The Lawrence Journal-World has been exceedingly busy these past few days. First, there’s the need to publish a story about Nancy Boyda’s re-election chances to try and prop up what is already looking like a failing campaign. Then, of course, somebody has to get some good publicity out about a new ‘documentary’ over the State Board of Education’s debate over evolution. I mean, it was rejected by several film festivals over the past two years, but that’s no reason not to promote it, when it has ‘the right message.’ And of course, let’s throw in a nice article about the 90% gay Metropolitan Community Church…we all need that fuzzy feeling inside, don’t we?
Now it’s the Muslim’s turn…a great puff piece about how the University of Kansas’ dining services is making special arrangements for Muslim students. And just for good measure, let’s delete 14 comments made about the story that are critical of Islam. After all, 220+ comments can be made degrading Christians and what they believe, but why should Muslims be put through the same rigors?
One has to wonder how long this will continue until the Journal-World is sued.
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on Sep 14th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
calling Kansas muslim terrorists is horrible- and the LJW did the right thing removing the posts. and this blog should be on the front lines telling the world how awful it is to attack Muslims because of their faith (just as it is awful to attack Christians because of theirs…significant different in this situation, though, no one on the LJW is calling Christians terrorists).
You should be ashamed your post wasn’t congratulatory.
on Sep 14th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Well, if in fact the comments were removed because Muslims in Kansas were called terrorists, then I fully expect to see all comments calling Christians hypocrites, bigots, fundies, etc. removed as well. If name calling is cause for comment removal, then the Journal-World had better call in some extra staff, ’cause they’re gonna need them to get everything off their pages.
In today’s PC world, ideas like yours run rampant…it’s okay to call a Christian a bigot because, in one’s opinion (and therefore one’s reality), it’s true. But call a Muslim a terrorist and that is taboo because of 9/11. In fact the comments left on this very article attempt to put forth the idea that the comments were removed to prevent a Christian backlash against Muslims. This, of course, is non-sense.
What I’m very curious about, however, is how you know why the comments were pulled? Are you a LJW employee yourself? That’s about the only way I can figure how you would know why these particular comments were pulled.
Otherwise I believe it to be simply conjecture on your part as I can’t really believe that you were able to review all 16+ comment removals without being in someway affiliated with the newspaper itself. In other words, you have a real credibility problem my friend.
on Sep 15th, 2007 at 9:43 am
it’s exciting to have the moderator of a board respond to you.
No, i don’t work for the LJ-W company, and, yes, i’m assuming why the posts were removed…I did see a number of them before they were taken down, so i have a decent idea. But, no, i do not know for certain.
It’s wrong to assume any group is represented by a minority within that group- most christians and muslims are good, hardworking people that would never think to harm another person. Some Christians and Muslims are not- radical Muslims and radical evangelical Christians are no representative of their faiths.
This country has a history of taking things to an extremely inappropriate place, and there are absolutely people who honestly think all Muslims are dangerous. That is, of course, nonsense.
Last thing: posts hinting that a group of people are going to try and kill other people is much much more offensive than posts calling another group “hypocrites, bigots, fundies, etc.” That isn’t polite, for certain, but it isn’t same thing.
on Sep 15th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Credibility Jason, a real credibility problem…
on Sep 15th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
I’m as credible as anyone else who posts opinions on message boards.
on Oct 22nd, 2007 at 8:58 pm
This story is old and no one will look at this comment, but it seems that the worst insult, and very ironic, since the group being discussed/defended murdered 3000 people and continues to murder many of their own religious faith all across the world, is being aimed at Christians. “The basis of the editing was to preclude the Christian “persecution” of Muslims. This suggestion in itself is the worst insult and aimed at a nation that has spent billions to help Muslims, before and after 911.” I do not know the comments removed, but the question is, were they true? The double standard by which Christians can be attacked while other religious groups are given deference should be no secret in this nation, denied only by those who seek control over a system that could not have been built without the people who came to America because of those principles.