Hundreds call New Mexico newspaper's cartoon 'racist'

The Roswell Daily Record is taking heat on social media after publishing an editorial cartoon that seemingly calls on African-Americans and Latinos to leave the New Mexico city. The Roswell Daily Record is taking heat on social media after publishing an editorial cartoon that seemingly calls on African-Americans and Latinos to leave the New Mexico city. Photo: Fechter, Joshua I, Screenshot Via Facebook Photo: Fechter, Joshua I, Screenshot Via Facebook Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Hundreds call New Mexico newspaper's cartoon 'racist' 1 / 35 Back to Gallery

The Roswell Daily Record took heat on social media after publishing an editorial cartoon that seemingly calls on African-Americans and Latinos to leave the New Mexico city.

The cartoon, posted to the newspaper's Facebook page on Feb. 16, depicts a fingerpost with two signs saying "Cesar Chavez Home and National Monument 811 Miles West" and "Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home and National Historic Site 1,272 Miles East."

The caption reads, "Roswell signage suggestion...to clear up any confusion about where some people should go."

Two birds sit on a nearby branch conversing about the signage.

"What this town really needs is a Larry Bird Boulevard!" one bird opines.

"Yea!" the other agrees.

The cartoon prompted a MoveOn.org petition urging advertisers to drop the newspaper, drawing more than 1,000 signatures as of Monday morning.

"So, the Roswell Daily Record has an official racist editorial position. Good to know," one user said on Facebook.

Another Facebook user commented, "What the hell is wrong with you people?"

The newspaper defended the cartoon in a comment underneath the picture, saying that it concerned a hyperlocal issue of renaming existing streets that was discussed at a recent subcommittee meeting of the Roswell City Council.

"The intent was that just as Larry Bird has no connection to Roswell, neither do MLK nor César Chávez," the newspaper said. "The cartoonist meant that if we are going to have honorary street signs, the individuals named on those signs should have connections to Roswell. The intent of the cartoon was that the idea of renaming streets here in Roswell is mostly considered superfluous."

Cartoonist Keith Bell, who made the drawing, told Albuquerque news channel KRQE that he waasn't trying to tell people of certain ethnic groups to leave town.

"If they had proposed a George W. Bush street, a street being named after him, I would have done the same cartoon," Bell said. "It just so happened the two figures that were mentioned were icons of certain communities."

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports