Public Editor: Opportunity missed on legislative coverage

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

By Mike Bressler

In the last JH Weekly, Aaron Wallis’ High Art column defined the difference between nude and naked. He said the Bible invented naked people at the time of Eden and the Greeks invented nudes. It was all a bit intellectual, but basically this is the rule: If you attend art classes at Middlebury, someone without clothes is nude, if you attend NASCAR races, they’re naked.

On a more serious note, last week’s piece by Mary Grossman on Inger Koedt and the Danish Resistance that saved the life of Jews in World War II is the type of piece JH Weekly needs. The interview makes readers look in the mirror and ask questions of themselves. While there are few Inger Koedts, there are other stories more relevant than security cameras in local businesses. A case and point is Jake Nichols’ piece on the 2010 Wyoming Legislator.

Jake felt compelled to report on Gingery’s DUI bill and anti-federal government legislation that has been covered in the local “world-class” newspaper. However two short paragraphs about Gingery co-sponsoring a joint resolution to repeal the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is intriguing.

The joint resolution could have been the subject of a captivating story in its own right. (The 17th Amendment allows the election of U.S. senators by the people of the state instead of state legislators.)

At first blush, it seems a power grab by state representatives with Wyoming citizens the losers. On closer examination there is some logic to the action. The idea is U.S. Senators would be beholden to state officials instead of special interest dollars.

Of course corruption and the buying of U.S. Senate seats was why the 17th Amendment was passed. One wonders if state representatives with added power could become as corrupt as their Washington counterparts.

An alternative press should be like a modern Socratic. It should ask hard questions that seek to make us think and see other viewpoints rather than provide easy sound-bite answers.

JH Weekly can’t match the financial and political resources of mainstream publications, but it can seek out stories others missed or are too controversial for its advertisers. Let the N&G worry about being world-class; the JH Weekly needs to be challenging and inspiring. JHW


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Public Editor: Opportunity missed on legislative coverage | Planet JH News Article: Editorial

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