Our newspaper is letting people write in and slam some groups of people.

@writersedge (22563)
United States
March 10, 2010 6:23am CST
It says not to inpugn groups of people. But so far, it has let many people write in and slam teachers, correction officers, farmers, christians and non-christians. The last I knew, those were groups of people. I esp. take offense because I've been all of the above at different times. The first two are getting slammed because a lot of people are loosing their jobs and they think the teachers should get down-sized or take a pay cut or loose some of their benefits. What they don't realize is that many teachers wages have been frozen for years and in some schools, many have lost their jobs (it's been in that same paper, so I don't know how they could miss it). The second group, many people think they're overpaid. One of our correctional facilities already closed and two more are on the chopping block. Some people are trying to get the state to keep at least one of them. People are making comments that they should be closed. Ok, their opinion, but they usually throw in something like they're overpaid, many need to loose their jobs, too, their work isn't that hard, they couldn't hold a real job anyway, taking lots of pot shots at them, etc. Farmers, the people writing in are complaining about the smell (so why did you move next door to them. They've been here 100 years-most families are over 3 generations of farmers), the vehicles they drive (how do you bring produce to market in a sub-compact people?), on and on. The Christian vs non-Christians gets even more accusatory. I think they should stop this allowing people to complain about other groups of people. Don't they realize that anyone loosing a job creates a problem? Every time people loose a job up here, I have to compete with them for a job. So I don't like large groups of people loosing a job at any one time. They do this anonymously, so we don't even know if the people who are complaining even work for a living or even are trying to find a job or what. Plus I don't think it fosters very good relations between groups of people, esp. people of different religions. What do you think? Would you want your paper to run such anonymous stuff? Would you want people to pick on you because your job is on the line? Would you want people to complain about you and/or people of your religious faith in your local newspaper? I think during a recession, they should be fostering neighbor helping neighbor. That's what's gotten us through in the past.
3 people like this
5 responses
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
10 Mar 10
Our newspaper regularly slams Christians, those who are against abortions and those who are against Obama. It is a very leftist oriented newspaper and if there is a letter from a Christian or a conservative thinking person it is mocked and maligned by other writers if it is every printed. Then there are the people who did not want to finish high school or go to college. These are the ones who complain that a teacher or a doctor or someone who went on to university and worked hard makes more money then they do. Funny thing, the ones who were unable to go to college or get higher or the ones who choose a trade do not do the complaining, it is the lazy ones that do. Oh and our paper sort of believe in global warming even though there is still a lot of snow on the ground. We have them up here in Canada as well. It depends on the paper's point of view, but I wish it would not be so one-sided.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
13 Mar 10
We have two local papers and they are notorious for printing only the views they like. One is the major newspaper and the only time we see positive things about Christianity is when they have the Faith page and the pastors and ministers can all give their point of view. Like today, we got a gift subscription to the paper to try to bring us back as subscribers (fat chance!)_ and there had been an article about the government supporting faith based schools and this lady writes that because of the immigration from non Christian countries (now I know why they wanted all those people from Arabia, Africa, Asia, etc.) there should be no government money for faith based schools. She forgets that we all pay for the public school system with our taxes and those of us who have children and even those who do not have children in the Christian schools make sacrifices to support both systems. I do not like the idea of complaining that so and so makes more money then that person, and they should make the same as that person even though that person spent most of his school years gazing out of the window. That sounds like communism.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
14 Mar 10
In America, Church and State are separate by constitution. But special ed teachers and special programs can meet with Church Educated children in neutral environments (which we all pay for) becaue there is no way a religious school could pay for speech teachers, occupational therapy, etc. and our bus system is entended to the religious schools. So there is some overlap.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
10 Mar 10
Our paper will print an article pro-abortion and then one anti-abortion. It will print all the letters for each side, too. Yes, the people who are slamming hard working people are not identifying themselves as to what they do for a living. It's my guess it's the high school drop outs. It may also be the people who haven't got a job. I just think that right now, we need articles that pull people together instead of push them apart. Many people are helping each other and that's what gets us through in our area, not the jealousy, bickering, and accusing. Thanks and take care.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189927)
• Boise, Idaho
12 Mar 10
I think the freedom we enjoy is what is happening here. We may not like what others say and do but we don't have the right to stop them from doing it. We live in a supposed democracy where people have the freedom to do and say what we please unless we go against the laws or hurt someone. Not everyone sees eye-to-eye on any given subject. We have to try the best we can to live together and be helpful to one another. Not everyone is. This is very sad.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
12 Mar 10
I get the newspaper to get news. Unfortunately, there are people who lost their job and are taking shots at everyone. Calling entire groups of people lazy because they still have a job is shear jealousy. The big problem is that the ones who still have jobs help those who don't. It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
14 Mar 10
Very true and the waste of a tree and ink.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189927)
• Boise, Idaho
13 Mar 10
Some people just never grow up! Jealousy. Waste of good time.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169530)
• United States
10 Mar 10
You are so correct. I do not have to agree with or like everything all of the mentioned groups stand for, but I do have to support their rights. It is a case of divide and conquer, though. If we are all taking pot shots at one another, then more of our rights can be taken away and more arbitrary outside rules can be imposed. If the jobs are not safe for the people who protect us and who train us, we will disintegrate into a society of unintelligent thugs.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
10 Mar 10
I like your last sentence the best. Yes, we need articles that unite people not divide people right now. No farms, no food. NO teachers, you'd all better be able to educate your own kids. No correction officers, you'd better figure out something to do with criminals. Many of those people will have relatives who go to prison and then they'll complain that they have to travel so far to see their loved ones because they'll all be down state.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
10 Mar 10
It seems like many of the ppl don't know what their talking about and just want a place to go to whine and complain...and to throw stones. I think if their going to print that kind of stuff then they should print their names with it...after all if you're big enough to say then stand by it. At the same time, when ppl lose jobs they tend to get bitter and nasty. It's not them personally just the frustration of the situation. They know better but their angry. The best thing to do is ignore it. If you're a correction officer, you should know how important you are...the same for a farmer, teacher, or any other profession. Religious disagreements go on all the time, each side thinking they are better. If you're comfortable in your beliefs and religion then it shouldn't matter what other ppl think or say. I do agree that it seems like by the paper allowing all this stuff to be printed it seems to be acting as a fuel for several fires. I'd quit reading it and let ppl know why...or better yet, write your own letter about the situation. [b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~ **STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
10 Mar 10
Yeah, they make lots of accusations and they haven't been teachers, correction officers and farmers-you can tell by the things they write. My problem with it all is the timing. We need to be pulling together and that is what had helped our area through recessions and even the depression in the past. Driving a wedge between groups of people, esp. the ones that helped so many people in the past, is not good at any time, but worse now. I'd stop reading it, but it's our only paper. If we had another one up here, I would just switch to it. The next paper is in Malone and is about their area or Lake Placide and about that area. Yes, I think when people lose their jobs, they can get angry, too. But being mean won't help them get a job.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
12 Mar 10
I believe in the freedom of speech but I also think that a situation like that could cause some issues to arise. I think that all out trashing of groups and people are never healthy and especially not for a community in which everyone lives. There has to be a mutual respect between people and this can make certain groups that have been attacked very defensive just causing more problems.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
12 Mar 10
Exactly, problems like the ones I listed in the answer above. Thanks and take care.