Op-ed columns

[Kim, Wild-eyed Bibliomaniac]

Last Friday, we had an op-ed column in our local paper that really upset me. This is a featured column, one that appears on the front page of the Metro section and normally, if I read it, they are generally slice of life or things that make you think. I was truly disapointed in this writer as she has done much for the libraries and was even named Citizen of the Year by the local library association.

That said, Regina Brett was responding to the comments made last month by the head of the Cleveland Clinic. who in recent years has made it policy not to hire smokers for any job connected with the clinic, even going as far as to drug test potential hires for nicotine. He stated that if he could avoid hiring large or obese people he would, if he could leagaly get away with it.

Brett agreed with him, and took it a step further by making the comment that since we have made it socially unaceptable to smoke, and drink and drive,that we should also do the same for overweight people. She suggested a tax on pop, candy and chips, and that larger people should have to pay more for health coverage (if we can get it, we already do). My question, again, is where does it stop?

Needless to say, I as in tears since I have always been a large sized person and have had to deal with this kind of ignorance all of my life. I emailed her to tell her, politely (Narzain can back me up) to tell her what I thought of her column and the damage she may have caused, not to mention the hurt she dealt to a lot of people.

Surprisingly, I heard back from her, and she apologized to me. I hope that she will in the next week or so, publish a public apology to all, but I may be holding my breath.

I know that everyone is entitled to an opinion, but when ignorance is perpetuated by people in a position of power, they need to do their homework and make sure of all of the facts.

Do people in power have responsibility for their words? Or do we, as a whole, need some salt to stomach it?

[Kim, Wild-eyed Bibliomaniac]

I would like to add that as of today, 9/16, Brett did apologize in to the public in her column, quoting calls and emails, letting those she hurt, have their say. (Yes, she included me too.) This does not erase all of what was done by her or the head of the Clinic (who also apologized to employees for "remarks that sounded insensitive") or what a lot of us have been through,subjects of op-ed columns, and editorial pieces.

Sometimes, great damage had been done by a half inoformed individual with good intentions.....maybe this was one of them?

[Narzain, The Minister of Awesome]

It's a classic case of "think BEFORE you speak." Especially when so many people will hear and be affected by one's words. I think journalistic integrity & responsibility have deteriorated over the years. Now it's all sensationalism and personal opinions being spread on a public level.

I'm glad she recognized her error and apologized, but a little forethought would have kept her from making the error in the first place, and saved a lot of pain.

[A.]

unfortunately, in today's world of political correctness, society has no one to for which to sling prejudicial comments upon except the "fatties" and the "Fags". And sadly, no one blinks when such comments are made as it is socially acceptable to poke fun at these two groups EVEN when the majority of the people in this country are considered to be obese and the gays are just an "abomination" in the eyes of God.
I think people are prejudiced by nature and they need some sort of outlet for their angst so they pick on the groups that aren't protected against discrimination.

[Kim, Wild-eyed Bibliomaniac]

Yet, do people in positions like Brett, who I remind did appologize to me personaly and publicly, have an obligation to not perpetuate the stero types and try to shape how people see others by making sure what they say has some factual mertit as well as opinion?

[KarenLee]

I was talking to my husband about this and he made some interesting comparisons. He is left-handed and he stutters. Statistically speaking, people who are left-handed have more accidents (and consequently need more health care). People who stutter don't live as long as people who are fluent. Black men have more heart attacks than white men.

So should health insurance premiums be higher for left-handed, stuttering black men? Where does it stop? Where do we draw the line.

Stopping now seems like a good idea to me.