October 29, 2007

Objectionable Behavior

In reference to his recent columns, I wonder "Has Mr. Meachum finally lost his mind? Did the dual automobile accidents our Cajun commentator caused last summer rattle what is left of his rapidly shrinking brain?

Does he write these inflammatory editorials in order to try and maintain what is left of his evaporating stature since the Frederick News-Post put the old curmudgeon out to pasture?

And did he even attempt to hew to standard journalistic practices of obtaining all sides of the story before spewing forth his anti-Walkersville tirade? Obviously not.

Is there some racist, xenophobic (wow such big words for a Walkersville rube) and anti-Muslim sentiment expressed in the opposition to the planned Islamic center. Undoubtedly.

Are most Walkersville residents the cross burning fanatics Mr. Meachum and his female minions at the FNP make us out to be?

No. We are concerned with the character of our community changing (yeah, yeah, I know, the county's growing. I'm fully aware of this fact.)

We are concerned with myriad other issues Mr. Meachum and his FNP flunkies conveniently chose to ignore.

And finally we are concerned with an "us vs. them" attitude developing (from both the Walkersville and the AMC side) because the AMC community appears intent on ramming this project down our throats, regardless of the fact most residents are strongly opposed to it.

And ultimately to compare the citizens of Walkersville to the KKK for peacefully expressing our opposition to this project is reprehensible. The KKK used violence, and threats of violence to achieve their goals.

We here in Walkersville have talked and talked and talked. And as members of the AMC have said: "here they peacefully discuss why they don't want the project. In Pakistan they just kill us. "Perhaps if Mr. Meachum or any of the other holier-than-thou commentators had bothered coming to the town meetings they would have seen a different Walkersville. They would have seen Walkersville at its best. With citizens standing up to express their opinions-peacefully.

Of course, I guess it wouldn't make as good an editorial.

Mr. Meachum, Joe McCarthy would be right proud of you. It's nice to know Yellow Journalism is alive and well. Our journalism schools use to turn out Cronkites, and Bradleys. Now our best is Mr. Meachum and his ilk.

May God have mercy on American journalism.