DCP Encourages Email Campaign Against Black Journalist

[_DarkHelmet]

Why aren't there any comments on his blog?

[_Kishkumen]

Why aren't there any comments on his blog?

Maybe he doesn't want us to comment on his blog entries.

[_harmony]

BC - here's the comment:

When you have 40 percent of kids being born out of wedlock, and among certain ethnic groups the vast majority being born out of wedlock, you ask yourself, how are we going to have a society in the future? Because these kids are raised in poverty in many cases, they're in abusive settings. The likelihood of them being able to finish high school or college drops dramatically in single-family homes. And we haven't been willing to talk about this.

I don't think this was a prepared line of attack for Romney as he was quoting the 40% statistic Rick Santorum had just shared but then added to it with the "among certain ethnic groups" not to mention the comments about abusive settings. It was poor judgment on his part at a minimum and I'd argue it came from somewhere inside him rather than from a prepared response. How is that better than Blow telling Romney to stick his (Blow's) success as a black single parent in his (Romney's) magic Mormon underpants?

I'm trying to figure out how Romney is wrong?

[_Morley]

I think Blow really blew it here. Public figures really need to learn that their published words (even tweets) are under intense scrutiny, and that their political opponents will make hay out of whatever little peccadillo they can find. I find Blow's statements incredibly distasteful, and I am neither an active, believing LDS person, nor a conservative (he also tweeted about right-wing "lice").

I feel like it is high time that people did not get a pass when engaging in derogatory stereotypes about LDS people. I do not agree with the erroneous characterization of garments as "magic underwear" and I don't think it is at all appropriate for journalists to write about Mormons in this way. So, as controversial as it may be around here, I see nothing wrong with Mormons contacting this guy's employer to get him to shut the hell up with this insulting language about Mormonism. Maybe he'll get wise and start keeping his bigotry to himself.

Now, I would not take any drastic action against Blow, if I were his boss. I would give the guy a warning, telling him that his tweets reflected on his employer and as such needed to be more professional.

On a personal level, though, I find this behavior despicable. As an independent who leans to the left, I have been dismayed by all of the nastiness towards Mormonism that is tolerated by liberal media types who would be up in arms if the same kind of attitude were directed at other religious and ethnic groups. Talk about an appalling double standard.

I thoroughly agree. Well said.

[_Doctor Scratch]

The thing is, Blow wasn't writing this "as a journalist"--this was posted on his Twitter account. I suppose it's debatable whether or not it's mean or derogatory to refer to "magic underwear," but my concern here was more with the Mopologetic reaction. There are a whole host of ways to respond: to email Blow directly; to confront him by Tweeting back at him; to simply comment upon and criticize the remark, etc. What DCP did is essentially a kind of tattling. So, even if we can agree that Blow's comment was "distasteful," I think there were far better ways of responding.

[_Kishkumen]

The thing is, Blow wasn't writing this "as a journalist"--this was posted on his Twitter account. I suppose it's debatable whether or not it's mean or derogatory to refer to "magic underwear," but my concern here was more with the Mopologetic reaction. There are a whole host of ways to respond: to email Blow directly; to confront him by Tweeting back at him; to simply comment upon and criticize the remark, etc. What DCP did is essentially a kind of tattling. So, even if we can agree that Blow's comment was "distasteful," I think there were far better ways of responding.

The reason people know about this is because the Wall Street Journal carried a piece on it, not because DCP "tattled." Furthermore, I very much doubt that many of the people following his tweets are expecting his candid moments so much as his perspective as a professional writer for America's foremost newspaper. It is not like he was tweeting to his mom and college pal. Furthermore, I doubt a DCP tweet, if such a thing even exists, would have attracted much attention as an answer to Blow. The only reason you know about his blog is because you follow the man fairly closely. You are among a very small number of people who do.

[_Doctor Scratch]

The thing is, Blow wasn't writing this "as a journalist"--this was posted on his Twitter account. I suppose it's debatable whether or not it's mean or derogatory to refer to "magic underwear," but my concern here was more with the Mopologetic reaction. There are a whole host of ways to respond: to email Blow directly; to confront him by Tweeting back at him; to simply comment upon and criticize the remark, etc. What DCP did is essentially a kind of tattling. So, even if we can agree that Blow's comment was "distasteful," I think there were far better ways of responding.

The reason people know about this is because the Wall Street Journal carried a piece on it, not because DCP "tattled."

Yes: that's true, but it's not what I'm talking about. I was talking about sending emails to the man's boss.

Furthermore, I very much doubt that many of the people following his tweets are expecting his candid moments so much as his perspective as a professional writer for America's foremost newspaper. It is not like he was tweeting to his mom and college pal. Furthermore, I doubt a DCP tweet, if such a thing even exists, would have attracted much attention as an answer to Blow.

So.... What are you saying, then? If the WSJ had already covered the Tweet, and had publicly shamed him, then what was the point of emailing his boss, and of inviting others to do the same? Was this for the sake of savoring an opportunity to kick the guy while he's down?

I don't know, Kish. I think you may have a unique perspective on this, given that DCP has basically "strong-armed" you into shutting up, censoring yourself, and/or deleting your old posts.

The only reason you know about his blog is because you follow the man fairly closely. You are among a very small number of people who do.

Actually, I first heard about the blog thanks to a couple of people who PM'ed me. I'm sure I would have learned of it on my own eventually, but in this case, a pair of people beat me to the punch.

[_Jason Bourne]

Charles M. Blow actually publicly apologized for his comment. Just and FYI.

[_Kishkumen]

Yes: that's true, but it's not what I'm talking about. I was talking about sending emails to the man's boss.

Do you think that his boss found out from Daniel or the WSJ? Is his boss, in your opinion, not likely interested in how readers react to his controversial tweets? Is it none of his boss's business? I am unclear about your viewpoint here.

Is it simply the case that you disapprove of tattling?

I think this is a little different from the Murphy business, but it seems you do not agree.

[_Darth J]

I'm trying to figure out how Romney is wrong?

Harmony, as a single dad raising two kids, my response to your attempt to figure out how Romney is wrong is as follows:

Go “F” yourself.