In response to Lisa Callahan's blog post, "Tragic Timing":

        While Mr. Ohman’s cartoon may have seemed somewhat insensitive, it is his job as a political commentator to occasionally stir up emptions and controversy in order to get his point across.  While it may seem a bit too soon to make macabre jokes about the West Texas explosion, it is crucial that a political commentator strike while a pressing issue is still hot.  In this case, Mr. Ohman is relying on people’s emotions to still be running strong for him to play on their pathos for his point to be made: this state’s lax oversight laws are largely responsible for the tragedy that occurred.

     It is estimated that the fertilizer plant was storing at least 1,350 times over the maximum legal limit of ammonium nitrate at the time, and had a long history of noncompliance with state and federal safety laws.  There are dozens of reports of the plant making unsafe violations such as venting ammonia without permits, failing to meet deadlines for risk management plans, mislabeling hazardous material storage tanks, and moving lethal chemicals without properly alerting state authorities.  The list goes on and on about the plant’s brazen disregard for safety laws yet they never received any punishment or castigation.

                It is rather unfortunate that at the time of the explosion, Governor Rick Perry happened to be in Illinois attempting to persuade companies to move their business to Texas, touting our state’s lack of regulation as a potential incentive  to operating here. 

                Yes, the political cartoon was insensitive, but it was provocative, and ultimately, that is what the author was trying to do.  He was not trying to offend people, but rather provoke them into action.  It is time this state stopped placing such an emphasis on unbridled capitalizing, and began protecting its' workers by regulating businesses.