America is not about Fear, Lies, Hate or War - A Collection of Political Cartoons by Paul Jamiol is cartoonist Paul Jamiol's second book of political cartoons. He gives us his take on the world around us, and points out those he feels deserve closer scrutiny for their words and deeds.
Upheaval, divisiveness and a Presidential election were the hallmarks of 2011 to 2013. Americans were affected profoundly. Jamiol uses his pen to record that period. It contains a selection of 190 cartoons from over 450 cartoons that Paul drew over those three years.
Jamiol is relentless in his pursuit to be honest with his visual commentaries. The subjects of his work might not appreciate that honesty, and he answers them quite simply, "We need to care about our fellow Americans, not denigrate them or beat them down, and if that's happening, we need to bring it out into the light."
Why a second book? Wasn't the first enough? Some might think (and hope) so, but Jamiol disagrees. "I once again want to share a collection of my 'toons with those who have followed my work, and at the same time put them out there for those who have not yet seen them. The 2011-2013 period needs to be looked at as a whole so that we might learn something going forward. I've always been a firm believer that we need to go back before we can go forward. Those who have been less than honest or have hurt our country or its citizens need to be held accountable."
This second book, like the first, strives to be a truthful and candid recording of that period. The rising tide of spin and falsehoods, from those revisionists who want to "slide things past" the American people, comes in wave after wave and never seems to stop. They bellow incessantly and try to drum their spin into the American consciousness, hoping it'll be taken as the truth. This book will hold some of those waves back long enough so that Jamiol's non-revisionist telling of events can be heard.
This book won't change how you look at the world. It will only show you how Jamiol looks at the world. And whether or not you like how he handles an issue, you will be captivated by his creativity, poignancy, toughness and honesty.
