I had the idea for today's cartoon before the viral "Tommy" video hit social media. And then when I saw the video, I thought, "Well, Abdul El-Sayed kind of already made my point."
But, two things. One, it's a really good point (and not everybody necessarily knows about the video). Two, I couldn't come up with a better idea.
Americans certainly don't own religious intolerance. It is a universal human fault. But as it happens, being a refuge for those who have experienced religious intolerance is a critical part of our country's origin story -- it is literally foundational to how we intended our country operate.
So what El-Sayed is experiencing as a Muslim is, sadly, nothing new. Many others have gone through it. What is critical now is that we don't reward it.
Editor's note: John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Public, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
