« There Goes that Liberal Media Again | Main | It's All About the Children »

September 25, 2006

Bend Bulletin Recommends Censorship

It seems the Bend Bulletin editors believe in censorship. They write in an editorial today that it is just plain wrong to allow people to put ironic or sarcastic statements in the official Voter Pamphlet claiming to support or oppose a ballot measure when the clear intent of the person filing the statement is actually the opposite.

I think irony and sarcasm can peel away the phony façade of a political argument faster than anything else. That's the very reason we love political comedy and why it is so absolutely crucial to good government. As Thom Hartmann pointed out recently on his excellent morning show on KPOJ, this was the job of the court jester – the only one who could really tell the truth about politics. In the case of Voter Pamphlet statements, the humor is dramatically weakened if an ironic or sarcastic "pro" statement must be filed with the other, more staid, "con" arguments.

But apparently the editors of the Bend Bulletin think such communication tools are somehow inferior and do not belong in politics. I say, if they can't tolerate free speech, then they're in the wrong business.

Posted by Becky at September 25, 2006 05:01 PM