‘Cancel culture’ claims Dr. Seuss, Pepe Le Pew – what is next?
Rep. Frank Burns March 18, 2021 | 10:56 AM
Six little-known children’s books by famed author Dr. Seuss will no longer be published because of “racist and insensitive imagery.” Cartoon character Pepe Le Pew, basically an over-amorous skunk, is being relegated to the cartoon graveyard because his persistent attempts to find love encourage “rape culture.”
Seriously, when’s the last time you, your children or your grandchildren read the Dr. Seuss books, “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” or “If I Ran the Zoo”? Those are two of the books that the publisher has decided to toss on the scrap heap for being offensive.
Do kids today, immersed in a world of video games and other entertainment presented on a wide array of electronic devices, not find Pepe Le Pew passe anyway? How long before the Road Runner and Foghorn Leghorn are deemed equally offensive and thus unworthy of continued existence? What about Bugs Bunny and Donald Duck?
My point in asking these questions is not to make light of, or minimize, serious social or political concerns. As an elected official, I’ve spoken out against such wrongs as child sex abuse and have supported curative measures, such as creating a two-year window to file civil lawsuits in such cases where the statute of limitations has expired.
That tangible action specifically addresses a current problem with real victims.
Banning books and x-ing out cartoon characters has more in common with censorship than effectively righting a wrong. We should all be concerned about where that train is headed.
State Rep. Frank Burns
72nd Legislative District