Doonesbury Comic Strip on Abortion Being Moved By Some Newspapers

Newspapers across the country are debating whether or not to run next week’s “Doonesbury” comic strip, which uses graphic imagery to lampoon a Texas law requiring women to have an ultrasound before an abortion.

Universal Uclick, the syndicate behind the cartoon, said on Friday that some newspapers will likely not run the Garry Trudeau-authored Doonesbury comic strip. Several newspapers have already come forward to say that they won’t be running the strip at all, while others will be moving the strip to opinion pages or websites.

“We run ‘Doonesbury’ on our op-ed page, and this series is an example of why,” said David Averill, editorial page editor for the Tulsa World. “Many of our readers will disagree with the political stance the series takes, and some will be offended by the clinical language. I believe, however, that this series of strips is appropriate to the abortion debate and appropriate to our op-ed pages.”

In next week’s Doonesbury comic strip, a woman goes to a Texas clinic to have an abortion, and is forced to have a sonogram, which the strip seems to equate to governmental rape. The cartoon wraps up with the woman going home and waiting 24 hours before having the procedure, as is required by the Texas law.

Catherine Frazier, press secretary for Governor Rick Perry, blasted the Doonesbury comic strip, saying:

“The decision to end a life isn’t funny,” Frazier said. “There is nothing comic about this tasteless interpretation of legislation we have passed in Texas to ensure that women have all the facts when making a life-ending decision.”

Do you think that newspapers should keep the Doonesbury strip?