Behold! The Fruits of E Oaks' Oct 2018 Talk Begin to Ripen!

[Hagoth]

I'm wondering why it took so long to print letters that were obviously written on the Victorian era.

[EternityIsNow]

Newspapers are not required to print hate speech. There is something seriously wrong with the Herald. There are always crazy people writing crazy letters. You don't have to print them. This letter is a direct attack on people based on sexual orientation, which is in the definition of hate speech.

[blazerb]

I know this letter is wrong and offensive, but I think it is worth publishing. Crazy talk doesn't go away just because public forums close up access. I think sunlight is the best disinfectant. That said, I also recognize my ability as a heterosexual to avoid taking this personally. I have not read the comments, but I hope the discussion was helpful to the LGBT+ community. If it was not, I'll rethink my position.

[wtfluff]

We're talking about a "small-town" Utah newspaper here.

So, I'm going to let my black-and-white thinking mormon-trained brain kick in here and say: There are two reasons why letters from this cu-coo woman get published.

• There is someone working for the newspaper who actually believes the bullsh!t and wants to publish views similar to their own.
• There is someone working for the newspaper who thinks that publishing the bullsh!t will allow progressives to share counter-arguments to the bullsh!t and try and minimize the belief in said bullsh!t with research and facts.

Sadly, research and facts won't mean anything to the woman who wrote that letter, or anyone who thinks like her.

[alas]

I know this letter is wrong and offensive, but I think it is worth publishing. Crazy talk doesn't go away just because public forums close up access. I think sunlight is the best disinfectant. That said, I also recognize my ability as a heterosexual to avoid taking this personally. I have not read the comments, but I hope the discussion was helpful to the LGBT+ community. If it was not, I'll rethink my position.

Besides generating discussion, which the newspaper editor said he/she was hoping for, there is the idea that we progressives needs to keep track of the enemy. You’ve heard the joke about keep you friends close and your enemies closer, well that. You need to keep track of where the enemy is, and this nut is the enemy. I know I read tRump’s speeches, even though I can’t stand the junivile dribble. Quite frankly, I would rather listen to a two year old throw a temper tantrum because it would be more logical and there might be a real problem. I am friends on Facebook with someone just like this nutcase, because I want to keep track of what the nutcases are thinking.

And the point of posting uneducated trash, is because those who are educated will counter her arguments with facts. Sure it won’t convince her, but it will convince other readers. It is those other readers we want to educate, so, the uneducated trash starts the conversation, and educated people respond, thus educating the masses.

But then, like I said, I was raised by an old school journalist who ranted about not shutting the idiots off where they only interact with likeminded idiots, like those who blab on faux news and their listeners only listen to faux news because they like to be told how smart they are rather than that they are blooming idiots. No, the nuts need to have their drivel exposed to rational people who will inform them they are nuts, because there is way too much of people isolating themselves in their own little echo chambers.

We live on Facebook where we get more of what we agree with and are protected from opposing opinions by computers who sort what we are exposed to and give us more of what we like. So, pretty soon, everyone is living in their own self made bubble and they get angry at a newspaper for printing stuff they find offensive. Well, grow up and get out of your bubble. The world has ugly people and we need to keep that in mind. It is like there are more and more children with allergies because parents are protecting infants from germs and peanuts and strawberries and the children do not develope the ability to deal with germs and peanuts and strawberries. When we isolate ourselves from people with different opinions, then we get all traumatized and offended when we accidentally run into those with different opinions. That is why liberals get called snowflakes. So, all you offended snowflakes, write a letter to the editor of that newspaper and give the facts so we can educate people.

[stealthbishop]

For the record,

I am a free speech advocate. I obviously believe in the 1st Amendment. It gives us the right to do what we do here on the NOM board. However, there are some limits on it. You can't shout "fire" or "bomb" in a crowded theater or airport and create a dangerous situation. There is no obligation for a private newspaper to publish hate speech or propaganda. She has every right to publish her filth elsewhere and there are certainly other platforms for her to do so. And I would be opposed to the government interfering with her right to do so as long as it does not advocate violence. She comes dangerously close to the line when she dehumanizes LGBTQ+ people. It is easier to commit acts of violence against people when we no longer see them as human. A newspaper has editorial discretion of what they print and what they don't and they shoulder some responsibility of who and what they give a platform to. Like I said, I don't think that my local newspaper would give a platform to my landlord and his far out ideas.

Also, I don't agree that all perspectives are morally equivalent. There was not "good people on both sides" when Nazis were marching and counter-protesters were protesting. Sometimes there is not moral equivalency.

Having said that, I think some colleges have gone too far where they will not allow certain speakers to share controversial or differing perspectives that may be unpopular.