POLITICO is being criticized for publishing a tone-deaf cartoon mocking the religious faith and political views of Houston residents in the aftermath of the flooding. The cartoon, drawn by artist Matt Wuerker, depicts a family sitting on the top of a house amid rising floodwaters on the verge of being rescued by a helicopter. One of the people calls the helicopter an "angel, sent by God," to which the rescuer then sneers that he's in the Coast Guard and sent by the government.
POLITICO shared the cartoon in a since-deleted tweet:
The cartoon remains on their site.
FWIW -- while the Politico deleted the cartoon link on twitter, it's still up on the site ????????https://t.co/FxkKtDAxBF
— Al Weaver (@alweaver22) August 30, 2017
Oooooh, don't cut yourself on that edge there, POLITICO. Sheesh.
I mean, this is beyond tasteless, and it's almost sickening how nobody thought to themselves "hey, maybe this is a bad idea!" during the drawing, publishing, and tweeting process. Now is not the time. Hurricane Harvey and the subsequent flooding didn't discriminate based off of religion, political views, or skin color. Further, a person's political views, religion, or skin color don't make someone any more or less worthy of being rescued from a flood, by either a private boat driven by the Cajun Navy or by the U.S. Coast Guard. This isn't too challenging of a concept.
People did not hold back on their criticism of Wuerker:
This “cartoon” from @politico @wuerker is vile and contemptible. Disgusting beyond civil words. https://t.co/H1AhZKJQYG
— Michael Q Sullivan (@MQSullivan) August 30, 2017
The Trump 2020 campaign thanks you for your help in his re-election, you partisan POS @wuerker https://t.co/pNBXrG7GOp
— elisabethlehem (@elisabethlehem) August 30, 2017
On behalf of Texas, fuck you
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) August 30, 2017
This says a lot more about @wuerker and @politico than it does about Texas. But hey, if they want a Trump 2020 win, who am I to stop them. pic.twitter.com/qIjU3DrldT
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) August 30, 2017
Politico deleted your cartoon tweet, @wuerker. Take the L and move on.
— neontaster (@neontaster) August 30, 2017
People are still drowning and being plucked for their roofs. Harris County went to Hillary in 2016, not that it matters at all now
— Shelby Webb (@shelbywebb) August 30, 2017
Notice how @wuerker put the confederate flag on the guy's shirt... going for the "They're all a bunch of racist hicks" look. Classy.
— ConservativeBlackMan (@Thomasismyuncle) August 30, 2017
Wuerker claimed on his Twitter that the cartoon was only meant to target "secessionist" Texans, not Texas as a whole.
Respectfully--- it's making fun of the Secessionist movement. Not at all aimed at all Texans. https://t.co/aI4RxRNjFm
— Matt Wuerker (@wuerker) August 30, 2017
But come on.
This is insane. Maybe hold the hot takes and political jabs until at least the flood waters recede. It's not hard to be a decent human being.