How dare the Tribune shake its editorial finger at citizens who get involved to make SLO’s government work, call them “fanatics,” tell them to “let it go,” order them to “move on,” and “do not, we repeat do not” make their concerns an issue in November’s election. How shameful!
The late Telegram-Tribune was a fine, community-supportive newspaper that reported the news readers need to become citizens. Its late editor George Brand offered an interested ear to all manner of citizen activists, frequently editorialized in their support, and never denigrated their efforts because he understood such effort is what makes democracy work.
By contrast, the corporate heir of Brand’s independent paper heaps scorn on citizen activists, and belittles, berates, and threatens them. It also doesn’t report the news readers need to become citizens.
When the Corporatists renamed the paper by dropping “Telegram” (because it sounded so old-fashioned), they left in place “Tribune,” a word of even more ancient heritage. In Roman times, a tribune was a quasi-public official who—get this—helped protect the public interest from getting screwed by government or other powerful interests. A tribune, in short, played exactly the role of citizen activists so denigrated by the Tribune.
This rag doesn’t support our community. So why should the community support it?
— Richard Schmidt – San Luis Obispo
— Richard Schmidt – San Luis Obispo
This article appears in May 15-22, 2008.
