The Edge

For some reason, the Tribune's Edge Column from July 16, 2005, is not posted online this week. Too bad. Maybe it's because it's...well, too bad. To reprint, that is.

First, it discusses the Lewis and Clark Signature Event. It suggests a complete and open accounting, and then says that "conspiracy theorists" are already predicting a cover-up. Color me cynical, but I believe the city administration will do everything it possibly can to downplay or minimize a negative outcome. If Mayor Lawton (oops!) Manager Lawton stands up at the next Commission meeting and says, "Well, in all honesty, we lost our ass on this event, and I won't be looking for a raise this year," then I owe you all an apology. And I guess I am a conspiracy theorist.

The second item from The Edge mirrored a letter to the editor printed the same day. On July 12, 2005, the Tribune printed an article about the recent trade talks with Thailand that took place in Great Falls. The headline for the article was "Talks draw little guys, heavy hitters."

Well, someone from GF wrote in that this was insulting to the members of the Thailand trade delegation because, well, I guess people from Thailand are stature-impaired. Thus, the reader thought the term "little guys" referred to the Asians in our midst. In The Edge column, the editors noted the letter to the editor, noted the apparently racist connotations of their headline, and then apologized for being "impolite." Impolite?

The Tribune distributed a whole insert about racism against the Indians up in Havre. (It was drafted by a UM Journalism student who took a trip to Sweden to "whet her curiosity about socialism." Isn't that special. Maybe her trip to Sweden also gave her the credentials to lecture Havre folks about racism?) Then, on June 15, the Tribune printed an editorial about the insert and the public response.

Some of the things they had to say:

Such incidents [of racism] are despicable. They are not, however, confined to Havre.

Racism can and does happen anywhere.

Most people and most businesses respect people of other races, beliefs or backgrounds.

A few don't. And their hurtful words and actions are devastating to Native Americans — or whoever else is the target of their insensitivity.

The student report touched a nerve. Not everyone's happy with that. But it also sparked some much-needed dialogue between the Indian and non-Indian communities.

So, let me get this straight. The Tribune has no problem referring to other people's conduct as "despicable," but when they do it, it's "impolite." Hmmm.

Maybe the Tribune is a business that doesn't respect other races? Maybe it's time to spark some much needed dialogue between the media and non-media communities, or maybe the tall and short communities? Or maybe we just need some dialogue between the Tribune and the folks from Thailand? Or am I just being..impolite?

Can you say H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y? Or is it A-R-R-O-G-A-N-C-E?