Editorial – Lashing out at columnists misses the mark
February 21, 2013 at 6:00 pm in Alexandria Echo Press
Every now and then, it’s helpful to remind people what the Echo Press Opinion page is all about. Continue Reading
Editorial – Lashing out at columnists misses the mark
12 Comments
No mention of who wrote this???
Like or Dislike:
14 
11
It would probably be best to email or call the Echo Press and ask this question.
Their contact page can be found here: http://www.echopress.com/event/contact/
Like or Dislike:
5 
13
This is an Echo Press editorial, which is the opinion of the Echo Press Editorial Board. The board consists of Publisher Jody Hanson, Editor Al Edenloff and Reporter Crystal Dey.
Like or Dislike:
20 
9
Al … I just want to take a moment to say THANK YOU for still allowing comments on your website while other Forum owned newspapers have done away with them.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
28 
0
Did those three people also make the decision to publish Dalman’s abusive editorial?
Like or Dislike:
12 
5
Thanks Al.
Like or Dislike:
16 
2
One issue I have is:
If Dennis Dahlman gets paid for his regular commentary column (and I don’t know if he does) then the Echo Press in a roundabout way is endorsing his “opinions”.
My issue with Mr. Dahlman has never even been about what I percieve as his misguided views anyway. It’s not as if it’s a surprise to anyone the stances he takes. I have, however, often taken issue with the rude tone of his writings.
So the Echo Press can hide behind the “Opinion” title on the page if they wish, but they’re the ones who endorse his combative writing style by running him in that regular “Commentary” spot.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
36 
15
I agree. He reverted to name calling in his last piece on gun control right from the get go. He criticized people for being rude by being rude.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
37 
11
Mark Twain said it first: “A man who doesn’t read the news is uninformed, and the man who does is misinformed”
As Dennis Dahlman mentions the little children being so able to handle languages. They are so receptive to everything because it’s all new. A real petri dish for molding little minds. We see it in “news” being taken from the Al Gore manual on warming or is it change now? Little kids grieving for trees and rocks. This ‘transformation’ is a slow process, isn’t it? Dahlman and other “useful idiots” keep it moving with their parroting of the liberal agenda and when exposed, they revert to more well worn tactics of name calling and the like. Obama has been doing it for years, but he controls the media access. 60 minutes brags they get presidential access because the don’t do any “gotcha” interviewing. All the “sky is falling” forecasts from our leader(?) unless more money is poured down more ratholes is more us vs them campaigning to furthur divide the people. Both producers and parasites. Just a few more percent and the balance will tip completely to those who are dependant on government. Dahlman’s rants feed the fire while taxpayers feed the ‘victims of oppression’. Echo Press defends him under the pretense of “Play Nice, Children” while he has time to read books in other languages and find time to chastise producers for not doing more.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
34 
18
I was going to send this in as a letter to the editor, but I think I’ll just post it here instead.
To the Editor:
“Wow.”
That what I have to say about not only Dennis Dalman’s column from February 15th, but also about the staff’s reaction on the 22nd to the inevitable backlash.
First of all, Dalman’s column was deliberately inflammatory and viciously spiteful with its broad-brushing, insult-laden attacks against people who dare disagree with issues he dogmatically holds dear. Instead of laying out facts, Dalman chose to take the low road of hateful mocking and ridiculing. Is that how “science” works these days? If someone disagrees with your conclusions, you attack them with ad hominems? Is that “tolerance?”
As to the staff’s response, I can’t figure it out. Exactly what did you expect people’s responses to be after Dalman called them “delusionists,” “gullible,” “Proscrustean” (Dalman’s misspelling), “misogynists,” “dolt[s],” “medieval throw-backs,” “blockhead hold-outs,” “goons,” “Dark-Age inquisitors,” and “paranoid;” falsely claimed they “deny anything and everything scientific,” use “pretzel logic,” commit “assaults on women,” and want all women “barefoot and pregnant;” intolerantly ridiculed their sincerely held religious beliefs and the Bible; and topped it all off with the puerile suggestion that these people either don’t have brains or have their brains in their posteriors? Perhaps you expected them to just sit there and silently take Dalman’s abuse? To “turn the other cheek,” perhaps? Is that what the Echo Press hides behind in order to justify printing garbage like Dalman’s column?
Second, the staff’s response sounds like infantile whining from people who can dish it out, but can’t take it. The response repeatedly referred to readers as “going after” Dalman. Excuse me? Dalman is free to “go after” whoever he wishes, but readers can’t “go after” him in response? That’s called blatant hypocrisy.
Finally, what is all this about readers “presenting their own counterpoints” and focusing “more on their own ideas and less on the perceived personalities?” Had Dalman presented any valid points or ideas in the first place, people could have easily presented their own counterpoints and ideas. He didn’t present either, however, choosing instead to lay on the insults. That says a lot about his personality as well as his ability to rationally and factually defend the issues he cares about. If you have facts, you don’t need to resort to such cheap tactics as insults.
In short, the whole matter is just very disappointing and makes me wonder greatly about the ability and competence of the Echo Press staff. Here’s a tip: if you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. In plainer terms, don’t print Dalman’s columns if you can’t handle readers’ responses. Even if you can, just don’t print Dalman’s columns, period. The Echo Press is better off without them.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
26 
7
Given the tone, if I were a betting man, I’d bet a lot of money that Dalman is a fan of U of M Morris hatemonger PZ Myers.
Like or Dislike:
12 
6
Be careful Jay. You make too much sense and might be banned from using this site.
Like or Dislike:
15 
4