DAILY PILOT ALLOWING SMEARS VIA SURROGATES?
As some readers know, the Daily Pilot now has a moderated forum for readers to post comments about columns and news items that appear in the paper.
"Moderated" means that there is a moderator--a supposedly live person at the Pilot with normal intelligence--who reviews comments before allowing them to appear.
So, why does the Pilot moderator allow in smears such as the following?Westside wrote on Jun 30, 2007 1:53 PM:
" Ms. Leece, I must add that you just sit there with a "duh" look on your face. Please change the color of your hair so you don't act so blond. "
[We comment: "Blondness" is a genetic characteristic found only in white people. In common usage, when you say or imply that a blond is dumb, which Westside is doing in his post, it amounts to a blood smear on all white people and especially white females. Thus, such comments are both racist and sexist. It is no longer acceptable to joke about such racial characteristics. Don't get it? Do you think the Pilot would let a blogger write that someone shouldn't act "so kinky haired"? Still don't get it? How about if the Pilot had let someone use the expression "nappy-headed hos"?]
[We comment: "Blondness" is a genetic characteristic found only in white people. In common usage, when you say or imply that a blond is dumb, which Westside is doing in his post, it amounts to a blood smear on all white people and especially white females. Thus, such comments are both racist and sexist. It is no longer acceptable to joke about such racial characteristics. Don't get it? Do you think the Pilot would let a blogger write that someone shouldn't act "so kinky haired"? Still don't get it? How about if the Pilot had let someone use the expression "nappy-headed hos"?]
Westside wrote on Jun 30, 2007 1:51 PM:
" Ms. Leece, I thought you were a woman with morals and values....and a christian. Hanging on to Mayor Mansoor says the opposit. I'm sure you get together before all council meetings and study sessions and he tells you exactly what you are suppose to say. How pathetic. I have not seen or heard anything you havce done yet since the election. Please don't waste your time running again. "
[We comment: Here, the Pilot has allowed Westside to question Ms. Leece's morals and her religious convictions and at the same time imply that Mayor Mansoor also lacks good morals.
Note that the misspellings in Westside's posts are in his original. Being stupid is no excuse for such smears.]
Westside is just one of several bloggers who are trying to destroy the improver unity on the City Council by attacking Ms. Leece.
Some of these bloggers probably think they can turn Ms. Leece's head to the left with sexist rants that falsely allege that she's taking a subservient role to males. It's nonsense, of course, but their apparent hope is that they can get Ms. Leece to side with females Katrina Foley and Linda Dixon based on nothing more than gender.
Fortunately, Ms. Leece is a very bright and a very tough person. We observed her when she was on the notoriously liberal School Board as the only conservative there. We noted that she had a good understanding of seemingly complex issues and we saw her stand her ground against all other board members when she felt she was right. This often led to Ms. Leece being the lone vote on many issues.
Now that Ms. Leece is on the City Council, she has natural allies in Mansoor and Bever who, like Ms. Leece, are motivated to make Costa Mesa the great city it can be. Given the nature of our present political situation, making Costa Mesa the great city it can be, is also usually the conservative position.
Rather than Ms. Leece being told how to vote by Mayor Mansoor, as Westside alleges, we see Ms. Leece voting for things that will improve Costa Mesa. Only now, in contrast to when she was on the School Board, she's not alone. Her votes are the same as Mansoor's and Bever's votes because all three want a nicer Costa Mesa and so far they seem to have a pretty good understanding of what that means and how to get there.
Remember, three votes are needed in order for the City Council to get anything done. Be thankful that the improvers are the majority. Be thankful that Mr. Mansoor, Mr. Bever and Ms. Leece understand this and be thankful that they're holding together.
If Foley and Dixon, who usually vote as a liberal bloc on most issues, had just one more vote, you would be seeing a new job center, no ICE agent in the jail, and a city that is fast moving to become a crime ridden dump.
Keep improving Costa Mesa, Mr. Mansoor, Mr. Bever and Ms. Leece.
# # #
Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.
[We comment: Here, the Pilot has allowed Westside to question Ms. Leece's morals and her religious convictions and at the same time imply that Mayor Mansoor also lacks good morals.
Note that the misspellings in Westside's posts are in his original. Being stupid is no excuse for such smears.]
Westside is just one of several bloggers who are trying to destroy the improver unity on the City Council by attacking Ms. Leece.
Some of these bloggers probably think they can turn Ms. Leece's head to the left with sexist rants that falsely allege that she's taking a subservient role to males. It's nonsense, of course, but their apparent hope is that they can get Ms. Leece to side with females Katrina Foley and Linda Dixon based on nothing more than gender.
Fortunately, Ms. Leece is a very bright and a very tough person. We observed her when she was on the notoriously liberal School Board as the only conservative there. We noted that she had a good understanding of seemingly complex issues and we saw her stand her ground against all other board members when she felt she was right. This often led to Ms. Leece being the lone vote on many issues.
Now that Ms. Leece is on the City Council, she has natural allies in Mansoor and Bever who, like Ms. Leece, are motivated to make Costa Mesa the great city it can be. Given the nature of our present political situation, making Costa Mesa the great city it can be, is also usually the conservative position.
Rather than Ms. Leece being told how to vote by Mayor Mansoor, as Westside alleges, we see Ms. Leece voting for things that will improve Costa Mesa. Only now, in contrast to when she was on the School Board, she's not alone. Her votes are the same as Mansoor's and Bever's votes because all three want a nicer Costa Mesa and so far they seem to have a pretty good understanding of what that means and how to get there.
Remember, three votes are needed in order for the City Council to get anything done. Be thankful that the improvers are the majority. Be thankful that Mr. Mansoor, Mr. Bever and Ms. Leece understand this and be thankful that they're holding together.
If Foley and Dixon, who usually vote as a liberal bloc on most issues, had just one more vote, you would be seeing a new job center, no ICE agent in the jail, and a city that is fast moving to become a crime ridden dump.
Keep improving Costa Mesa, Mr. Mansoor, Mr. Bever and Ms. Leece.
# # #
Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.
