Talking with JinC Regulars – July 7, 2006

(One of a series of posts in the original web log tradition: notes and "thinking out loud." These posts will be most easily understood by regular visitors and are But others are welcome. John)

I deleted a comment from one of you. It was a personal attack.

They’re not allowed, even by someone for whom I have respect and fond feelings.

Another comment matter - - -

Someone who’s recently begun commenting at JinC said Duke’s Professor of Cultural Anthropology Orin Starn was a signer of the faculty Group of 88’s “listening statement.”

It turns out Starn didn’t sign the very talky “listening statement.” He asked for a correction. Our new commenter made an apology ASAP. It was full and generous.

JinC reaction:

The new commenter showed class. I hope the person continues to comment here.

Message to Starn:

What about the apology you owe Coach K?

Also, do you remember the day Reade Seligman had to walk to the Durham County courthouse past racist hate-mongers shouting,” Justice will be done, Rapist"

And surely you remember that when Reade entered the courtroom, there were shouts that included "Dead man walking!"

Did you speak out in any way that day on behalf of Reade, his family and those who abhor racist hate groups and their enablers?

Did you speak out the way you spoke out today for yourself?

The answers to those questions tell, don’t they?

New item:

Think of the old ad: “Run, don’t walk to our auto showroom.”

Yes, it’s a hustle.

But folks, believe me, if you haven’t been to McClatchy’s Editor’s Blog in the last day or two you need to run, not walk there.

Readers are teeing off with fact-based questions about the Duke lacrosse case and Raleigh N&O exec editor Melanie Sill has been unable to fob off the readers.

Here's the kind of thing readers are getting at: The judge in the case has not asked his protégé, DA Mike Nifong, to turn over records of the accuser’s cell phone. That’s troubling on many counts, not least because while Sill and the rest of the N&O’s “news team” tell us the “victim of sex crimes” is a “dancer,” “mother,” “honor student,” etc; it turns out her cell phone records (or perhaps Kim's. I don't think is entirely certain who owned the cell) may contain records of calls to – you know -- “dance partners” and “ prominent citizens from the fields of law, politics and journalism.”

See what’s happening at the Editor’s Blog. It’s extraordinary. I hope you comment there. If you do, please link or “heads up” here.

Later today I’ll post a few of the questions I’d be asking Sill if she hadn’t repeatedly threatened to ban me from McClatchy’s blog.

Meanwhile, it looks like intelligent readers are doing just fine at the Editor’s Blog.

I’ll post the next Talking with JinC Regulars post this weekend.