Comments on: Mean for meanness sake http://jackiedoherty.org/?p=894 News, schools, and views from a uniquely Lowell perspective Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:52:08 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: C R Krieger http://jackiedoherty.org/?p=894&cpage=1#comment-11092 C R Krieger Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:34:15 +0000 http://jackiedoherty.org/?p=894#comment-11092 Roger that! Roger that!

]]> By: Jackie http://jackiedoherty.org/?p=894&cpage=1#comment-11091 Jackie Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:32:06 +0000 http://jackiedoherty.org/?p=894#comment-11091 I don't know that much about the Fairness Doctrine but I see it as a version of equal time for all views, and something we used to have that seemed to work well. You're right, though, it's a stretch connecting it to common courtesy, but when I saw that point in the Globe op-ed, I jumped on it because I had been feeling my own frustration with the incredible lack of decency in public interaction, particularly locally where it is so much more personal. Perhaps people are brutal, cruel and rude everywhere, but that doesn't make it right or helpful--that's my ultimate point. I don’t know that much about the Fairness Doctrine but I see it as a version of equal time for all views, and something we used to have that seemed to work well. You’re right, though, it’s a stretch connecting it to common courtesy, but when I saw that point in the Globe op-ed, I jumped on it because I had been feeling my own frustration with the incredible lack of decency in public interaction, particularly locally where it is so much more personal. Perhaps people are brutal, cruel and rude everywhere, but that doesn’t make it right or helpful–that’s my ultimate point.

]]> By: C R Krieger http://jackiedoherty.org/?p=894&cpage=1#comment-11087 C R Krieger Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:01:29 +0000 http://jackiedoherty.org/?p=894#comment-11087 I think I would distinguish between the "Fairness Doctrine" and common courtesy.  Most of the problems listed can't be cured by bringing back the inhibiting "Fairness Doctrine."  They might be cured by competition, or the perception of competition.  Or, too much competition might drive various outlets to greater extremes. My experience from the two times I ran for office in Lowell is that I did so poorly that no one paid attention to be after the race.  A blessing in disguise. I think you point about encouraging people to run for office is spot on.  I also think that we would benefit if <I>The Sun</I>, or WCAP, or City Life, or all three, took a day or two and devoted it to the losers and praised them for running and asked them what they thought and what they learned.  All the also-rans, from Regina to James Wojas, not that they represent the bookends of this group of people. One of my disappointments of this recent election is that neither the MSM nor MLF nor FVL was able to turn out five thousand more voters.  I am not sure what it will take—and I was challenged on this last night.  I went with torchlight parades and bands marching through the city with candidates accompanying. The parades would stop on street corners and the candidates would be asked to address questions provided by the MSM, Blogs and regular citizens. My fallback is that <I>The Sun</I>, WCAP and City Life could do something to encourage people to run by giving some support to the losers. As for the "Fairness Doctrine," it is a step in the wrong direction and if the Federal Government takes that step they may eventually go for the blogs themselves.  Remember that line from Pastor Martin Niemöller (sometimes attributed to Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer)?  The one that goes, "<a HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came..." rel="nofollow">First they came for the ..."</A>. Regards  —  Cliff I think I would distinguish between the “Fairness Doctrine” and common courtesy.  Most of the problems listed can’t be cured by bringing back the inhibiting “Fairness Doctrine.”  They might be cured by competition, or the perception of competition.  Or, too much competition might drive various outlets to greater extremes.

My experience from the two times I ran for office in Lowell is that I did so poorly that no one paid attention to be after the race.  A blessing in disguise.

I think you point about encouraging people to run for office is spot on.  I also think that we would benefit if The Sun, or WCAP, or City Life, or all three, took a day or two and devoted it to the losers and praised them for running and asked them what they thought and what they learned.  All the also-rans, from Regina to James Wojas, not that they represent the bookends of this group of people.

One of my disappointments of this recent election is that neither the MSM nor MLF nor FVL was able to turn out five thousand more voters.  I am not sure what it will take—and I was challenged on this last night.  I went with torchlight parades and bands marching through the city with candidates accompanying. The parades would stop on street corners and the candidates would be asked to address questions provided by the MSM, Blogs and regular citizens.

My fallback is that The Sun, WCAP and City Life could do something to encourage people to run by giving some support to the losers.

As for the “Fairness Doctrine,” it is a step in the wrong direction and if the Federal Government takes that step they may eventually go for the blogs themselves.  Remember that line from Pastor Martin Niemöller (sometimes attributed to Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer)?  The one that goes, “First they came for the …”.

Regards  —  Cliff

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