Couple of things
- People, I've said once before and I'll say it again - there is no such thing as a bias against Cedar Shoals High School. During my days at the paper, I can't tell you the number of times I had this allegation leveled against me and my co-workers ... that we somehow had it in for Cedar Shoals (typically by the same small group of individuals). I remember one time, heading off to cover a basketball game at Cedar Shoals at the end of a week in which I had written three stories on the Jaguars' basketball program (including one on the front page of the paper that morning), only to be greeted with hostility at the ticket gate by two gentlemen who said 'Oh, now you've decided to give us some coverage when we're hosting us so-and-so ... you know there's more than Oconee County out there to cover.'
In this particular instance, Virginia Duncan thinks the paper has it in for Cedar Shoals principal Tommy Craft ... ignoring the fact that news did happen when he prohibited the reading of a speech by a student (and then, in a purely petty action, refused to allow the student the opportunity to graduate with the rest of his class). That's news ... as is the possibility some sort of inappropriate actions by a Cedar Shoals administrator occurred, and it doesn't matter if it happened four minutes ago or four years ago. And Jason Winders and Jim Thompson were within their bounds to comment on it.
I like the folks at Cedar Shoals. The overwhelming majority of my experiences with the school have been very positive, but that vocal minority is doing a bang-up job in damaging their reputation.
- Not that I'm surprised about this, but doesn't the judge's own ruling seem a bit odd. I mean, doesn't 'intent' have a lot to do with whether or not something is gerrymandered? Because you intend to carve out a voting population favorable to one particular group is OK as long as it doesn't look like a gerrymandered district? That seems to me to be pretty counterintuitive.
- I've got a bunch of questions about this whole Republican-Party-was-vandalized story ...
1. Can the kids not find something better to do with their time than to screw around with the Republicans' banner? And, according to the story, it sounds like it took a painstaking amount of time to remove the banners and rearrange them. Go rent a movie or something.
2. OK, and Ed Brown, jump to conclusions much? It sounds like a partisan thing? Because, as Hillary pointed out in the office yesterday, you think the Democrats have their act together enough to coordinate this? And, seriously, why in the world would the local party focus their energies on messing with your banner? We'd file a lawsuit first, or something.
3. And John Elliott ... you still have free speech. Having your banner vandalized has not, in any shape or form, diminished your ability to get your message out. There is no one preventing you from talking about tax cuts and clear-cutting.
4. Finally, why in the world is a simple vandalism story on the front page of the newspaper? A banner was tampered with. Windows weren't broken, cars weren't set ablaze ... this seems to me to be blotter material.
- Not that I care, but the Miami Heat won the NBA title ... robbing us of possibly one of the greatest sports moments of all time - David Stern handing Mark Cuban the trophy. Seriously, after Cuban sprinted onto the court in Miami after Game Five and stared down Stern a la Sting descending from the rafters to clean out the WCW, who wouldn't pay to see that exchange?
In this particular instance, Virginia Duncan thinks the paper has it in for Cedar Shoals principal Tommy Craft ... ignoring the fact that news did happen when he prohibited the reading of a speech by a student (and then, in a purely petty action, refused to allow the student the opportunity to graduate with the rest of his class). That's news ... as is the possibility some sort of inappropriate actions by a Cedar Shoals administrator occurred, and it doesn't matter if it happened four minutes ago or four years ago. And Jason Winders and Jim Thompson were within their bounds to comment on it.
I like the folks at Cedar Shoals. The overwhelming majority of my experiences with the school have been very positive, but that vocal minority is doing a bang-up job in damaging their reputation.
- Not that I'm surprised about this, but doesn't the judge's own ruling seem a bit odd. I mean, doesn't 'intent' have a lot to do with whether or not something is gerrymandered? Because you intend to carve out a voting population favorable to one particular group is OK as long as it doesn't look like a gerrymandered district? That seems to me to be pretty counterintuitive.
- I've got a bunch of questions about this whole Republican-Party-was-vandalized story ...
1. Can the kids not find something better to do with their time than to screw around with the Republicans' banner? And, according to the story, it sounds like it took a painstaking amount of time to remove the banners and rearrange them. Go rent a movie or something.
2. OK, and Ed Brown, jump to conclusions much? It sounds like a partisan thing? Because, as Hillary pointed out in the office yesterday, you think the Democrats have their act together enough to coordinate this? And, seriously, why in the world would the local party focus their energies on messing with your banner? We'd file a lawsuit first, or something.
3. And John Elliott ... you still have free speech. Having your banner vandalized has not, in any shape or form, diminished your ability to get your message out. There is no one preventing you from talking about tax cuts and clear-cutting.
4. Finally, why in the world is a simple vandalism story on the front page of the newspaper? A banner was tampered with. Windows weren't broken, cars weren't set ablaze ... this seems to me to be blotter material.
- Not that I care, but the Miami Heat won the NBA title ... robbing us of possibly one of the greatest sports moments of all time - David Stern handing Mark Cuban the trophy. Seriously, after Cuban sprinted onto the court in Miami after Game Five and stared down Stern a la Sting descending from the rafters to clean out the WCW, who wouldn't pay to see that exchange?
posted by Jmac at 7:15 AM
5 Comments:
What's with the "Now" hanging out there at the end of the ABH letter? That's a little weird, and a more than a little irritating. She might as well have just said, "Or else."
the banner tampering thing was just dumb. practically every Democratic candidate and the headquarters has had their signs stolen, destroyed, etc. and they all cost money - they just never went crying to the newspaper about it like a bunch of little whiney-ass pussies.
yep, never heard the bias against cedar shoals thing before...
actually, there was a point i wasn't too keen on clarke central, but, you know, when someone threatens your life, well, you know, i think it's in my right not to like 'em (and it was actually done twice -- both from clarke central)
Forgot about that there C. Trent. That was an entertaining exchange ...
It looks like we don't have much of a law against gerrymandering! There must be nothing about partisan interests, so that might be why the "intent" doesn't matter. Honestly, I can't keep up with the litigation, and we've got races underway now.
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