I usually enjoy the commentary of Bill Jones. It is refreshing
to hear from the local left wing now and then. And I am in complete
agreement with him that The Dispatch is a right-leaning newspaper.
So what? I knew this when I first started reading the paper nine
years ago. The New York Times and the Washington Post are liberal
newspapers.
I usually enjoy the commentary of Bill Jones. It is refreshing to hear from the local left wing now and then. And I am in complete agreement with him that The Dispatch is a right-leaning newspaper. So what? I knew this when I first started reading the paper nine years ago. The New York Times and the Washington Post are liberal newspapers. The New York Post is a conservative tabloid from an editorial point of view, yet every issue features pictures of half-naked women and gruesome crime photos.
The editorial in The Dispatch is sometimes conservative. Not always though.
What The Dispatch does, and many papers do not, is try to balance the views presented. And while there are a number of conservative columnists, the reporting is pretty straightforward. Neither Robert Mitchell nor Dennis Taylor could be called conservative with a straight face. As a real middle grounder politically, I believe that most of the views presented on these pages are very pragmatic.
So Mr. Jones, while I enjoyed your letter about the new governor, I take issue with your diatribe against The Dispatch printed on Tuesday. I can’t recall seeing ever seeing an editorial in The Dispatch on reproductive freedom, so I don’t know where you dug that one up. In their endorsement of Tom McClintock, The Dispatch editorial clearly states that his conservatism on social issues is problematic. Newspapers, like actual voters, don’t base their endorsements on the issue of abortion.
None of the editorials from The Dispatch could be classified as anti-diversity. Even the conservative columnists can’t be labeled anti-diversity. This ridiculous argument plays well in Gilroy, much to our detriment. Stating publicly that a goal for all immigrants is acquisition of the English language is not racist. It is simply common sense. Stating publicly that the job of an English department is to teach all of our children English is not a part of some right-wing political strategy. I can speak pretty well to this particular issue, because I am one of the “whiners” who wants all of our students to have a solid English curriculum. This curriculum would include teaching our students the essentials of grammar and punctuation, refining oral speech, writing persuasive essays and reading a variety of classic material from various genres.
As a member of the Superintendents Parent Advisory Council, I can assure you that this is what all the parents are advocating – a solid education that will prepare our students to succeed in college.
I will agree that The Dispatch has been a little rough on the unions. I am a lifelong supporter of unions, but the local fiasco surrounding Gilroy First! was not the doing of The Dispatch. The newspaper simply reported on the numerous mistakes that were made by this grassroots group whose ties to the union should never have been denied.
The super Wal-Mart appears to be the will of the people. I had no idea that reporting on the impact of a larger Wal-Mart became a defacto blessing of the editor. Unless I missed it, don’t think The Dispatch has taken a position on this issue. This paper certainly is supportive of a revitalized downtown, which is pretty much all small business. The editorial board has more faith than most Gilroyans for the prospect of a vital downtown core.
Monday The Dispatch editorial was about the apalling lack of physical education minutes in our schools. This editorial suggested that the schools hold off for a year on standardized testing and make sure that our kids are physically healthy enough to be able to perform well in school. If this is a conservative position, please be aware that I am considering jumping ship. I have complained about this for years. Concern for children’s health is a an American value, no agenda needed.
The Dispatch is not a perfect paper, and neither is their editorial board. But I believe the editorials are generally very supportive of the greater Gilroy community. They have supported our local businesses, schools, government and the people who call Gilroy home.
I bet that the local paper in Berkeley is more liberal than The Dispatch, but we are more than just eight miles apart. For better or for worse, The Dispatch is pretty much reflective of our hometown.
