To the Editor:
I sit here in shock upon reading the full-page advertisement that you allowed to be displayed in your newspaper. It is one of the most opinionated, slanderous things I have ever read, and I was incredibly disappointed in The Herald for allowing something like that to see the light of day.
I will open my comments by saying that I am certainly more pro-Palestinian then pro-Israel in my thoughts about the issue. However, even if this was an advertisement talking about how great Palestinians are, I would not want it to be featured in what is supposed to be an objective news source and I would be just as angry.
Do you think that publishing something with the tiny word "Advertisement" above it removes any liability that you have towards the content that the page says?
Apparently not. I am now under the belief that if I wanted to — and had enough disposable income lying around to pay for a full page ad — I could publish an article about how I think abortions are great, healthy and benefit society. I could even finish this ad with instructions on how to give yourself an abortion and an attempt to convince you that anyone who does not get abortions is ignorant of how amazing they are.
What I just said is far from what I believe. However, I use it to illustrate the severity of what you allow to make it to print.
If you guys really need the money so badly, then you should just ask the school for it.
If you think that this advertisement was just an expression of free speech, or if you are going to read this letter and say that you did no wrong because you have every legal right to do so, then you would be foolish. There is a huge difference between the ability to say whatever you want, and the carrying through of this power. The difference is that everyone understands that newspapers can say whatever they want. However, since news sources say things that are intended to be objective, people trust them. What you have lost is trust. And this is something that you will not be gaining back from me anytime soon.
Good work losing another dedicated reader.
Lucas Husted '13
