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September 10, 2005
a retraction
After reading Rob's comment on yesterday's frothy entry about the Washington Blade and an e-mail from the Blade's hunky editor himself, I see the point about the importance of varying opinions in a paper, which I suppose is better than reading a series of like-minded ghettoized opinions in a paper or from group of similarly minded blogs. I do try to read conservative, ultra-liberal and libertarian blogs to understand how those people think and to get perspective, even when they sometimes make me grind my teeth to the bone.
And perhaps I should be more thoughtful when writing entries later in the week when I've had little more sleep than a meth addict due to my own addiction to online computer games. I'll tend to rant and froth more by Friday then on a Monday, making "wild accusations" just like Mickey Weens says meth addicts will tend to do. I suppose the variety of viewpoints featured in the Blade aren't all that different from my hometown paper back in Wisconsin (featuring lots of quotes from the Bible), or the variety of people you'll meet at a trip to the Post Office, where you'll wait in line with people you'd rather not hang out with during your daily routine. It is important to be exposed to others and their opinions.
So I guess I won't write off the Blade altogether. And I should have been fair and admitted that I'm certain to use the Blade's classified ads if I move in the future. I've had good luck with the rental ads there. >; )
Posted by jimbo at September 10, 2005 11:37 AM
Comments
Wow -- I wasn't aware I was one of "those people," but I'm glad at least I make you grind your teeth. That's obviously healthy :-)
Posted by: Josh at September 11, 2005 8:11 PM
I don't have a problem with reading conservative opinions in the Blade. I do have a problem with reading Jeff Gannon. He's the gay Ann Coulter--totally lacking in reason and fairness. I bet her Adam's apple is bigger, though.
Posted by: chrisafer at September 12, 2005 9:40 AM
The Blade? Do they still publish that thing? Neat!
Posted by: kurt at September 14, 2005 5:59 PM
I pounded out yet another angry letter to Chris Crain regarding Gannon. The Blade published my first invective back in August. I doubt they'll publish this one. Here's my letter and Chris's feckless response:
Frankly, I'm dumbfounded. The Washington and New York Blades' decision to publish one editorial by Jeff Gannon was offensive enough ("Gay bloggers' dangerous liaisons," July 29 in DC, August 5 in NY). But another one (" Revisiting Roberts," September 9 in DC), saturated with the same specious, intellectually anemic rhetoric?
Windows Media, LLC, who publishes newspapers across the country written by and for LGBTQ communities, has yet to justify why it has opted to employ Gannon as columnist. If Windows Media purports to speak for the LGBTQ community, editor Chris Crain must explain why he has decided to allow a man who has renunciated any connection to the LGBTQ community--who is incontrovertibly guilty of shoring up a president that has consistently proposed and/or backed legislation that strips lesbians and gay men of basic equal rights afforded to all citizens under the aegis of the Constitution--to speak to and for it.
Windows Media and Crain owe the LGBTQ community a reasoned, convincing argument for employing a confirmed homophobe who has denied being gay, despite overwhelming evidence proving otherwise. Until such a justification is offered, papers such as the Washington and New York Blades will have no credibility in the LGBTQ community. Moreover, they do not deserve our readership, support, or respect.
Geoffrey Saunders Schramm
Takoma Park, Maryland
Geoffrey:
Thank you for your e-mail. We will be happy to consider it for publication as a letter to the editor.
Our Forum pages are open to submission from people on all points along the ideological spectrum. I'm confident that the publicity (and our coverage) of the events surrounding Gannon's outing, as well as ongoing published criticism from readers in response to his columns, will arm our readers with enough facts to draw their own conclusions about him and his views.
Thanks for reading--
Posted by: Geoffrey at September 15, 2005 4:25 PM