Letter to the St. Augustine Record Publisher Derek May -- Please Reinstate Cartoonist Ed Hall

Dear Mr. May:
Will you please reinstate Ed Hall as St. Augustine Record cartoonist today?
He's done excellent work that I have enjoyed since the 20th Century. It would be a sham and a shame to let a few soreheads (e.g., School Board minions and Phil McDaniel) induce the Record to violate Ed Hall's civil rights.
The clever Halltoons November 23, 2008 cartoon was about a generic Florida school superintendent -- it bears no reference to Supt. Joyner or St. Johns County. McDaniel's November 30, 2008 Op Ed column reads like it was written by someone whose purpose in life is defending a political machine, rather than advancing artistic freedom.
Phil McDaniel's pejoratives are as unthinking as they are emotional -- obviously McDaniel has deep-seated emotional problems with First Amendment protected activity. McDaniel is chair of the putative Cultural Council and should hang his head in shame -- his twisted column bears no relation to the cartoon that appeared. Let Phil McDaniel go soak his sore head.
Let Ed Hall be Ed Hall, without further harassment and intimidation at the behest of officious hangers-on like Phil McDaniel, a would-be politician who obviously knows nothing about editorial cartooning (or artistic license or First Amendment values.
Let freedom ring.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
Clean Up City of St. Augustine Florida
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
P.O. Box 3084
St. Augustine, FL 32085-3084
904-829-3877 (o)
904-471-9918 (fax)