LUMBERYARD LOGS: What you don’t read can’t hurt you

Is it just me, or are people getting angrier?

We get lots of mail and commentary from folks who are really teed off about something. That’s what you expect at a newspaper. That’s the stuff we live for here: strong opinions, freewheeling and unfettered commentary on all manner of topics.

Heck, we invite it. Our stock in trade is making our readers pay attention, and you don’t get much attention throwing Nerf-balls. We like to make our readers feel strongly about things and care.

After all, our democracy depends upon continued scrutiny of public officials and the open airing of grievances.

That’s what the Constitution promises us, and for journalists, those are not just abstract concepts — it’s how we make our living.

But lately the tone of some of our readers seems to be getting a bit hysterical. A little bit over-the-top, throwing down (as in “throwing down the gauntlet”) at the powers-that-be, those who are seen as responsible for the complaint-at-hand, whatever it may be.

We now have a lot of name-calling and people who feel free to hurl epithets more suitable to a public toilet than public discourse.

These words don’t make it into print. We edit these word-bombs out of the Mailbag, our letters-to-the-editor section in the print edition.

Those word-bombs that are part of blogs from the website are eliminated along with the entire comment, since we no longer can edit blog comments by picking and choosing what should be excised for fear of being held liable for that comment or any other on the site.

So here, for the edification and education of our readers, are some of the insults and word-bombs that didn’t make it into our pages over the past few weeks, in print or online:

Government officials and city employees being called “clowns,” “traitors,” “cranks,” “sheisters,” “turds,” “brats,” “arrogant,” “petty,” “brainless,” “phoneys,” etc.

Laguna Beach residents have been called “snooty,” “sh***y,” “greedy,” “apathetic zombies,” and so forth.

Not to be outdone, perhaps the worst of the word-bombs — and the height of disdain — is lobbed at us, the press. We are “##!!!*** liberal ****jobs who run a liberal ****rag;” we should “get the **** out” of town. Etc., etc.

It would be laugh-out-loud funny if weren’t also a bit scary.

The odd thing is, I’ve noticed that often those very people who write the most head-bashing, teeth-gnashing things when they’re looking at a computer screen are usually, if encountered on the street, respectful, mellow and just plain nice.

So, while we wince at many of these strong words and certainly don’t want to add them to our journalistic lexicon, we don’t feel angry at these people, nor do we think using these words means their opinions are wrong or invalid.

Many of these people may just not realize that their words have power beyond their imagining, mainly to cause others to close their ears — and minds.

To them I say, try talking in a whisper. You’ll often notice that people will stop what they are doing to listen to you.

Then we will all be able to hear what you have to say — and our democracy will have the benefit of your ideas.

And for those who can’t stop screaming or frothing at the mouth, we will keep our ear plugs — and the delete key — handy.

CINDY FRAZIER is city editor of the Coastline Pilot. She can be reached at [email protected]