2008 Woodie Awards
This is the opinion section, please keep that in mind
Melinda Christensen
Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: Opinion
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This may come as a surprise to some of you, or if you've been keeping up with the opinion articles this semester, it may not. Apparently some of the more delicate members of our readership have been offended multiple times already this semester. Granted, I did cross a line with my opinion piece on the "Guitar Hero Contest." I also apologized for my tirade. However, some people may have forgotten what it means to have an opinion.
And where better to address opinions than in an opinion article? Now, there is some necessity for political correctness and equality in society, but let's not let that overshadow our ability to communicate and express ourselves. It is unfortunate when people feel that the proper response to an opinion is a direct demand for a public apology.
What happened to discourse, debate and discussion? Obviously, there's no expectation for agreement; however, disagreement doesn't facilitate making demands of people. A difference of opinion should be addressed and newspapers facilitate this by providing a means for response, more commonly known as "Letters to the Editor." E-mail addresses are also published to make contact with editors if your preference is less public communication. (Of course then only one person benefits from your thoughts, and where's the fun in that?)
With that said, let's not quibble over implications and semantics. This may be a struggle for some, but let's try to keep our focus on the bigger picture, namely the overall message of an opinion. This may sound crazy, but it's really difficult to have an opinion and a sense of humor without making implications and exploiting some generalizations. In fact, it is extremely difficult to be human and politically correct. Take some time and consider this for a minute.
Perhaps I slightly miscalculated the level of understanding and the ability to laugh of a small percentage of our readership. To those of you who were recently offended by my Valentine's Day opinion piece, please understand that it was not meant as an attack on all catholic priests and I am not sorry for being critical of modern scandals. In fact, scandals should be addressed critically.
And where better to address opinions than in an opinion article? Now, there is some necessity for political correctness and equality in society, but let's not let that overshadow our ability to communicate and express ourselves. It is unfortunate when people feel that the proper response to an opinion is a direct demand for a public apology.
What happened to discourse, debate and discussion? Obviously, there's no expectation for agreement; however, disagreement doesn't facilitate making demands of people. A difference of opinion should be addressed and newspapers facilitate this by providing a means for response, more commonly known as "Letters to the Editor." E-mail addresses are also published to make contact with editors if your preference is less public communication. (Of course then only one person benefits from your thoughts, and where's the fun in that?)
With that said, let's not quibble over implications and semantics. This may be a struggle for some, but let's try to keep our focus on the bigger picture, namely the overall message of an opinion. This may sound crazy, but it's really difficult to have an opinion and a sense of humor without making implications and exploiting some generalizations. In fact, it is extremely difficult to be human and politically correct. Take some time and consider this for a minute.
Perhaps I slightly miscalculated the level of understanding and the ability to laugh of a small percentage of our readership. To those of you who were recently offended by my Valentine's Day opinion piece, please understand that it was not meant as an attack on all catholic priests and I am not sorry for being critical of modern scandals. In fact, scandals should be addressed critically.
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