Hall's 'caricature' missed the mark

First, I was startled. Then I laughed. Finally, I knew I had to comment on Charlie Hall's cartoon, (caricature, really), in the Oct. 29 edition of The Valley Breeze.

I'm not even going to address the politically incorrect and sexist implication in his caricature: (the young male versus the experienced female). Surely we all get that!

But obviously, like so many other people, Mr. Hall equates experience with being old, decrepit, irrelevant, marginalized and having little to contribute. Obviously, too, he is unfamiliar with these words:

"...Intelligence, and reflection, and judgment reside in old men (and in old women), and if there had been none of them, no states could exist at all..."

I didn't say it, Cicero did.

Cicero could also have added that "old men and old women" have valuable life experience that is worthy of respect and, thankfully, they have a sense of humor which allows them to suffer fools gladly.

I'm willing to bet that even Mr. Hall can remember some smart, feisty, no nonsense little old lady (at least he thought she was old at the time) who taught him an important thing or two that he still uses every day.

While "parodies and caricatures are the most penetrating criticisms," (that's Aldous Huxley), really, I and the veteran, seasoned teachers I know look nothing like the frumpy gal in his caricature. Not that frumpy is bad. Eleanor Roosevelt was frumpy, after all. But he should have at least remembered that too much of proof really does affront belief!

He did manage, however, to perfectly meet the definition of "caricature": a bad likeness; a poor imitation; something so distorted or inferior as to seem a ludicrous imitation..." That's Webster.

Lois M. Salome

Millville, Mass.