What's going on with the Times-Standard's Opinion Page? It's bad
enough that most of the news is canned Spam, and that the local news
is mostly regurgitated press releases. To know what the featured
national opinionators have to say, all that is required is to read one
of their opinion pieces. Then the next time you see their name or names, you just pass them by since you already know what they are going to say. No originality, no imagination, no substance, nothing more than the same old self-justifying "talking points." The same is true of the
ONLY local
opinion writer, Dave Stancliff and his pablum filled
As It
Stands articles that dominates a half page of every Sunday
Edition. That is until another face kept showing up on a regular basis
taking up the
My Word portions of the paper with his wordy
nothingness. This is the Reverend Eric Duff, an "Episcopal priest and
licensed clinical social worker." Just what we need, another "priest" telling everyone what to believe
– indoctrinating every reader in the Editor's theological social rote.
My Word opinions are considered “Guest Editorials” by the
paper. The newspaper say that: “My Words of 500-700 word are
reserved for
regional issues and related items of high local
interest.” It doesn't take long to tell when reading some of these
My Word commentaries that meeting this standard:
“regional issues
and related items of high local interest” resides ONLY in the “eye
of the beholder.” In other words, as a “guest editorial”
whatever you write must meet the same criteria as the newspaper's
Editor or whoever it is that is responsible for the paper's
editorial.
So, good luck getting something published if what you have say is
both of a “regional issue” and or a related item of “
high
local interest.” All the newspaper cares about is filling
their pages with gobbledy gook. You know what “gobbledy gook” is,
don't you? Here's a good example I pulled at random out of my stack
of old papers: “What exactly happened to everybody's sense of
humor?” Seems like a substantive and criteria-meeting “item of
high local interest,” right? Read the article and you see he has
made his point, no one can talk to anyone today without committing
some form of crime – let alone “make a joke.” Got a problem
with your neighbor? You can get arrest for simply approaching him or
her and asking them what their problem is? They just MIGHT FEEL
threatened – a serious crime anymore. Never you mind that your
neighbor ACTUALLY threatens to physically harm you, your family or
property; a crime in any country. So, what was his solution? I guess
he is following the newspaper editor's solution and directs
everyone to the “other” always “entertaining” comedian, Dave
Stancliff. (See the As It Stands:
“Who would you like to have lunchor dinner with?”)
Since getting some of my priorities reorganized, I haven't spent
much time reading
As It Stands opinion. I do check him out and most
always scan (speed read) through his commentaries. I really don't have much time
to spend on someone as proven able and astute as Dave Stancliff when
he spends or wastes his gift (a weekly, Sunday column) and talent
writing about nonsense, always patting himself on the back and calling it
and himself “entertaining.” Sadly, it seems, the same thing is
happening to The Rev. Eric Duff's
From Time To Time
columns as well. His latest,
“Humboldt happiness: It's in the air”
really stretches the imagination to see how what he says is “an item
of high local interest.” More like juvenile pablum served up by a hollow, empty, small-minded “newspaper” editor.
The problem is, these people, Dave Kuta, Kimberly Wear or Marc
Valles DO NOT publish letters or
My Word editorials that are relevant
and substantive, in place of filling their pages status quo or
standard “entertainment.” But then, no one would know anything
about that, would you. They just quietly file such commentaries in
the trash. What we need is someone with the guts and cojones that is
adult enough to stand up to the substantive issues facing our
community – what it actually takes to start talking to and about
one another's juvenile conduct.
My problem with all of this Good Ol' Boy Club stuff is that we all
know how it works in the “real” world of politics and business controlled by the 1%.
In times past everyone believed that newspapers at least tried to
stay above that corruption. Well, some of them did anyway. Here, with
the Times-Standard you've got the one and only “retired editor”
and a club of would-be “editors” vying for your attention. Check
out some of the local blogs and you'll find the same Good Ol' Boy's Club practicing and engaging in the same
kind of ingratiating, self-serving stroking. So read on for whatever it is worth.
tr.v. stroked, strok·ing, strokes
1. To
rub lightly, with or as if with the hand or something held in the
hand; caress.
2. Informal To
behave attentively or flatteringly toward, especially in order to
restore to confidence or win over.
--Joe
