Bonfire November 1999 - Steve Benson - Arizona Republic

TChaney

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I've always felt it was important to preserve history good or bad.

I'm posting this here so it can be saved and not forgotten.

Arizona Republic
November 19, 1999
Page B 11

Artist Steve Benson

Not too long ago I looked for it and there was not much out there. I did find one small snippet about the cartoon. Some younger Aggies probably have no idea this even exists.

Personal Note:
It's amazing how emotion can keep a memory alive for years. I was absolutely livid when I saw this editorial cartoon. This callous person was drawing this as they were pulling survivors and deceased from the fallen stack. To this day I still wish him all of the ill will he has coming to him.

https://archive.vn/1C7Jg

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ChipFTAC01

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In reply to TChaney • 2:50p, 7/5/20

AG

Man, I had forgotten about that. I honestly don't know how anyone can be that callous about the loss of life to think that was in accapetavle taste.

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ChipFTAC01

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2:52p, 7/5/20

AG

Reading his Wikipedia article it looks like he's a troubled soul. Or a shock jock.

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Fairview

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3:09a, 7/6/20

AG

It's not just the the guy that drew it. It it made through the editors before publication. I remember that cartoon vividly and like others said it made me angry. Still to this day when I see an article pop up from that paper it pisses me off.

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HollywoodBQ

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In reply to ChipFTAC01 • 5:17p, 7/6/20

AG

ChipFTAC01 said:
Man, I had forgotten about that. I honestly don't know how anyone can be that callous about the loss of life to think that was in accapetavle taste.

I understand the callousness when you're talking about a culture you don't understand or can't comprehend. The latest being the protesters who got run over in Seattle this past weekend. I don't comprehend standing in the middle of an Interstate Highway that you and a bunch of your altie friends decided to close down. So if somebody wants to crack jokes about that, I'll probably bite.

This cartoonist was just looking for cheap laughs. The same kind of crap that we always see about how everybody from the South is stupid, inbred, uneducated, racist, rednecks, etc. I agree with Fairview that something like this made it through several layers of approvals before it got published, which is really the most shocking part.

Just like everything else in today's world of instant access to information, facts and opinions are readily available. Knowledge/Understanding/Comprehension are not readily available.

Looking at the events of 20 years ago through the lens of today, this cartoonist would probably get cancelled or at least trot out a fake apology the next day via his Twitter.

Speaking of inflammatory cartoons versus Free Speech, it would be interesting to see what the public reaction would be if the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks happened now instead of 5 years ago.

As far as the culture around Aggie Bonfire and the facts of the situation, I've had to set more than a few folks straight about Bonfire (sadly, even some Aggies).

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