Liberal versus Conservative
Liberal Versus Conservative
The political cartoon, Thurgood Marshall, created by Steve Greenberg, focuses on former President George Bush’s overly elated emotions regarding the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in 1991.
As background to the cartoon, the former President, George Bush, Sr. was our 41st President and he was a republican. Thurgood Marshall was a well-respected Supreme Court Justice, and a democrat. The President appoints Supreme Court Justices, and history tells us that most of the appointments are based on whether or not a person is the same political affiliation as the President. In this case, President Bush did not appoint Justice Marshall, he was appointed by former President Lyndon Johnson in 1967. Justice Marshall was the first African American man to serve on the Supreme Court. He was also a strong civil rights leader, respected legal figure and instrumental in the desegregation of public schools.
The backdrop of this cartoon takes place outside of the Supreme Court Building. You see two people; one is Thurgood Marshall and the other George Bush. A loading ramp behind a truck is also shown.
President Bush is shown dressed as a furniture mover. President Bush, as a furniture mover, is pushing a high-backed, leather chair up a loading ramp on to a moving truck. The back of the chair has the words “civil rights” stamped across it. The moving truck itself is named “George Moving,” just to add to the satire of it all. Bush is also shown in a much smaller perspective than Thurgood Marshall is. President Bush’s face is a bit exaggerated. His nose is larger than it actually is, and his overall demeanor is more of a cartoon character rather than an actual political figure. He shows this by painting a smirk on the President’s face as if to say, “I’m thrilled to be pushing Thurgood Marshall out of the Supreme Court altogether.” The artist draws the President as if he has no respect for the Justice, and is happy to see Marshall retire.
Thurgood Marshall is depicted in an entirely different light. His stature and demeanor are that of a strong, professional and confident person. He is standing upright in the cartoon. He is given a height that not only towers above President Bush, but also sets him above the height of the...