Name Calling (Updated below)

The DNR has reached new lows in journalism this morning with a tawdry editorial about a favorite villain of the Radical Right Wing, Alger Hiss. In a short segment of Meet the Press on Sunday, it was mentioned that the stepson of Alger Hiss, Timothy Hopson, was finally speaking out in the family's fight to clear his step-father's name. Let's see, the son of Alger Hiss speaking up to clear his father, and now this step-son? Why in the world would it seem important editorially to disparage these efforts in print? True or not, it seems to show the paranoid side of the editor who thinks that it's still a debate (and shouldn't be) and simply takes it as an opportunity to do some really important name calling.

It's "tough" to stand up and call someone a derogatory term. The editor has often railed against those who are "soft" on one issue or another by nailing them as "the PC crowd." Those folks who would insist on good manners, on being a respectful, loyal opposition, are summarily dismissed as "liberal." Let's see... if I really wanted to push a Right Winger's button I'd call him a "liberal." Nothing could infuriate him more that being accused of being "open to new behavior or opinions.." or "favorable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms." That's right folks, being "tough" means that name calling, play-ground taunts, disrespect for opposing viewpoints, and "my way or the highway" are all in the name of "justice for all."

An example in the "real" news this morning is much more enlightening on this issue than the example picked by the editor. Don Imus is in hot water and has been suspended by MSNBC for referring to the members of the Rutgers women's basketball team in a derogatory manner. He used blatantly racial language to describe how they looked. For a "real" white guy, he was just echoing what "most" white guys say around the water cooler. On MSNBC he was quoted as saying:

"people should relax and not worry about 'some idiot comment meant to be amusing.' "

C'mon guys, it was a JOKE! REALLY! These responses by Mr. Imus were soon turned into mortified apologies and real humiliation after it was shown to him that these were real insults to real kids. Mr. Imus has been suspended for two weeks.

Mr. Imus should be fired. Reducing editorial commentary to racial epithets and insults should be grounds for dismissal. Our DNR editor should be fired for also reducing the quality of our editorial page to simple name-calling. Vain and pointless political rants should go on the comment section of blog somewhere. Go find a playground and start trash-talking some kid. Go be tough. I'd welcome the chance to respond to real issues important to the community and to the world at large, not just carefully selected Right Wing "wedge" issues. I'd welcome a liberal exchange of views

"concerned mainly with broadening a person's general knowledge and experience,"- Webster's

in the Forum each day rather than continually being invited to read amateurish, unprofessional, and clumsy, faux "tough" prose passing for journalistic competence.

UPDATE

Don Imus was fired. :)

Still waiting to hear about the DNR editor who thinks Imus was wrong but certainly not because of the objections of Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson. It was interesting to hear him twist in the wind to try and make a comment about this in today's (April 14th) editorial.