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October 12, 2007
Keep Up The Comments
For the same reason that I posted Jesse Kornbluth’s intelligent response to my “NY Times’ Front Page Wingnut Deniers” blog, I disagree with Jesse’s conclusion that the Times should “Get reader opinion--all reader opinion--off the main screen." The Times does not need to be afraid of or to censure dissenting opinions or comments.
Free expression, openness, and dissent are necessary to our democracy. To muzzle dissenters, no matter how stupid their comments, is to use the same tactics that the suppressive, right-wing Bush administration does. In fact, I would argue that by showing these wingnut comments, the Times expose them to what they are—nasty, brutish, and stupid.
Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s play for political power in the early 1950s by using Communist scare tactics, lies, and innuendo to slime innocent people was exposed by the unemotional lenses of television cameras during the broadcasts of the Army-McCarthy hearings. The world saw the face of decadent, drunken evil and its mendacious and greedy power grab. In the Internet age, how are the dangerous modern-day McCarthies going to be exposed if we don’t see them, as much as they offend our sense of reasonableness?
At 3:04 this afternoon, after Jesse pointed it out to me, I noticed that the home page of the Times had a picture of Gore speaking in Palo Alto, and there were no comments. Perhaps the Times took Jesse’s advice, but as much as it hurts, I hope the Times will continue with comments. These posted comments are inoculations against toxic thinking—like getting typhus shots before you go overseas.
Posted by Charles Warner at October 12, 2007 03:31 PM
Comments
Media Curmudgeon ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mediacurmudgeon.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 14, 2007 03:29 PM writes:
Anne Marie Wheeler writes:
"Why even give these dingbats a platform…the haters are so many. Last summer after seeing the movie, I was telling some friends about it, and my friend's mother didn’t want to hear about it. She said, 'I'll be long gone before anything happens and he's exaggerating.' I was dumbstruck! So many think it’s another left-wing conspiracy and some cite those in the scientific community who think its much ado about nothing. How they can think that is beyond me.
It will take awhile to educate the masses. Even my conservative husband is getting a little green!"
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