In March of 2010, The Herald News (Fall River, Massachusetts) published a Taylor Jones cartoon depicting an ugly-expressioned Pope Benedict blocking his ears, eyes and mouth in “Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” form. (Apparently, Jones’ judgment of the pope—and what he wants everyone to believe about him—is that the pope refuses to hear about, look into, or address reports of abuse occurring in the Church.) I wrote the following letter-to-the-editor in response to the cartoon. The Herald News did not print my letter (or any others in support of the pope.) And so I present it to you here.

 (To the editor:)

Those who hate Christ’s Church and her teaching have attacked her in every conceivable way down through the centuries. Taylor Jones’ presuming depiction of an unpleasant-faced Pope Benedict willfully stopping his ears, eyes and speech to realities around him is a small example of one of those many ways.

Taylor Jones’ cartoon reveals nothing about the man who was elected by the princes of the Church to lead the Church. It reveals only Taylor Jones.  

.    .    .

Taylor Jones' cartoon and a piece of his writing can be found at blog.cagle.com/jones/2010/04/05/pope-ben...

Justme,

Since much of my post was spent describing Taylor Jones' cartoon and presenting my responding letter-to-the editor which the Herald News did not print, I will try to clarify the post for you and others who might want to present their own experiences of liberal bias. My real point was that The Herald News (Fall River, MA) published an ugly, presuming cartoon of Pope Benedict but did not publish one letter written in objection to the depiction, including mine. I see that as bias, flat-out. A real newspaper would have given space to opposing views in its editorial pages. Fall River is home to many Catholics. I doubt that my letter-to-the-editor (unpublished!) was the only one sent in response to Jones' cartoon.

'Liberal bias' is the bias of those who have been inculcated with contempt for long-standing traditions, institutions and morals. Taylor Jones and the Herald News, in their contempt for the pope, appear quite infected with liberal bias. Conservatism, on the other hand, loves and respects the great traditions and ideas. Conservatism wants to conserve the great foundations of our society. It knows that to throw these off would result in the undoing of our society, which undoing appears to be the goal of liberals.

'Liberal bias' is the bias of those who have been inculcated with contempt for long-standing traditions, institutions and morals.

I could not disagree more. Liberals have the greatest respect for traditions, institutions and morals but not so much so that they will not try to improve them when necessary.

"Unfortunately, many people in our society, Pharisaically tied to their own religious customs and laws, have yet to recognize the debt that they owe to liberals. Had there been no liberals, we would be living in a radically different social, political, and religious environment. For one thing, if Jesus had not been a liberal who was willing to try new ideas rather than to live slavishly bound to old religious customs and traditions, there would be no Christianity that so many conservatives in our society consider to be primarily important in their lives. The next time a preacher or a politician labels someone a "liberal," ask yourself why that within itself should be any reason to hold him/her in disdain. Keep in mind a logical axiom that recognizes that the truth or falsity of propositions is always independent of its source, so it is entirely possible that an idea proposed by a liberal just might be worthy of your consideration. Indeed, history has taught us that the ideas of liberals have been the driving force that led us out of caves into the society that we now enjoy, and whatever progress awaits mankind in the future will come to us through the efforts of liberals who will dare to buck the status quo and consider new ideas. Knowing that should be enough to encourage you to listen to what that a liberal has to say." --- Farrell Till