Today’s ‘cancel culture’ claims echo ‘freedom fries’ nonsense of years past

istockphoto.com
In 2003, when France opposed the U.S. plan to invade Iraq, Republicans in Congress tried to take the "French" out of fries. The then-chairman of the Committee on House Administration, Bob Ney, changed the title of the menu option in Congressional cafeterias to the very patriotic "Freedom Fries." However, the new name quickly fell out of favor as support for the Iraq War did the same. Congress cafeterias put "French fries" back on the menu in 2006. (istockphoto.com/Tribune Content Agency).
Bill Bramhall/New York Daily News
Bill Bramhall's editorial cartoon for Monday, March 8, 2021, showing Republicans holding a Mr. Potato Head and a Dr. Seuss book. (Bill Bramhall/Tribune Content Agency).

PUBLISHED: March 9, 2021 at 10:59 a.m. | UPDATED: March 9, 2021 at 3:59 p.m.

While I enjoyed KAL’s recent cartoon regarding GOP election reform, I found it ironic that it reminded me (because of its design) of a drawing from a Dr. Seuss book. I find it ridiculous that so many right-wing media outlets (and their duped audiences) have spent so much time and effort blaming today’s “cancel culture” (liberals, progressives, educated people with empathy, etc.) for the deletion of a few titles from the vast Seuss library. After all, it was the estate of the Theodor Seuss Geisel family that made the (proper) decision to do so (“It’s not ‘cancel culture,’ it’s consideration for others,” March 4).

I wonder if these folks are the same ones that changed the names of French fries and French toast to freedom fries and freedom toast in the House congressional cafeteria in the early aughts because France didn’t endorse the U.S. policy in Iraq? Now that is cancel culture hypocrisy!

Michael Hiob, Aberdeen

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