Cartoon hurtful to Katrina victims

Why does The Murray State News report the efforts of locals supporting Hurricane Katrina victims and tear them down all in the same issue?

What particular purpose did the cartoon in the Sept. 9 issue depicting the forced evacuations serve?

Why exploit a few instances that pale in comparison to the devastation and loss those people have suffered?

This satirical illustration seems to send the message that those who were in New Orleans and various places refused to let their homes go because of material things. The purpose of the beer cans and vodka bottles in the flood waters is still a mystery to me.

What about the mothers who cannot find their children? The only thing they want is to know if their babies are alive, not how much a plasma screen TV costs.

What about the fathers who watched the flood waters take away those they loved and cared about most? I'm sure the latest $200 pair of sneakers was the least of their concerns.

How would you feel if you were left with nothing and transported to a university willing to help, then read the school's student newspaper that trivialized your situation?

Has anyone stopped to consider the feelings of the victims who are in Murray?

I may not ever find the answers to my questions, but I refuse to sit idly by and accept this drawing.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and this one only repeats the same one to me - myopic.

Joseph Blue Senior Dyersburg, Tenn.