The Tribune joins GOP chairman Dave Matthews in standing against ignorance. Among media outlets to date, both LEO's Fat Lip blog and The Ville Voice blog have also weighed in.
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TRIBUNE CHEERS & JEERS: October 22, 2008
... to uneducated voters letting ignorance guide their decision. David Ward, a New Albany businessman, was quoted in the Chicago Tribune saying that despite being a registered Democrat, he will vote for John McCain for president “mainly because he’s not black.” (When The Tribune asked if the story correctly quoted him, Mr. Ward said “No Comment” and hung up the phone.) It’s the double-edged sword of democracy that makes sure everyone has a right to vote no matter how primitive their opinions are. Yes, it’s a free country. Not all of us will agree, but at least pick an issue that’s relevant! Will a biracial man in the White House really have that much of an impact on Ward’s antique business in Southern Indiana? Ward must think so, because he’s willing to toss aside economics, health care and any other serious issues. Voters like this man are among the same ones that read all of their Spam e-mail or listen to bar room gossip when evaluating the next leader of the free world. Jeers to those of us that support that practice or contribute to ignorance. We owe it to our community to educate not only ourselves but those around us.
Thank you Tribune for taking this head on. To have the comments from both party heads and now the local paper is such a great thing. The only way to confront this type of ignorance is to keep a steady stream of light on the issue and allow people to see exactly what's going on.
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate that Mr. Ward gave a face, voice and name to the issue locally. However, it allows us to discuss it, bring it to the forefront and keep attempting to educate people and their biases.
I commend the editors of this blog and Randy Smith for taking such a bold stand on this.