ARTIST'S POV:
There is a scene in the movie Raising Arizona where a couple of delinquent brothers go to rob a bank. They feel pretty confident about their plan because they fancy themselves sophisticated criminals. As they bust in the front door of the dusty, country bank, one of the brothers shouts out, "All right, ya hayseeds, it's a stick-up. Everybody freeze. Everybody down on the ground."
There is a long awkward pause as the tellers and farmer clientele stare back at them. The criminals are flustered. Finally one of the farmers says, "Well, which is it, young feller? You want I should freeze or get down on the ground? Mean to say, if'n I freeze, I can't rightly drop. And if'n I drop, I'm a-gonna be in motion."
The rest of the robbery does not go well.
This scene was the first thing to pop to mind when I heard that Governor Snyder had signed the House version of Detroit Public School legislation. Because, correct me if I'm wrong, but hadn't he previously been telling us that his version with more money and charter oversight was the only effective solution for the DPS? And now he's telling us the very different House plan is just fine? Well, which is it, young feller?
In the end I figured not enough people have seen (or nearly memorized, as I have) Raising Arizona, so I decided to go with the dictionary definition bit for this week's cartoon. It's much clearer what I'm calling the governor out on because he's Snydermised before — the infamous Michigan Roads legislation being the last best example.
John Auchter is an editorial cartoonist. Views expressed in his cartoons are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management or the station licensee, The University of Michigan.
Editor's note: We're experimenting with a weekly editorial cartoon on our website on Fridays. Let us know what you think. Send praise or criticism to vduffy@umich.edu
