Comments on: Newspaper’s should stay out of blogging http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/ music, politics, sports, etcetera Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:43:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: kristen http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23763 kristen Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:23:53 +0000 http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23763 This is such a sad story. One thing I thought was interesting about this story in particular was a new report last night on Action News. The family read a statement about their loved one, and at the end they said "We do not want people to make this into some kind of racial issue." As soon as they said that, I thought about how the story would play out on the local web. The conversations on Philly.com, regardless of the story, tend to get heated in a racial way. Someone always brings that to the fore, particularly on crime stories involving people of different races. And even when it's "black on black" crime, there are dumb comments about "that's what you get living that gangster lifestyle, living on welfare" and plenty of coded stuff in lieu of the N-word. I really can't read that stuff anymore. The hate is so out of control, and it really makes me ashamed to be an American, a Philadelphian, an English-speaker, a person who can read, whatever. There are just too many hateful, idiotic people out there to counter. This is such a sad story. One thing I thought was interesting about this story in particular was a new report last night on Action News. The family read a statement about their loved one, and at the end they said “We do not want people to make this into some kind of racial issue.” As soon as they said that, I thought about how the story would play out on the local web.

The conversations on Philly.com, regardless of the story, tend to get heated in a racial way. Someone always brings that to the fore, particularly on crime stories involving people of different races. And even when it’s “black on black” crime, there are dumb comments about “that’s what you get living that gangster lifestyle, living on welfare” and plenty of coded stuff in lieu of the N-word. I really can’t read that stuff anymore. The hate is so out of control, and it really makes me ashamed to be an American, a Philadelphian, an English-speaker, a person who can read, whatever. There are just too many hateful, idiotic people out there to counter.

]]> By: Howard http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23762 Howard Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:43:13 +0000 http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23762 I'm sitting here reading your post feeling extremely sadness and complete agreement with you on the new communication form that humans have formed all the while having Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush scream at me to not give up. Is the rest of the day going to be as juxtapositional? I’m sitting here reading your post feeling extremely sadness and complete agreement with you on the new communication form that humans have formed all the while having Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush scream at me to not give up.

Is the rest of the day going to be as juxtapositional?

]]> By: joey http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23761 joey Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:29:31 +0000 http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23761 This crime defies explanation. Its just an awful, awful thing. It's almost heartbreaking. That's how sad it is. This crime defies explanation. Its just an awful, awful thing. It’s almost heartbreaking. That’s how sad it is.

]]> By: Jess http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23760 Jess Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:15:06 +0000 http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23760 My dad is a recently retired photographer who covered Philly and and surrounding area schools and events for decades. Gratz was one of the worst for thefts and violence. He said most kids don't even carry books to school, just a drink and chips. A teacher friend of his there installed an automatic car starter cause he kept getting bomb threats from students. He has told me endless ugly stories about the goings on in many Phila schools. Principals are even scared of students. Things just keep escalating further out of control. It's sad. My dad is a recently retired photographer who covered Philly and and surrounding area schools and events for decades. Gratz was one of the worst for thefts and violence. He said most kids don’t even carry books to school, just a drink and chips. A teacher friend of his there installed an automatic car starter cause he kept getting bomb threats from students. He has told me endless ugly stories about the goings on in many Phila schools. Principals are even scared of students. Things just keep escalating further out of control. It’s sad.

]]> By: Spencer http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23758 Spencer Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:44:39 +0000 http://www.iamspencer.com/2008/03/27/newspapers-should-stay-out-of-blogging/#comment-23758 It seems as if this was a random crime where the kids were only out to have "fun" - and as disgusting as that seems, I realize that's just our society. Think about what we consume for entertainment value? We're the "Jackass" society - where these things are popular. People who abandon dignity in the name of a couple of dollars - that's reality TV or Stern. These kids will have their lives taken away (and deserve it) but at some point you have to wonder what we've become. It seems as if this was a random crime where the kids were only out to have “fun” - and as disgusting as that seems, I realize that’s just our society. Think about what we consume for entertainment value? We’re the “Jackass” society - where these things are popular. People who abandon dignity in the name of a couple of dollars - that’s reality TV or Stern. These kids will have their lives taken away (and deserve it) but at some point you have to wonder what we’ve become.

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