The letter to the editor by John T. McDonald (Globe, Oct. 24) states that he is impressed by the standards of the written opinions that are published on the editorial page. He notes that the increasing number of varying points of view is very encouraging.
At this point I’m thinking, wow, I can actually agree with this reasonable position. Usually, Mr. McDonald and I are at opposite opinions involving issues of the day, with he being liberal and myself conservative. But suddenly, and predictably, his tone returned to its usual pious banter.
We now see what his true goal is: that newspapers should “more actively edit all news stories for flagrant misstatements of fact.” Those notations could be inserted immediately following factual error with the statement “correction” of “inaccurate.”
Finally, we learn what Mr. McDonald really wants newspapers to do. He wants newspapers to insert “editorial corrections” daily with all stories. But how are these corrections to be used? According to McDonald, this could “squelch the like of a LYING LIMBAUGH and other rank radio emulators who abuse broadcasting’s airways by feeding baseless fear.”
So there you have it folks. McDonald insists that newspapers should rewrite personal opinions to fit their political beliefs because liberals like McDonald don’t want to hear opposing positions expressed. It seems he is happy to have conservative opinion censored and manipulated but obviously those of superior liberal intellect, like Mr. McDonald, should not.
Ronald Reagan once stated that “liberals will defend to the death your right to agree with them.”
If the Globe were to follow McDonald’s advice, immediately following his editorial statement about Limbaugh and conservative talk radio, the following Globe comment would be required. Correction: “To correct Mr. McDonald’s inaccuracies it should be stated that tens of millions of Americans think that Rush Limbaugh is right.” Now that’s truth and accuracy.
Allen Shirley
Joplin
