SitNews - Stories in the News - Ketchikan, Alaska

Viewpoints

Civil discourse
By Wendy Gierard

 

April 21, 2007
Saturday

Dear Editor of Sitnews:

You may choose not to publish this, but based on the Sitnews Viewpoint/Opinions' Basic Rules, I call into question a couple of recent postings that are defamatory and very personal attacks on individuals in our community: "Ketchikan School Board" by Rick Krueger as well as "Honesty & Character" by Al Johnson. Both of these letters make personal attacks on people in "harassing, obscene and threatening" ways. Basic Rules from your website state:

"Active debate and free speech are encouraged, but remember you are a guest here, and decorum and respectful conduct are not optional but expected.

Viewpoints is intended to be a place where a respectful exchange of ideas and opinions takes place. Sitnews encourages the expression of opinions in a responsible and a civil manner.

Enjoy the debates and discussions and lead by example in creating a civil environment of mutual understanding and learning.

Basic Rules:

5. Comments that contain material that is false and defamatory, abusive, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, or illegal will not be published.

6. State your opinion rather than resorting to personal attacks."

I would hope that you would reconsider postings letters by individuals that are blatant personal attacks. I've always appreciated Sitnews' Viewpoints as a place for civil discourse and it saddens me that with Dick's passing, so goes the civility and dignity that he brought to this website.

Wendy Gierard
Ketchikan, AK



Received April 19, 2007 - Published April 21, 2007

About: "Concerned Citizen "

 

 

 

Note: Comments published on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.

 

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