Jacobsen should not be silenced
Advertisement
Text size: small | medium | large
Gayla Bastas
Published: April 15, 2008
I am amazed that those who disagree with Mr. Jacobsen would have him silenced; what an undemocratic and officious thought. Mr. Jacobsen has the courage of his convictions and he offers himself as a target for the tirades of those who would silence all but those who agree with their point of view.
Everyone abhors the thought of abortion but it is the horrors of the alternative that give us pause.
Many churches, which hysterically oppose abortion, will further their cause by working to forbid the practice of birth control once they have succeeded in overturning Roe v. Wade.
Many people who do not even want a stem cell injured seem to feel that the toll in death and impaired mental/physical health of young soldiers returning from war is acceptable so long as they are safe and secure.
There are no black and white answers to imponderable questions, but silencing Gary Jacobsen’s well written and thought provoking columns should not be a consideration.
GAYLA BASTAS
Woodbridge
Post a Comment
The commenting period has ended or commenting has been deactivated for this article.
Can't find what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
Reader Reactions
Posted by ( Godsaveus ) on April 17, 2008 at 10:44 am
Well said T Dwang, I share your opinion.
Phdee proclaim defend free speech but he is the first to insult to the ones that disagree with him.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( RonCharest ) on April 16, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I’m always amazed at the number of Conservatives who scream, rant, and rave about the sacred 2en Amendment right to own as large an arsenal of weaponry as they please. Then turn around and scream, rant, and rave that the First Amendment is not sacred and only applies when they agree with the speaker/writer.
I happen to believe that Gary Jacobsen is about the best columnist this paper carries. Even when I disagree with him, he at least makes intelligent, well-reasoned points and refrains from mocking those with opposing viewpoints.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( phdee ) on April 16, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Dawg. you must be speaking about yourself. I forgot you never saw in the South any black denied the opportunity to go to school. (Why don’t you go public in a newspaper with that and get reaction?)—I don’t rewrite history - I just try to learn from it, and even recall what I can, and I do forget some. Racism and discrimination; no.
—By the way, I forgot to mention in mmy posting about Jacobsen that the intimidation effort is part of the racist “culture”.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( T Dawg ) on April 16, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I find it ironic that the most hateful and biggest bigots, racists, and most ignorant are usually the ones who are so quick to loudly proclaim those same qualities in others.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( phdee ) on April 16, 2008 at 1:54 pm
This letter was obviously written by someone who has read letters from individuals who attack Jacobsen and try to get him removed as a columnist. I offer an explanation.
First, he is a columnist, an opinion writer, not a toad or sycophant of somebody whose job is to applaud wildly to some dogma or propaganda, like a robot.
Second, he writes clearly, usually has interesting topics (often controversal), provides sources, and usually makes a person think. This causes jealousy and dislike. He therefore arises anger and must be attacked. He is feared and consicdered dangerous. The written word can bring out hate.
More importantly, the method of attack against him is the attempt to use reprisal or retribution. Growing up in the south, I saw much intimidation of blacks and poor whites by so-called elitists (or thought they were) - intimidation which went along the line of “I’ll have you fired”, “where do you work”, “boy”, - and lots of racial slurs, profanities, obscenities, etc. All a part of the native culture.
PWC is southern. It has lots of rednecks, racists,and uneducated people. Thus, the first thing they think of is try the intimidaztion tactic, like asking the newspaper to remove Jacobsen. Or, someone is cancelling a subscription to the paper. I’ve even had one poster on this website “hint” to the Pot News website editor that my postings should be censored or not published (The editor responded). Ironically, these people holler “free speech”.
Jacobsen is one of the better columnists, and the Pot News is to be congratulated for not caving in to the ignorant crowd.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( Grant Gary Jacobsen ) on April 16, 2008 at 1:44 pm
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”—Dr. Seuss
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( phdee ) on April 16, 2008 at 1:30 pm
T Dawg. I know lots of Southerners who also believed “separate but equal” was genuine. They also believed the south did not discriminate against blacks. There’s lots of ignorant southerners. Maybe you fall in that category. I did learn a lot from working with and being around iliterate blacks, those that went to separate but equal schools, and suffered other forms of discrimination. It was a learning experience—- and it all was so wrong. Too bd you nd some others have passed through the world with blind eyes. - you are correct - the article was about Jacobsen - and the remarks YOU made.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( T Dawg ) on April 16, 2008 at 11:56 am
phdee wrote ...
“Tsalk about illieracy!!“
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, your point is well taken from your written word. Perhaps you could have learned something from those literate blacks. S’funny, I also grew up in the south and I don’t recall anyone being denied the opportunity to go to school. Oh, I forgot ... to you, history is something to be re-written to suit your stance-du-jour. At any rate, the article was about Mr Gary Jacobsen, not me ... perhaps tomorrow?
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( phdee ) on April 16, 2008 at 11:26 am
T Dawg, you wouldn’t know a well written article. Thought provoking: you lack the ability to think. Want to see some trashy writings: check most of the anti posters. Tsalk about illieracy!! When I was growing up in the South, I worked with some blacks who were denied the opportunity to go to school, and they were more literate than some of the anti crowd.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( mmarin ) on April 16, 2008 at 10:30 am
Mr. Jacobsen and I don’t see eye to on many topics, especially firearms. However, much like a flag is a symbol of our nation a person burning that flag in protest is also a symbol. And, both should be protected.
Mr. Jacobsen has a right to say, think and communicate his ideas, thoughts and feelings. For those that don’t want to see it, I say flip the channel, turn the page or just skip the article.
You don’t have a right ‘not to see it’ you have the right to ignore it.
And, as I’ve posted elsewhere, I will protect Mr. Jacobsen’s 1st amendment right with my 2nd amendment right.
Report Inappropriate Comment