooning and our freedom of the press. On the other hand the Texas governor’s response demanding a retraction and an apology, represents the worst impulses of those who have no respect for our most basic and fundamental right to free speech. Governor Perry attacking the cartoonist is the kind of reaction we’d expect from a leader in North Korea, not one from Texas. The attempt to intimidate a journalist for being critical of the government, particularly the call on the part of the Texas Lt. Governor to have him lose his job, is what should be condemned. This sort of intimidation of journalists is, at its root, just plain un-American.