Here, for educational purposes, are a couple of emails from corn-servatives in response to my last cartoon regarding anti-healthcare reform riots. As usual, I seem to have touched some sensitive spots.

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Here’s an email I received in response to my admittedly edgy cartoon of the Cambridge Police at the door of H.L. Gates.

Sir, I am writing you regarding your cartoon of July 27th, 2009. I respect the fact the we live in a free country where everyone is entitled to speak their mind, as long as it does not endanger anyone else. This is a right I have a personal stake in, being as I served with great men and women of all ethnicities in the branch of the armed forces you mention in your cartoon - The United States Marine Corps. I understand that you also draw for Mad magazine, so I am not surprised that you make your money using edgy satire and controversy. Please don’t misunderstand, I do have a sense of humor. However, I cannot let your assertions go unanswered. An examination of the current situation to prove my point. You assert that police officers, specifically the Cambridge Police Department, are ‘pigs’. You use this, of course, because it is a derogatory term and is an attempt at humor. Ha ha, look at Dick Cheney offering to send in the Marines to help the fuzz beat down some black people. We know that all cops are racist pigs who like giving out stick time to minorities. The Marines are too, since they belong to Dick Cheney. I assume that you are also referring to the African-American officer that later responded to the call at Prof. Gates’ Harvard owned house as a ‘pig’. I hope you are consistent enough to call officers pigs to their face not only when you are pulled over, but when they are the first responders to the scene where you happen to have been in an accident; I would have respect for your position at that point. Fellow officers of multiple ethnicities have stated that the officer that arrested Prof. Gates was doing his job. Why must you malign him and all those who work with him? I guess you didn’t read that Sgt Crowley teaches other officers about racial profiling, and how to avoid it. I guess that you didn’t read how Sgt Crowley gave CPR to a dying Reggie Lewis. While there are officers out there who should be in a different line of work (Oklahoma state trooper in the news recently comes to mind), the last thing regular officers need is people taking the position that you took. How about doing something to encourage more minorities to become officers? How about donating to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, which gives scholarships to children? How about finding a way to address this situation in a positive manner, instead of jumping off the cliff of prejudice? I really don’t think your cartoon was helpful - I think it only solidifies tensions between law enforcement and the public. Bottom line, to borrow from Aaron Goldstein of the Canadian Free Press, you are judging Sgt Crowley by the color of his uniform, not the content of his character. Please think about it. Sincerely, Scott Marshall

Okay, I will. First, let’s talk about the pig representation. Please note that word does not appear in the cartoon. I believe, traditionally, it has been used as an epithet for police who overstep their authority. As the broad majority of police in this country are dedicated public servants who are careful to execute their duties within their lawful authority, and are putting their lives on the line to keep law and order in our communities — this certainly cannot apply to most police.

Officer Crowley, a respected and professional policeman,  was doing his job when he responded to the call, and when he questioned Professor Gates. In my estimation, he made a bad call when he refused to accept Professor Gates’ identification. It could be argued that Professor Gates should not have become irate, should not have played the race card, should have been calm, cooperative and respectful with armed police detaining him in his own home, even though he was suffering from jet lag. Such a thing would be difficult for me. Officer Crowley chose to arrest Professor Gates for “disorderly conduct.” Disorderly conduct? This seems to me to be an egreggious error in judgement — but, still, police are entitled to errors, like all of us. Gates is marched off to the station, held for 4 hours and then released. By dropping the charges of disorderly conduct, the police admitted that the charges (and therefore the arrest) were a mistake. An apology on Officer Crowley’s part, and an apology by the Cambridge Police would have largely diffused the matter at this point.

But no — they refused to give in. They had to “stand behind” Officer Crowley. At this point I believe they exceeded their authority and opened themselves to ridicule by those of us in the media whose job it is to point out hypocrisy and — stupidity. Hence, my cartoon.

Political cartoonists are here, among other reasons, because public servants (politicians, police, military, judges, etc, etc.) need to be reminded periodically that their authority is not inherent or divine — it derives from “we the people.” Authority has a tendency to grow out of proportion — it must be questioned, and questioned often for a society to remain free.

Hopefully, when Gates and Crowley get together with the President for a beer, they will all emerge as friends and this incident will be over.

What bothered me the most, however, is an ongoing problem. Where was the public outrage? Even my normally acerbic and radical friends in the editorial cartoonist community offered what I thought was an insipid (although very well-drawn in most cases) response. Meanwhile, the President accurately described the Cambridge Police actions as “stupid,” and was taken to task for being outspoken.

So I decided to complain a little and do a cartoon with some balls.

To all my friends and relatives who are police, sherrifs and deputies — keep doing your job — I appreciate it immensely. But if you exceed your authority, please understand, that as part of a free media and national discourse, I have to do my job too.

A few photos from the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists convention in Seattle — today! Top image, Mike Peters gestures hypnotically toward Gary Groth, who seems immune. Middle image, Jeff Parker and Jesse Springer question the proficiency of the photographer. Lower image, David Horsey is inexplicably struck by some sort of cosmic ray while speaking.

The work of my father, Basil Wolverton, will be exhibited at the Barbara Gladstone Gallery, 515 W. 24th St. in New York City. The exhibition of more than 150 pieces opens Friday night, June 19th and runs through August 14th. This is perhaps only the second time the work of a comic artist has been exhibited at a major fine art gallery — and represents a significant move toward the general recognition of classic comic art as fine art. But there is more than comic art in the exhibition. Most of Wolverton’s apocalyptic illustrations will be part of the show — as well as scores of other mind-bending Wolverton pieces from the rich collection of Glenn Bray. The show is curated by legendary artist Cameron Jamie. If you are in New York — stop in and get an eyeful. Heck — it’s even worth a trip there!

Finally, in this fourth and final installment on the vital issue of leadership, we visit religious leadership — the most bizarre of the four kinds I have identified. Having worked in the business of religion for decades, I can say that religious leadership is potentially more toxic and exploitive than any other form of leadership — generally because religious leaders claim to be vested with some form of supernatural power, authority or endorsement. I contrast this against free, informed personal faith (and the older I get the greater disconnect I see between personal faith in the deity and organized religion). But hey — at least organized religion is entertaining!

This concludes our informative series on leadership. Go forth now and be skeptical of all leaders, especially those who seem to have no checks and balances, and who seem to be extracting from their constituency more than they are serving!

See the other two forms of leadership below — coercion and employment. But the most dangerous form is political leadership. The most effective political leaders are persuasive coalition builders with messiah complexes.  They need loyal followers who will kill and die for them. Even after a million and an half years of human evolution, amazingly it still seems that there are billions of people who will give up their individuality to serve a political cause. Gosh, I’m sounding like an anarchist . . .

Continuing this resurrection of a series from my archives, In part 1 we examined the most basic form of leadership — coercion — someone coerces someone else who has a need to be coerced. The most common form of leadership, however, is the employer-employee relationship. Here the employer needs employees while the worker needs revenue — again, a specialized reciprocal relationship.

While browsing through my archives the other day, looking for something else, I ran across this toon I did 11 years ago. “Hey,” I thought. “This is as provocative and true as it ever was. It needs to be resurrected. I’ll post this on my blog and share it with the two or three people who come there regularly for sage insights.” In an era where everyone is enslaved by these artificial constructs we call organizations, governments, schools, churches, businesses, corporations and clubs — we need to remind ourselves that they exist to serve individuals, not the other way around. They are there simply to help people pool their efforts toward a given objective. Whenever an organization starts accreting its own power (or whenever a few are using the organization as a tool to control the many), it’s time to take it back, reform it, reinvent it or dispose of it. – Monte Wolverton

Here’s a great email I got from a Bushie (in response to my Inheritance Tacks cartoon), in which he addresses each of my “Tacks.” Isn’t it just heart-rending to watch him clamber to defend his failed paragon?

“Federal Deficit - Great, let’s add TRILLIONS to that deficit, that will help (and blame it on Bush) North Korea - Let’s write a strongly worded statement to the UN  (and blame it on Bush). Afghan War - Let’s do what Bush would have done, just more of it (and blame it on Bush). Crumbling Infrastructure - Why don’t we give the money to Democrat Party hacks in big cities to store in their freezers  (like the money Bush had given to maintain levees in New Orleans and let’s blame it on Bush). Economic Disaster Keep Barney Franks’ and Chris Dodd’s cash cows at Fannie and Freddie bailed out and the former firms of  Obama cabinet appointees afloat with taxpayer money (and blame it on Bush). Fatigued Military - (Blame it on Clinton and the “Peace Dividend”)  but, let’s not confront the problems at all ( and blame it on Bush). Global Warming - Other than Kilamanjaro most mountain glaciers are advancing; the Ross Ice Shelf broke because it became too heavy; and I had to heat my home more this winter more than I ever did (but let’s blame it on Bush). Healthcare - Let’s keep providing services to CANADIANS WHO CAN’T GET THE PROCEDURES AT HOME and keep serving illegal immigrants from Mexico and then copy the British/Canadian model. (Hey! I’ve got an idea, all of you join Michael Moore  for “free” healthcare in Cuba because this stinker of a system is Bush’s fault). Iraq War - It’s over (but let’s surrender and blame it on Bush). YO MONTEY!— Go to——————–CANADA! All the Best, Dave Jones, Seaside, CA”

There, there, Dave — let it all out — you’ll feel better. I guess if I were a Bushie, I would be feeling a little depressed and angry, too. But you’ll make it through the transition. It may take several years, but eventually we will have undone the Bush legacy on most of the above issues — and we will be living in a civilized country like the many others where everyone has health care. I must admit that there were times in the last eight years when I felt like moving to Canada — but the Democrats are in charge now . . .