Watchdog Site’s Tar-and-Feather Operation
During the early days of our republic, animosity against bad politicians could turn quite extreme. A bucket of tar and a pillow of chicken feathers later, and getting on the bad side of the citizenry could have real consequences.
Well, we don’t use tar and feathers any longer, but we do have the Internet.
In Galveston, Texas, the local school board has upset a lot of citizens, one of whom put up a collaborative watchdog website
One typical article on the site makes fun of Lynne Cleveland, the superintendent, by comparing her statement on a state-mandated review program with other such statements from other district superintendents around the state, each saying pretty much the same thing. The superintendent had cribbed her press release.
Many local contributors to the site direct some pretty cutting remarks against what they call the “Circle of H’Eight,†with an “h-apostrophe†before the number “eight,†for the district’s seven Trustees and the superintendent together.
So what does the H’Eight do? Hire a lawyer! Threaten to sue.
The lawyer claims he’s never seen such personal invective directed towards school officials. Oh, and he demands that the website be taken down.
You do have to dig under a lot of invective to find the website’s points — but they do have them. Does that matter? Free speech means never having to say your sorry to politicians. That’s the law. Galveston officials should just be glad that they escaped tar and feathers.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
