Comments on: fair, or “balanced”?

By: Wendee Holtcamp

Wendee Holtcamp — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:53:13 +0000

Yep that was me who McLeroy told that I wasn’t allowed to say the word “lying” - isn’t that somehow infringing on my free speech? So, actually I haven’t given it a whole lot of time thinking about other ways to say it. I think I’d say the exact same thing again - that they are guilty of willful deliberate deception, in other words lying. What they’re deceiving the public about is that their desire to add “strengths and weaknesses” or “limitations” is not motivated by religion. I think they were seriously uncomfortable by my calling them on it, because if they are genuinely devout in their faith, they know I was speaking the truth to them, and they are being deceptive when they spout some of their falsely naive comments like, “Nobody is trying to introduce religion here”) - It should have made them uncomfortable. I noticed some squirming - though that may have been my imagination. No one is perfect but when a devout Christian is called on a “sin” (lying) they should pay attention - they should ask themselves whether what is being said has truth to it. I think the problem is that they see their battle as a holy one, and so justifying the lies and deception. But that is not ok. Another theistic evolutionist, I believe a clergy, also said something about this matter. Anyway that is just my take as a theistic evolutionist :)

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By: Tony Whitson

Tony Whitson — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:15:11 +0000

Wendee comments

Most of the journalists did not even attend the hearing. They come to the press conference, and think that is “covering” the event! Sure sitting through 8+ hours of testimony may seem a “waste” of time but that is what Dave Montgomery did - who got the balance issue correct.

That’s part of a big problem with our media today. Basically, they are no longer invested in journalism. That’s why I wanted to acknowledge that Montgomery works for McClatchy. It’s been noted many times in the last eight years that their reporters seemed to be the only ones who got the story, beyond what was handed to them by Press Secretaries.

By: Tony Whitson

Tony Whitson — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:06:20 +0000

And thank you, Wendee, for your testimony.

Unless I’m misremembering, you’re the one who got slapped down for saying that some Board members were lying.

I expect you’ve spent some time since then thinking of other ways to say it when somebody states things to be true while knowing those things to be not true.

By: Wendee Holtcamp

Wendee Holtcamp — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:00:02 +0000

Let me add one more thing. Most of the journalists did not even attend the hearing. They come to the press conference, and think that is “covering” the event! Sure sitting through 8+ hours of testimony may seem a “waste” of time but that is what Dave Montgomery did - who got the balance issue correct.

By: Wendee Holtcamp

Wendee Holtcamp — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:44:05 +0000

Thank you thank you thank you!! This is a brilliant analysis that deserves much wider distribution. I’m going to link to it on my blog. You should consider posting it at Daily Kos and/or Texas Kaos - among other places. Send it to the various newspapers you cite here. They need to understand this issue!! Good work.