Thread by @POOetryman

1/ My fellow Tweepericans:
It's been brought to my attention that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper has FIRED editorial cartoonist #RobRogers and REFUSED to publish 19 of his cartoons for being critical of #DearLeader. This is #censorship!! INTOLERABLE!! ...

2/ ... Here is the editor who supposedly fired Mr. Rogers for having the unmitigated gall to criticize the Cheeto King. Hmmm...??? I don't see a connection. Do you? Weird.

3/ Peepulz, I'm not a huge fan of political #censorship. I suspect one or two of you may feel similarly, as someone published a blog with several of the inestimable Mr. Rogers' works. Since not everyone got to see it, I have taken the liberty of saving these cartoons ...

4/ ...and will now, in honor of Mr. Rogers' most excellent and on-point work, publish them here for your review, consideration and, of course, your viewing pleasure.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you 10 cartoons by #BobRogers. Make it a beautiful day in his neighborhood.

5/ One purpose of a free press, including editorial cartoonists, is to inform the public of the government's doings, to point out its mistakes and crimes, and to hold that government accountable to the governed, as our founders intended.

6/ When the press is stifled due to pressure from political or criminal elements (or both), less information becomes available to the public, which needs it, thus enabling bad actors to continue doing things that ultimately harm the public. For example: rights are denied. Bad!

7/ Thus, it is good and necessary that the press be allowed to do its job, free from unnecessary and unduly burdensome interference, especially from the government, whose authority derives from us, the governed.

8/ In a free press, the purpose of editorials (the "Letters to the Editor" page) is both to inform the reader of, and express opinions on, current events the public may find important. This helps to shape public opinion about a subject and influences their actions regarding it.

9/ The purpose of the editorial cartoonist is to express an opinion on a topic by condensing its most salient points into a single illustrated panel, mixing humor and art to make a point.

For example: Here, the artist #BobRogers makes a point about Trump's loose pardon policy.

10/ Many times, the editorial cartoonist makes a point with #sarcasm. Done properly, the cartoon can target more than one metaphorical bird with the same stone.

11/ This one is rather self-explanatory and is a fine example of holding our ostensible "leadership" (AHEM!!) accountable by informing the public of possible wrongdoing that, even if not necessarily criminal, is EXTREMELY dubious from an ethical standpoint.

12/ OK, 8 down, 2 to go.

Sometimes, it's not the government that needs to be called out, but the governed.

13/ And here's the last one.

Remember, folks: It's not a "witch hunt" when the witch is caught.

#BobRogers was fired for these cartoons and more. His boss doesn't care to speak truth to power because he hopes to benefit from that power.

14/ Our government has only the authority we, the people, grant it. To keep that power in check and prevent tyranny, we MUST be kept informed of what the government is doing in our name. When the press is #censored, we're kept in the dark, allowing that power to grow unchecked.

15/ That way lies tyranny and dictatorship. That way lies the abrogation and revocation of those rights we've known & taken for granted all our lives. Our society has no place for political censorship. Such acts cannot be permitted, or our free society is doomed.

16/ To quote the Washington Post:

"Democracy dies in darkness."

I stand with Bob Rogers and all others in a similar position. Censorship must be confronted whenever and wherever it's found. Shine the light of transparency to dispel the shadow of tyranny.

End.

Addendum:

People, I would like to add one more tweet to this thread, if I may. Here, I'd like to quote a phrase by one of my AWESOME tweeps, @hasmatkid, borrowed & modified from an earlier movement:

#JeSuisRobRogers

RT if you stand with Rob against censorship!

@threadreaderapp Unroll, please.