Last week, following Rush Limbaugh’s now famous comments about Sandra Fluke, our own conservative cartoonist Gary McCoy (view McCoy’s cartoons here) drew a controversial cartoon that has been widely criticized. I’ve posted some of the harsh comments we’ve received about the cartoon.

After receiving volumes of hate mail and some death threats, Gary wrote to me to explain the cartoon:

It’s my job to opine on the issues of the day. I’ll admit, the cartoon in question hit a little harder than I usually do, but here we had a 30 year old woman’s rights advocate, who will make on average $160,000/year after graduation, stating that she had to spend $3,000 over the last two years on birth control, when a trip to her local Planned Parenthood would keep her supplied for free. Or for a few bucks more a day, any local drug store would meet her needs. And on top of it, she thinks that a Jesuit university, which she enrolled in knowing full well that their private insurance doesn’t pay for contraceptives, as it goes against their religious morals, should abandon their beliefs just so she can advance the Obama health care plan, for which she also advocates.

Sandra Fluke side-by-side with McCoy's cartoon (via JimRomenesko.com)

And one major detail that the press, and most of the people spewing hate at me didn’t bother to notice or acknowledge, is that the woman in my cartoon A) doesn’t even look like Sandra Fluke (According to many of the people who critiqued me), and B) Isn’t even labeled Sandra Fluke. So basically, it’s a generic woman, saying what many ultra-liberal feminists have said before, specifically that government should stay out of their wombs, but still provide them with free birth control, which is the definition of hypocrisy.

On top of it, many who wrote me said the statement in the cartoon isn’t even something that Miss Fluke has said. So there you have it, a woman not labeled Sandra Fluke, who doesn’t look like Sandra Fluke, saying something that Sandra Fluke has apparently not said. Yet, I’m hit with everything from being labeled a misogynist, to personal threats for calling Sandra Fluke a “slut”. This sort of knee-jerk reactionism makes the Rockettes look like a Tennessee Waltz dance act.

One more thing… it struck me as deliciously ironic that many of the tolerant, compassionate liberals who took issue with my supposedly portraying Miss Fluke as a “slut” and “prostitute”, and with my lack of civility, did so by calling me every vulgar name in the book and making death threats against me (The latter emails go on file at my local police department).

But to summarize, I have the right, and the duty to editorialize, through my cartoons, on any subject currently in the news. That’s what I did. And I won’t back down from intimidation and threats from the same liberals who honor a vow of silence when it comes to denouncing Bill Maher for calling Sarah Palin a c*nt.

On Tuesday, I posted a conservative cartoon about Sandra Fluke and the Rush Limbaugh birth control rant on my blog by Gary McCoy, who I syndicate through Cagle Cartoons. Since then, there’s been a firestorm of criticism about the nasty tone of the cartoon coming from all quarters of the internet. Media critic Jim Romenesko even posted this side-by-side comparison on his blog:

Today, Now with Alex Wagner host Alex Wagner brought up the cartoon on her msnbc show and debated the finer points of basic healthcare on International Women’s Day.

Here’s the clip:

Here are just a taste of the emails and comments we received about the cartoon:

Susan S.: “This cartoon (and Limbaugh’s remarks) say more about the originators than they do about Ms. Fluke. When did personal insults and ad hominem attacks become acceptable substitutes for political debate?”

Neil J.: “Since when did Rush draw cartoons? Demonizing is sick & wrong for cartoonists and talk radio. Thanks for continuing to poison the dialogue. Epitome of how wrong republicans have become for themselves and the rest of our great country.”

George B.: “Dear Gary, How would you like someone to do this to your daughter? I won’t take a look at any of your cartoons again. Incredibly distasteful!”

Jon J.: “Not funny, just stupid. Did Rush pay you to publish this piece of s#%t? Really, not happy to see you denigrate your brand with crap like this.”

Chris K.: “Since the woman was specifically NOT asking the Government to cover her birth control but a private organizations health insurance this cartoon is just promoting a lie.”

Robert E.: “That cartoon is just an example of the low intelligence and drivel you’d expect from the foul-minded Limbaughers.”

Sandy S.: “After being totally disgusted by the implied content, I couldn’t help but wonder – with Rush’s sponsors are leaving him faster than the captain did on the sinking Costa Concordia, is he now supplementing his income doing political cartoons?”