I’m actually somewhat sympathetic to the Seattle Times here. They moved Doonesbury from the comics page to the editorial page this week as it deals with the horrible new Texas abortion law. I think it was a mistake, but at least they’re still running it.
But Erica C. Barnett is right that once you start making decisions like that it opens you up to questioning why it gets made sometimes but not others.
However, despite the fact that today’s top local headline was about an 8-year-old girl who was accidentally shot by a classmate (the mother is being charged with third-degree assault) who brought a gun to school, the Times saw fit to run a comic strip today making light of gun violence (and, incidentally, drunkenness)
Sill, it might be too much to expect consistent standards from The Seattle Times.
I suppose we should just stop pretending that run-of-the-mill newspapers are objective. Never have been, never will be. They are, and always have been, megaphones for anyone who can scratch together enough cash to buy or rent a printing press.
Our nation has been blessed with some truly great newspapers. The Point Reyes Light, the Stranger, and the New York Times, for example.
And then there is Seattle’s shopper, which most people buy for the grocery coupons and to line kitty boxes with …
I’ve been reading my comics online for several years now. I don’t have to worry about the local paper dropping one of my favorite strips.
In this particular case, I’m thinking it might be appropriate to move this weeks Doonesbury to the editorial pages. Today’s comic discusses a woman about to be “raped” with a 10″ medical instrument. Not exactly children’s fare.
And it’s not really “censorship”, because nobody’s prohibiting the Times from carrying the strip. It’s their pulp and ink, they can decide what they want to print, and where.
And since I can view Doonesbury online anytime I want, and have long ago canceled our Times subscriptions at home and at the office, I really don’t care what they do or don’t print. the way they are going, their little rag isn’t going to be around much longer, anyway.
Haven’t we decided this abortion thingy years ago? Abortion is legal and a good route for poorer folks to take who simply aren’t in the financial position to pay for a kid.
We don’t have enough abortions, especially among the poor.