PD apologizes for cartoon

The Cleveland Plain Dealer today apoliized for this cartoon about the slaying of 12-year-old Asteve'e "Cookie" Thomas who was caught in the crossfire.in a gun battle September 1 in Slavic Village. Police say Eric Romel “Big Willie” Wilson was shooting at James Yhonquea, 20, of Cleveland, who was wounded in the gunfight. Yhonquea was charged with aggravated murder.

The newspaper said:

“These letters represent a portion of the negative reaction we have received in response to Wednesday's editorial cartoon. We very much regret any pain the cartoon has caused in the community or, most especially, to family members and friends of Asteve'e Thomas.”

Here is one of the letters:

I am furious over the cartoon that appeared in The Plain Dealer on Wednesday. How dare The Plain Dealer victimize a murdered child in such a way?

The editorial cartoon was horrendously insensitive. Did the artist, Jeff Darcy, in his attempt to attack Mayor Frank Jackson, ever consider the feelings of the family?

To show the little girl in the cartoon as a Buckwheat running away from the store is another slap in the face. An apology is owed to this family. I can only pray that your newspaper has not added to their grief.

As the mother of a murdered inner-city child, I am sick and tired of our children being exploited.

I am going to pray that whoever is responsible for such a heartless thing would repent, get on the phone and personally call this family to apologize. How would you like it if your child were murdered on her way from the store and then you woke up on the next day to find her depicted in such a way in Ohio's largest newspaper?

Shame on you!

Yvonne Pointer
Cleveland

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