Cartoonist for the Chatanooga Times Free Press and Pulitzer Prize winner, in this image Clay Bennett adresses the ever growing divisions occuring in American society. Created for citizens of the United States, particularly those that read the paper, he uses the much talked of obesity rates as a way to highlite an larger, deeper, and more destructive problem. The facial expression of the man is that of shock, representing that the public did not realize the dire situation their division had become until the government had become, in a sense, useless. As the initial purpose of the jacket was intended by the people that made it, all of the teeth of the zipper must work together harmoniously in order to serve the larger purpose, offering protection to the wearer. Similarly, the government and society at large in America may only be of use to the public if the members collaborate peacefully. The statement made by the main character (who is wearing a traditional working class outfit) implies that although there had been a division from the beginning, the decade following 9/11 has led to the country’s biggest downfall and caused the largest crisis. Written as a response to the great anniversary of the tragedy, he encourages the readers to pay attention to what has happened since then, implying that once we have come to our senses we will see the true aftermath of the incident. Therefore, it can be said that this cartoon is causal. However, he places the largest blame on the people, not the government. Obesity is a result of carelessness and is self inflicted, although never with the intent to cause harm. Similarly, a nation requires maintenance, and that maintenance was not received.
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