Looking beyond the few words used in Corky Trinidad's
cartoons on this page, what is the message he is trying to
get across? Discuss these political cartoons in the
classroom or with your parents.

Cartoons are
not just fun
and games

These pictures pack as much
information as a super-long story and can
change people's way of thinking

Star-Bulletin

Cartoons can be more than funny pictures. When they are used in a political campaign season, they can influence voters by portraying issues and candidates in positive or negative ways.

They may do this by entertaining, offering opposing viewpoints, ridiculing or championing causes.

Just as words tell a story, cartoons can tell a story. When looking at a political cartoon, don't just use your eyes. Use your brain to figure out what individuals are represented, what symbols stand for and what is the message.

Often, to understand the meaning of a political cartoon, it is necessary to read the newspaper or watch television news to get an understanding of current events. The cartoons represent the serious events taking place in the community and world around you. These events may not affect you now, but they could affect you later.

Take a look at the cartoons on this page, created by Honolulu Star-Bulletin cartoonist Corky Trinidad. What do they mean? Can your parents help you figure what they are trying to say?

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If you don't know the message of these cartoons, what are
some places where you can begin to research local politics?

Can you picture
these issues?

Draw your own cartoon and you
could make your classmates
see things your way

Following are the issues that those in grades 6 through 12 will be voting on in the General Election Nov. 3.

Look over the entire list and decide with which side you agree or disagree, or will vote for or against.

In the next weeks, we will be examining each issue in depth and you may find that your point of view, perception and perspective will change as you gain more knowledge on the subject.

In the meantime, we welcome students to try their hand at drawing a political cartoon. Choose any of the topics below and create a cartoon that illustrates your position on the subject. It may be your cartoon that changes others' opinions!

Send cartoons to: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Kids Voting, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, HI 96802. Make sure to include your name, age, school and phone number. Deadlines for submitting cartoons are given after the issue topics below:

1. Do you feel that school is preparing you for the future? (Oct. 9 deadline)

2. Should juveniles be tried as adults for adult crimes? (Oct. 9)

3. Should the student representative on the Board of Education have voting rights on the board? (Oct. 9)

4. Should the driving age be raised from 15 to 18 years old? (Oct. 16)

5. Should it be unlawful for adults to smoke in confined areas with children under the age of 18 years old? (Oct. 16)

6. Do you feel safe at school? (Oct. 23)

7. Should a doctor be able to assist a terminally ill patient in taking his/her own life? (Oct. 23)

8. Cockfighting is illegal in Hawaii. Should it also be illegal to be a spectator at a cockfight? (Oct. 30)

9. Do you believe that there is a connection between people who are cruel to animals and people who are violent to humans? (Oct. 30)

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KIDS VOTING MESSAGE

By Lyla Berg

Make your voice count

Days until the General Election: 28

ALOHA KIDS! If you are in grades kindergarten through 5, you will be voting on specific candidates in the Nov. 3 General Election. Those of you in grades 6 through 12, however, will have a Kids Voting Issue Ballot in addition to the Candidate Ballot.

You will be asked to make your choices by voting for only ONE response in each area. It is important, therefore, to become "critical consumers." This means you should not rush to make a judgment about what you hear, see or read about people or issues. Take your time to consider ALL the information you can get and find different sources to answer your questions.

Three ideas are worth remembering as you learn more about the election process. They are point of view, perception and perspective:

Point of view can be regarded as an opinion. It refers to the position or place from which you consider a subject. A point of view reflects a person's thoughts and ideas based on his or her background, desires, experiences, fears and expectations.

Perception has to do with awareness, and the process of understanding or grasping meaning about something through the senses of sight, hearing, feeling and intuition. Perception is a personal interpretation or belief about what is presented.

Often, candidates or issues are shown through pictures, music, actions or words to influence the viewer's perceptions emotionally. A person's perception can be changed through candidate messages. When our perception changes, the effect is often great because our actions come from our beliefs.

Perspective means to look at something in relationship or reference to something else. In the situation of candidates and issues, it is just as necessary to look at the "big picture," or what the individual represents, as it is to know what the candidate did or can do. Perspective refers to exploring and asking questions from different angles.

There are still four weeks left until the General Election, plenty of time to become more knowledgeable about what you will be voting on.

Consider the sides to each issue and candidate. Become curious to find out more than what you see or hear on the surface of a presentation.

Search out information and continue to explore all facts of what is presented to you. You'll feel much more prepared to vote on Nov. 3.

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Lyla Berg, Ph.D., is the executive director
for Kids Voting Hawaii.