Blog Post 35: Political Cartoon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)

This time of year (specifically Thanksgiving and Christmas) is known for bringing people together, but what happens when that idea is ripped to shreds by acts of terror?

As many people have come to know, Paris, France experienced a series of terrorist attacks performed by members of a group who managed to sneak into the country by claiming to be Syrian refugees. This has caused an uproar all over the globe as to whether or not countries should tighten their borders, or even allow Syrian refugees into their countries at all.

This cartoon was created just a few short days before Thanksgiving, and it was a satirical response to those in America that believe that the refugees should not be allowed in the country. The context of the political cartoon is that a Native American is saying to an English man "Sorry but we're not accepting refugees."

The message of the cartoon is that Americans have come to be extremely hypocritical when it comes to immigration and refugee situations, and that if the borders are shut, the likelihood of American society growing and expanding is extremely low. Not too long ago, there was a group of refugees coming from England to the Americas (spoiler alert: it was the Pilgrims). When these people arrived to the country, the Native Americans welcomed them with open arms. It's the whole reason behind the Thanksgiving feast. How were the Native repaid? Evil deeds, but that's a topic for a later discussion. The point here is, the Natives did not say to the pilgrims seeking religious freedom, "Sorry, we're not taking refugees right now". It makes Americans questions what would they have done if the Natives never let them in in the first place.

The purpose of the cartoon is to show people against accepting the refugees how much of hypocrites they're being and that they need to rethink their thoughts and ideas. The irony is that when the pilgrims and Americans were down on their luck, they received help, but even though America KNOWS what it's like to struggle, they don't want to help others.

In order to understand this cartoon, one needs to know about the story of the pilgrims and migration to America in the 1400s, as well as the interactions between the Natives and the English. Furthermore, the information about the recent terrorist attacks in France and world events are necessary to make the connection between this cartoon and the "refugees" comment/message. With all this information in mind, people can connect, compare, and contrast the similarities and differences of the two scenarios with the Natives/English and the rest of the world and the Syrian refugees. The knowledge helps to enhance the message of hypocrisy and absurdist views concerning the refugee crisis.