Steve Bell on the trial of Donald Trump – cartoon

It might be hard to believe but I don't get get emotionally invested in any Meme or newsprint graphic, sometimes I see something funny about someone I support or something that attacks others I laugh at but mostly I see what folks who are emotionally unstable seeking attention or validation put out there as some sort of proof in their minds. Freedom of speech is just that freedom. We don't have to like what is out there but we have to support the rights of others to put it out there. We can make fun of them or laugh at them but we can not suppress them.

Peruse the political cartoons of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th Centuries...this is nothing particularly "novel". My theory is that we have an entire generation (possibly two) who, in the wake of WWII, enjoyed an unparalleled period of general respect for the dignity of the office of President. The United States emerged from the conflict as the premier superpower, balanced by the "evil empire" of Soviet Russia. The scope, not to mention risk, involved in that global standoff, generated a gravitas that was both self-supporting and self-sustaining. In the wake of the fall of the USSR, and the rise of unconventional wars with global terrorism...the scene is far more "gritty" and "down to earth". We must not forget that Lincoln was lampooned as a "backwoods boob" by his political opponents, FDR served hot dogs to the King of England, and JFK was notorious for his affairs. What has changed, in my opinion, is how the various components of our national government are falling prey to the influence of public opinion. Left and right of the aisle, they are apparently competing for favor with the public in a way not all that dissimilar from seeking "likes" on social media. I may be wrong, but my sense of what a "republic" truly is; is that it limits that influence in a positive way. Our representatives are supposed to be mature enough to see beyond rhetoric, and wise enough to find compromise where none seems possible.