Dear New York Times:
Others have written, better than I could, about why it’s a bad idea to hire a science denier to relitigate climate change facts yet again under the banner of “opinion.” And about why your First Amendment rights are not being violated if someone doesn’t want to spend their money on your paper. But I want to make a related point.
I see what you’re doing, and it won’t work.
But first, a word from our sponsor!
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When I was in school, especially middle school, I got bullied a lot. Some of it physical, but mostly just endless name-calling and humiliation. The bullies would mock my clothes, my hair, anything I said or did.
And, because I was thinking like a child, I tried to solve the problem by taking them at their word and changing myself. I tried dressing more like them and adopting the popular hairstyle. That always works in the movies, right? Everyone sees the girl really is purty, and they become friends? In real life, the bullying didn’t change by an inch. Because it wasn’t about me; it was about the bullies. They wanted a target, so they could feel superior.
Conservatives have spent decades griping about the “liberal media,” and you at the NYT in particular. Ann Coulter made a pro-terrorism “joke” about blowing you up. DonT has called you enemies of America.
And you’re responding just like my childhood self, trying to re-make yourself so that you look enough like them and they’ll be appeased. It won’t work.
It doesn’t matter how many times you try to reduce climate change to an “opinion.” Or how many articles you run on Hillary Clinton’s emails emails emails emails emails. Or how many puff pieces you write about Trump voters. Or even this little inksplotch of WTF.
They’re always going to rant and rave about you being the “liberal media.” That’s who they want you to be. they want a target, so they can tell themselves how thoroughly they beat you. You can strip away any facts they deem “too liberal,’ and they’ll still find you “too liberal.” So you might as well just print facts and quit hand-wringing about their opinion of you.
I had this figured out at thirteen. You’re 166 years old, it’s time to get out of middle school.
On to Top Comments!
From ZenTrainer:
Nice comment here by Elfling
I especially liked this part:
"we have students and homes where internet is not available (at any price)."
It's not about money, there is no broadband service in a lot of places in the US that are only 20 minutes from a big city.
about the lack of broadband service in rural areas in Edwin Santana's diary .
From Jon Sitzman:
I can tell you no tale of this post that it doesn't tell better itself.
FishOutofWater is always a compelling writer, but this is flint and steel. More eyes, please.
From Holgar:
This was the second comment on Irna J Landrum's post.
I read the post, then I read this comment. I had to stop there.
[Note from Tara: comment is another one from elfling.]
Top mojo, courtesy of mik:
Picture quilt, courtesy of jotter: