Lines in the sand
Milosevic's attacks in Croatia and Bosnia, and his practice of
"ethnic cleansing" were too long ignored by the U.S. and its allies.
Later, despite warnings from the NATO nations, Milosevic persecuted
ethnic Albanians in the province of Kosovo. On February 23, 1999,
Serbian and ethnic Albanian leaders announced they had reached an
accord, but NATO reserved the option to begin air strikes if the
situation did not improve. Herb Block correctly figured that an
intransigent Milosevic would not adhere to the agreement.
Lines in the
sand, February 26, 1999
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (117)
LC-USZ62-126896
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Speakers on behalf of the Kosovo massacred and homeless
On March 23, 1999, NATO and the United States ordered air strikes
against the Yugoslav military after Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic
refused to halt his campaign against Kosovo Albanians. The air attacks
began on the night of March 24, hitting Yugoslav targets, including
the capitol city of Belgrade. President Bill Clinton evoked images
of Nazi atrocities during World War II to lend moral weight to the
decision to attack Yugoslavia. The American people, in general,
responded favorably to NATO's action.
Speakers on
behalf of the Kosovo massacred and homeless, March 25,
1999
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (137)
LC-USZ62-127455
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"Kids these days! Craziness in schools movies, video games–terrible!
Here–Try this dandy!"
This cartoon appeared shortly after the Columbine High School massacre
in Littleton, Colorado, in which two teenagers shot and killed twelve
of their fellow students and a teacher before turning their weapons
on themselves. This horrifying event followed other widely reported
acts of violence with firearms in U.S. schools. Herb Block comments,
"Many joined the gun lobby in seeking causes everywhere except
in the easy availability of firearms."
"Kids these
days! Craziness in schools movies, video games–terrible! Here–Try
this dandy!" April 28, 1999
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (118)
LC-USZ62-126898
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Crime and punishment
Herblock exposes inadequacies in sentencing by comparing the lengthy
prison term meted out to a criminal involved in a drug use charge,
with the relatively short term for the prisoner convicted of murder.
The War on Drugs in the late 1980s and early 1990s resulted in harsher
terms for those involved in drug-related activities. By 1999, prison
populations had swelled with those serving long mandatory sentences
for non-violent offenses. The long sentences for the use of crack
(cooked cocaine) compared to those for use of the more expensive
cocaine powder illustrate another inequity. The American Bar Association
reported that by far the majority of arrests were for possession
rather than dealing, and that the stiffer sentences did not deter
actual criminal activity.
Crime and punishment,
November 5, 1999
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (121)
LC-USZ62-126897
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"I don't know where your socks are, and if you keep coming in
here with that cigar I'm going to call OSHA"
In January 2000 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
advisory made companies responsible for the health and safety of
employees working from home. On January 5, the day the cartoon appeared,
Alexis Herman, the Department of Labor Secretary, rescinded the
advisory that had caused confusion among employers about what oversight
they would be expected to provide for their telecommuting employees.
"I don't know
where your socks are, and if you keep coming in here with that cigar
I'm going to call OSHA," January 5, 2000
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (122)
LC-USZ62-126923
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"Just gunsmoke -- For a moment I thought somebody somewhere
might be burning a flag"
Congress tried to make flag burning a crime while still refusing
to pass legislation limiting the purchase of guns. In March 2000,
the Senate once more considered a constitutional amendment, previously
endorsed by President Bush, that would have banned "desecration
of the flag," but once more fell just short of the necessary two-thirds
vote.
"Just gunsmoke--For
a moment I thought somebody somewhere might be burning a flag,"
March 29, 2000
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white,
and overlays over blue pencil
underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (124)
LC-USZ62-126925
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"Put this on -- You're obviously not covered by the First Amendment"
On March 29, 2000, the Supreme Court upheld an Erie, Pennsylvania,
ordinance that required nude dancers to wear pasties and G-strings.
The Court maintained that nude dancing did not fall within the free
speech protection of the First Amendment.
"Put this on–You're
obviously not covered by the First Amendment," March
31, 2000
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white,
and overlays over blue pencil
underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (125)
LC-USZ62-126930
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"This must be that strange creature they mentioned in history
class"
By January 2000, the stock market had experienced twelve years
of almost unprecedented growth, an extended "bull" market, leading
many to forget that the law of gravity had not been repealed for
stock purchases. New investors had taken advantage of the boom in
Internet technology to trade on their own, and the lifetime experiences
of many investors, which did not go back to days of financial recessions,
left them unprepared for the steep sell-off of stocks in April 2000.
"This must be
that strange creature they mentioned in history class,"
April 6, 2000
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white,
and overlays over blue pencil
underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (126)
LC-USZ62-126928
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Greatest country on Earth
With the only superpower on earth enjoying record prosperity, Herb
Block offers in this recent work some reminders of unfinished business
and non-business.
Greatest Country
On Earth, July 23, 2000
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white,
and overlays over blue pencil
underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (153)
LC-USZ62-127444
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