Dear Editor

A recent Letter to the Editor suggested political cartoons are somehow less deserving of publication than written opinions. Such an argument is disingenuous and obscures at least one truth: In the realm of politics, a picture is often worth more than a thousand words. Indeed, a well-drawn political cartoon can engage and educate a broader audience than an equivalent article might.

Whether or not awkward conversations resulted because an opinion was expressed should have no bearing on its expression. Whether such conversations occur in appropriate settings is up to their participants. But the opinion section of a college newspaper seems wholly appropriate for expressing, well, opinions; political or not, popular or unpopular, written or illustrated. Personally, I enjoy the illustrated kind.

Sincerely,

Patrick O'Keeffe

Research Faculty
Civil/Environmental Engineering