PENDER COUNTY — A recent political cartoon in a local paper has one Pender County commissioner feeling fearful for his life. However, the newspaper’s publisher says the commissioner is misinterpreting the image and its intent.
READ MORE: Pender newspaper claims First Amendment violation in county lawsuit
ALSO: Some Pender commissioners critical over Pender Post cartoon, pull business from pub
At the Pender County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, Sept. 15, Commissioner Jerry Groves spoke about the Pender-Topsail Post & Voice’s political cartoons, calling them a source of “hatred” that was putting his life in jeopardy. The newspaper’s publisher, Andy Pettigrew, maintains the cartoons are political commentary, not a threat, and that Groves is distorting their meaning.
The cartoon Groves took issue with was from the Sept. 4 edition. The image depicted Groves, alongside commissioner Brent Springer and Chair Randy Burton, roasting hot dogs over a burning pile of residents’ tax dollars. The cartoon also showed three tombstones beneath a ‘Pender EMS and Fire’ sign Burton was smashing with a gavel, which Groves interpreted as a threat to his life.
“I know this tombstone and these two crosses, one of them could be me at any time with the political atmosphere of today,” Groves told Port City Daily Wednesday. “Hate doesn’t start overnight. It’s a learned behavior. And this stuff has been going on for years. Everyone has their own interpretation, but this drew the line and it’s time for it to stop.”
The conflict between the Pender Post and commissioners escalated in April when the board voted 3-2 — Tate and George dissenting — to remove legal notices from the Pender Post, opting to run them in the Wilmington StarNews instead.
In response to the board’s decision, Pettigrew filed a lawsuit in July against the county and commissioners Springer, Burton, and Groves. The suit claims the county’s decision was an “unlawful retaliation” against the Pender Post, violating its First Amendment rights and the state constitution’s “fruits of their labor” clause. Pettigrew said the paper stands to lose approximately $80,000 in revenue and had to scale back their sports content as a result of the board’s action.
The county has until Oct. 10 to formally respond to the lawsuit, yet to be issued.
Groves explained he is not accusing anyone in particular, but pointed to the cartoons in the paper as a source of “hatred” in the county. The cartoons are featured in the opinion section of the newspaper, standard practice for publications to distinguish commentary and editorial columns from factual news reporting.
“This is hate, this isn’t journalism,” Groves said. “Everyone has an opinion, just like I have an opinion. My opinion is he is putting my life in jeopardy, whoever is the editor of this paper.”
Pettigrew said political cartoons were published in the Pender Post for years before being phased out, recently making a comeback in March criticizing the board’s decision to initiate the merger with Pender EMS and Fire.
In defense of the Sept. 4 cartoon, Pettigrew explained the cemetery is meant to depict the “death” of Pender EMS and Fire, not insinuating any violence or hatred toward the board.
“The very small cemetery with Pender EMS and Fire written over the top of it and the broken sign is signifying the death of this organization — what other way can you take that?” Pettigrew stated.
He also referenced the longstanding history of U.S. political cartoons have been featured in newspapers dating back to the late 1700s, with Benjamin Franklin creating images critical of figures such as the British monarchy.
“It’s not hate, it’s pointing out what they’re doing and letting the chips fall where they may,” Pettigrew said. “Your job is to be critical, your job is to look behind the scenes and not believe everything you hear.”
When asked if there was a specific threat made toward him, Groves did not name one. However, the commissioner did say he has “received second-hand information of hate” directed at him.
At Monday’s meeting, Groves requested a police escort out of the premises and to his vehicle; he told Port City Daily he plans to ask for an escort out of all commissioner meetings going forward.
Echoing Groves’ comments, resident Beth Butler addressed the board during public comment at Monday’s meeting, standing vehemently against the cartoons and worried for commissioners’ safety. Butler had previously spoken to the board in April, also critical of the cartoons.
“I am here for every person in Pender County, on the west side — anywhere in this county, we don’t want hate circulating in our county,” Butler stated. “If people want to read hate in their paper, let them subscribe.”
Burton said he was “very concerned” about the cartoon. He told Port City Daily on Wednesday that Butler’s comment at Monday’s meeting was the first time he had heard about it.
“I’ve always been a proponent of the First Amendment, but when the First Amendment sort of slides over into the gray area of hate speech or threats or innuendos to trigger someone to carry out something or do something, you know, that’s a little different,” Burton stated. “I think a lot of it is more geared on us in a personal manner now, to try to ruin our reputations and our lives simply for a vote we made on a policy issue. I mean, it’s just very troubling.”
Pettigrew, however, pushed back against any notion that the paper had a personal agenda: “All we do is report what they say, we don’t make it up. We don’t have an agenda beyond informing the public and telling the truth.”
Speaking on personal safety, Groves referenced the recent assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at his event on a college campus in Utah.
“Am I going to be next? Am I going to be a Charlie Kirk? It could happen really fast,” Groves expressed.
However, Pettigrew called the comparison “despicable.”
“And then trying to equate his fear with that when he didn’t have any fear — that cartoon had been out for two weeks, all of a sudden he got scared,” Pettigrew stated.
Commissioner George told PCD Wednesday he has never felt threatened by the Post’s cartoons. He said while constituents have shown up at his house and left things in his mailbox, he considers these actions to be a part of the job of being a public official.
“I guess everything’s in the way that someone sees it, perceives it,” George stated. “Some of them [cartoons] are kind of funny, some of them are tacky, some of them are uncalled for, and that’s with any cartoon. I don’t feel any of them should be considered threatening and promoting violence against anybody.”
Similarly to George, Commissioner Tate wrote to PCD Wednesday that he has not felt threatened by the paper, citing their longstanding history within the county.
“The Pender-Topsail Voice has been part of our county for over 50 years, covering many topics and, like most newspapers, including an editorial section,” Tate wrote. “I strongly believe in free speech — just as our founding fathers intended.”
Port City Daily reached out to Commissioner Springer for comment but didn’t receive a response by press.
Have tips or suggestions for Charlie Fossen? Email charlie@localdailymedia.com
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