Sacramento, CA newspaper blast nation's Firefighters

[CALFFBOU]

Oh boy, here we go. This is probably gonna be the most
intense posting I ever wrote.

First off, I need to apologize to all of you on behalf of
my hometown newpaper, the Sacramento Bee. They just released
this cartoon (with 3 seperate panels) blasting the FDNY,
Oklahoma Firefighters and then their hometown FD, the
city of Sacramento Firefighters.




Yes, the SFD messed up and has been through a lot. Families,
careers and the public's trust have been thrashed. But this
crossed the line. Trust me, letters and emails have already
been made to the editor and cartoonist at the Sac Bee.

Again, I am sorry. I think I can say the citizens of California
loves Firefighters regardless of state lines.

-Bou

Here are your email contacts-

Artist- rbabin@sacbee.com
Editor- publiceditor@sacbee.com.

[mglax13]

That FDNY jab is incredibly ****ed up. Take a jab at them, that's fine if you feel that way, but don't take a jab at them using something that is most obviously related to 9/11.

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

Same old sad refrain.

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

E-mails have been sent. Pathetic.

[Dave1983]

E-mails sent as well. Will also pass it along to the rest of my department. Lets see if we can crash the server

Dave

[superchef]

How pathetic and tasteless. My E-mails follow the others.

[Sugarfoot]

online letters to the paper may be sent from this site address


http://www.sacbee.com/static/live/op...ters_form.html

[prymtym]

My email informed the cartoonist of his complete lack of class and respect, but a piece of S#@T like that that isn't going to care. He'll probably laugh at every email, but so what, email him anyway.
There are a bunch of things about that comic that disturb me, but most is the disrespect to those couple of firemen just trying to salvage a little pride and dignity from America's darkest day.

Some people...
KC

PHILIPPEANS 4:13

[WTFD10]

This angers me beyond belief.

It's bad enough the distortion of the 9/11 image but to take the OKC image of a firefighter carrying a deceased baby and make a mockery of it disgusts me.

[flydog2]

CALFF,

I am working my email as we speak. Do you mind if I copy your posting and put in on another firefighting BB to get more emails sent to this idiot.

[Plugmedic]

That is so inappropriate and distasteful that the artist and the editor should be fired!

[Fire304]

What a MUTT

Just to remind everyone, here are the orriginals:

[Fire304]

Panel 2

DOn't know what the 3rd panel is about but I really don't care, this pig is disgusting.

[Fire304]

Bou, what day and in what section did this run on? Was it with the regular editorials or was it on its own as some sort of story? Have they issued any formal statement of regret or "does not reflect the opinion of the paper..." crap yet? What I write I want to be able to be specific about this.

[Fire304]

OK, answered my own question, here is the link to the editorial cartoon archive for this piece of garbage.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinio...12830175c.html

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

I am appalled at the total lack of taste and sensitivity that your newspaper showed when you printed the editorial cartoon about the firefighters of Sacramento.

Using images of the two worst terrorist acts carried out on our soil in an attempt to embarass the firefighters...

What would the 3000+ families of the victims of 9/11 say?
What would the mother of little Bayley Almond, one of the 168 victims of the Oklahoma City bombing say?

Freedom of the press withstanding... your paper has hit a blow below the belt to all Americans, and especially her Firefighters.

[gracie449]

If the cartoonist's house catches fire, I know the local FD will be there immediately and put it out just like they would for any other citizen, but I'm awfully tempted to wrtie and tell him that if his house catches fire maybe he should call his !*@#^$*&! editor instead of 911.

This is just plain disgraceful. I am going to write him after I cool down, but not right now.

I have spent the last few months immersed in the firefighting culture, doing research for a book I am writing. I have alternately been moved to tears, prayer, laughter, sadness, awe and gratitude by the true firefighting accounts I have read, heard and been sent.

This cartoon inspires disgust and outrage, emotions foreign to anything I usually feel in connection with firefighting as a profession OR a culture.

Forget him. Just forget him. I started to type another word that begins with "F" but why stoop to this guy's level?

I will write him tomorrow.

What a ....okay, not going to say that either.

Disgusting.

[CALFFBOU]

Originally posted by flydog2
CALFF,

I am working my email as we speak. Do you mind if I copy your posting and put in on another firefighting BB to get more emails sent to this idiot.

Please go ahead and do what you have to do. As posted
earlier, this cartoon came out on 1/6/05. Why it just
came out when the Sac. City sex story was fading away,
is beyond me.

-Bou

[RLFD14]

My response:

People make mistakes, and I will not defend mistakes. Willfully making judgement errors deserves punishment. So while I think the handful of firefighters in Sacramento that screwed up have been rightfully sanctioned (perhaps not enough), certainly the publishing of your editorial cartoon also deserves sanctioning. How dare you? How DARE you spit in the eyes of firefighters nationwide, laying everything on the line every day, living with the nightmares and the things they have seen and done to protect those around them? Even the bad apples in Sacramento have certainly done many good things that should not be totally swept aside in your fury, but desecrating the deeds of firefighters everywhere who will forever be scarred by the events of 9/11 and in OKC is probably the most horrific disrepect I have ever witnessed towards firefighters. We'll see how you feel about them the next time you call them to your house. They have character and class which perhaps you cannot begin to grasp, and despite this treatment of them - no matter where you go - when you call them they will come at any hour and give you the best care and protection they can. And as you shake in fear from a family member suffering serious injury or grave illness, or watch as they selflessly risk it all to save your house and possessions, perhaps you can dream about having the kind of class it takes to give your all despite what people spit into your eye.

A public apology is in order.

I was nearly shaking with anger, but sending the email helped immensely. Everyone, PLEASE WRITE! This CANNOT be allowed to pass without appropriate corrective actions taken.

[E40FDNYL35]

My letters have been sent....

"People think they know what we do, but they really dont know what we do."