As an ultra sensitive artist, I take things personally. In the natural course of events, I am sometimes able to purge my anger, and sometimes not. And lately, I’ve had to absorb a lot of crap from the news, and sometimes from people who used to be my friends.

A while back, for example, I met a bunch of ex-residents visiting the Kingston, NY area from Florida. They seemed nice enough but, in time, they started dropping little nasty comments on their Facebook pages. One of them said, for example, “If Obama wins, get ready to be poor.” Within seconds, I had deleted him from my Facebook friends list. While I was at it, I deleted every single Republican I could identify who was a so-called friend of mine. What annoyed me in particular about these comments was the pure depth of mean-spiritedness they showed. They didn’t want to be forced to share their fortunes made at IBM in Kingston, NY with the local “lowlifes” remaining here, so these so-called friends moved to Florida to be with “the real Americans” who believe in hoarding their wealth and sharing nothing. They reveled in calling the President a Socialist and believed he was foreign born, if they chose, and sometimes even worse. In other words, they believed and spread the common lies.

And these are also the people who probably have cellars full of guns to defend themselves against the rabble that would rise up if Obama were reelected and prepared to do battle in “The new Civil War” as prophesied (sort of) by Judge Tom Head of Lubbock Texas in August 2012, who warned if Obama won a second term, the UN would be taking over the country and there would be an armed rebellion. As a matter of fact, it was on election night that the amazing Donald Trump suggested we start a revolution in response to President Obama winning a second term. So, cartoons start to form in my head — cartoons like Mitch McConnell reaching across the aisle and meeting a playful Democrat aiming a stake of willow wood at his heart; you get the idea.

I am sick to death of religious wing nuts of any persuasion who are sure theirs is the “One True Religion,” and that by extension my non-faith is surely the work of the devil. And maybe I, too, am the Devil.

But lucky for me, these people can only talk, but I can draw, and lovely, vengeful, evil images float through my head of pictures of well-earned revenge and beyond. Of course, being an artist, I am a gentle sort, and would never carry out my nefarious fantasies.

So, don’t be surprised if an occasional cartoon pops out that is not exactly taking the “high-road”. It’s about time. And I’m reveling in it. Oh yeah!

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Art-itorial by Barbara Broido. Visit Barbara’s Doodle Blog for more of her art, design work and socio-political commentary.



