Comic Strip in Delta Collegiate Newspaper Sparks Controversy Over 'Racial Undertone'

A cartoon published in the Delta Collegiate newspaper has sparked controversy because of its negative portrayal of Saginaw, MI. The cartoon, which was published on January 15 and is entitled "Should've Stayed in Flint," is a dig at the violence in the Tri-Cities, particularly in downtown Saginaw.

The comic strip shows a man going from pleasant trips in Midland and Bay City to Saginaw where he is handed a bag of drugs by a masked man, who then pulls out a knife and demands his cash and the drugs back. In other words,“Welcome to downtown Saginaw. We have the most violent crimes in the U.S.” Below is the comic strip that was published:

The reality is that truth always rubs people the wrong way.  According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's statistics, Saginaw ranked as the number one most violent city in America from 2003 to September 2008, when the most recent statistics were released. This ranking is based on violent crimes per person for cities with populations greater than 40,000. The definition of violent crimes include murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. According MLive.com, Police Chief Gerald H. Cliff states that for 2008, violent crime jumped 1.9 percent even as the national average dropped eight percent. Cliff also said the police department recorded 4,376 "violent" offenses that include homicides, robberies, felonious assaults, larcenies and arsons last year compared to 4,293 in 2007, including a rise in murders to 23 from 21 in 2007. This cartoon rings true and it is a shame that people are upset about the cartoon, rather than the problems in the city.

Watch: College Paper Stirs Up Controversy With 'Edgy' Cartoon