By Ray Stern
Students writing in to the University of Arizona's student newspaper, the Daily Wildcat, defended the newspaper from critics of an election cartoon published last week that many believed was offensive.
An uproar erupted last week in the Tucson area over the cartoon. More than 100 UA community members met with the newspaper's staff to get answers on why the cartoon, which uses the n-word, was printed one day after Barack Obama was elected president. Lauren LePage, Wildcat editor-in-chief (pictured above), explained that it was an accident.
The debacle made headlines in the Arizona Daily Star and Editor and Publisher magazine. But the cartoon, produced by black syndicated cartoonist Keith Knight, was clearly not meant to convey a racist message.
Knight told CNN last week: "Is it offensive? Yes. Is it sad? Sure? But that's the reality of the United States, and this is a very unique election."
Here's the cartoon (let us know what you think):
