Editor,
I am writing in response to Antoinette Murphy's letter in Thursday's Daily Lobo. In it, she describes the New Orleans Jazz Funeral cartoon as disgraceful and disrespectful.
I have never been to Louisiana, and I did not liken the picture to the orchestra on the Titanic. I found the cartoon to mean exactly what it stands for - as Murphy puts it, "celebration of death and new life" - simply because New Orleans as we know it has died, but will be reborn.
Life will start again, and things will be different. I am also saddened to see that Murphy tries to pull the race card on the drawing. After having watched the news since the disaster, I have seen almost nothing but African-Americans on it. And would it not make sense that if a minority is predominant in such areas that they be displayed accordingly?
We may not know what it's like to go back to such damage and loss of life as some are going to have to, but to try and make such things racial, as Murphy tries to imply that the cartoon does, is the only thing disgraceful and disrespectful.
Estaban Sena
UNM student
